I think I already mentioned that, in my job as electronics engineer, I usually have to deal with microchip uc's, until recently mostly PIC18. For the latest project, a partner started developing in PIC32, but I am helping him with the Linux side of the project (uc is connected to a PC), so, I am still bound to 8 bit uc's. I have already bought several development boards (STM32VLDISCOVERY, some LPC boards, have preordered the new cortex M4 launchpad), but never started actually coding anything. It's just the same song: with the PIC I need not to make efforts to learn anything, but now I have decided: I must learn new things if I want to improve, so... Here we go. But now some questions arise...
Are there complete toolchains for any of those arm uc's that are open source? I see some pages saying that the STM32 can be programmed in Linux, but that are always "personal" pages, nothing "official". Why is this so?
And there are IDEs like microchips for those uc's? Debugging is so easy that I forgive the several errors microchip does with their software...
Can I use the Bus Pirate to program/debug those uc's, or it's better to stick to SWD (Using STM32 board as a programmer).
Should I start with the TI Cortex-M4 board when it comes or it's better to start with M3? Seems to me that are very similar...
As you can see, I am basically lost. Any advices you can tell this humble newbie?
First time here, so, first of all, let me introduce myself a little...
I am spanish, 26yo electronics engineer. Until recently,a t work, I have always been bound to use 8 bit microchip microcontrollers for any project (Even if it was nealy impossible to achieve what boss wanted). Now they want to start use embedded computers (Beagleboard, Pandaboard) without anything in between.
When I was studying (Or "when I had some time for me" :D ) I used to do some small projects in my spare time, but after starting in this work (I had not ended my degree by then, I was kind of "kidnapped" by a teacher :D ) the lack of free time, and the fact that I was working all day with electronics made me stop doing anything for fun. Now, I long for those days when I could be hours looking for info, reading, and designing something just for the fun that designing it brought to me. So, I thought, "hey, if in the work they want to do such a big jump, maybe doing things at home is the chance I needed to fullfill the hole between the so different worlds that are embeeded computers and 8bit microcontrollers.
So I have been buying some things: A lauchpad from TI, a discovery from ST, and some other things similarly cheap. But then I found this page, and fell in love with the Bus Pirate. So, Obviously I want one. But instead of just buying one, I was wondering if I could change some things to make it fit in a case, add support for the LCD in the same board, and some other tiny changes. I understand that this can be done, because of the license (And because of the custom board shown in "free builds" articles), but this is still a litte weird to me. Coming from windowws world (Just using Linux for some months) the open world seems so good, but at the same time, so hard to believe, I don't know if you understand me...
Well, anyway, I am writing too much and saying too little, so, in essence: Is there any problem with taking the schematic, doing some modifications and building it istead of just buying one?
(I have not found any place to introduce myself, but if there is one and someone could point me there, feel free to edit the post and leave just the question ;) )
PS: Please forgive my english. As I said, I am spanish, and even after some years writing and reading in english for the work, I still do not write as well as I want. Apologies for any mistakes that make your eyes bleed ;)
