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Write an app, get a SUMP PUMP

February 3, 2010 in logic analyzer by Ian | 1 comment

We’ve been working on an open source logic analyzer prototype with Jack Gassett of the Gadget Factory. The project is currently known by the code name ‘SUMP-PUMP’, but you can help suggest a name. The design incorporates elements of the Butterfly platform, which is available now at the Gadget Factory.

Update: Michal Demin completed this challenge in less than 24hours. Congratulations!

Here’s your chance to get a SUMP PUMP for free, maybe even a preview unit. We need command line utilities to update the SUMP PUMP FPGA image from Windows, Mac, and Linux. We’re currently using a Perl script, but this is too much hassle for end users. If you develop the best console update utility, we’ll send you the SUMP PUMP hardware.

The update is done over a virtual serial port using a simple protocol. Ideally, the utility would load Intel HEX files directly, but we have raw binary blobs too. The utility must compile on all major platforms (Windows, MacOSX, and Linux). Piotr’s Pirate-Loader utility source code should have everything you need to get started. Here’s a development thread in the forum.

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Bus Pirate bootloader v3 testers, help needed

January 5, 2010 in Bus Pirate by Ian | 1 comment

ds30 Loader is the new bootloader we’ve chosen to replace the broken AN1157 bootloader currently in the Bus Pirate. It has a bunch of benefits:

  • Takes less than 10 seconds to update the firmware
  • Fixes the ’slow’ bootloader problem effecting some PICs
  • Opens 6KB of program space for more features
  • Applications for Windows, Linux, and MAC are available
  • Single bootloader for v2go/v3
  • Released under the GPL
  • Safer than the AN1157 bootloader
  • Can be installed with the existing bootloader

Before the new bootloader can be deployed, we need to fix an error in the loader applications and do a lot of testing. We’re offering our next monthly project as a bounty on the software modifications. If you’re interested in testing the new bootloader, or can help patch the loader apps, we’ve got a lot of details for you below.

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C programmer needed for PIC support!

November 25, 2009 in Bus Pirate, help by Ian | 8 comments

We’re looking for a C programmer who can add serial port output to usbpicprog. It’s all that stands in the way of bringing PIC 12F/16F/18F/ds30 programming to the Bus Pirate*.

usbpicprog is an open source multi-platform programmer that uses wxWidgets toolkit and libusb. It currently sends byte commands to a USB HID driver. Your goal, should you accept it, is to send output to a serial port instead.

We’ll send the author a PIC programming charge pump accessory board, and another Bus Pirate goodie that’s not yet public.

*You’ll need a 13volt supply and simple switch too, we’ll release a few simple circuits that will work.

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Bounty: Add Bus Pirate support to OpenOCD JTAG programmer

November 12, 2009 in Bus Pirate, Development by Ian | No comments

bpv3-2

We’re offering a bounty on the most-requested Bus Pirate features. The developer of each feature can have their choice of a Bus Pirate probe cable kit or our next monthly project.

Today we’re highlighting JTAG. It would be ideal to have Bus Pirate support in the popular open source JTAG programmer OpenOCD, but other solutions are also fine. It should be possible to adapt an existing parallel port or FTDI232 JTAG wiggler mode to flip bits in a byte and send it to the Bus Pirate bitbang binary mode. We could also develop a separate binary JTAG library if requested.

A JTAG programmer that supports the Bus Pirate is currently the most-requested feature addition. Early firmwares had a terminal-based XSFV programmer from Xilinx, but it required specially compiled XSFV programming files and funky flow control.

Firmware v2.x removed the XSFV programmer, but added a new binary access mode that can be used with PC-based JTAG programmers. This is a much better solution because it lets the PC do any heavy lifting, the Bus Pirate simply twiddles pins.

Thanks to bluesign2k for the unboxing picture.

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Bounty on Bus Pirate high-priority features

November 4, 2009 in Bus Pirate by Ian | No comments

man2

Here’s a list of high-priority Bus Pirate features based on your feedback. We’re putting a bounty on these items to encourage new developers to get involved. The developer of each feature can have their choice of a Bus Pirate probe cable kit or our next monthly project.

  1. JTAG programming with OpenOCD. It should be possible to adapt an existing parallel port or FTDI232 JTAG wiggler, preferably OpenOCD, to flip bits in a byte and send it to the bitbang binary mode. We could also develop a separate binary JTAG library if requested.
  2. UART baud rate detect. A new macro for the UART library that detects baud rate using something like this.
  3. Binary mode access to the I2C sniffer for better speed. This should incorporate a simple escape sequence for control characters like start, stop, ACK, and NACK. Solution submitted, that was fast!
  4. Stepper motor driver and servo driver. The stepper motor driver will be easy, and we have a driver board in development. The servo driver will be harder simple because we don’t have any servos to test. Not sure where to put these, perhaps in an ‘extras’ library.

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