lpc1114 community - where is it?

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by rickta59 on Thu May 09 05:41:17 MST 2013

I recently started experimenting with the DIP-28 version of the LPC1114 chip. It seems to be a great little chip with lots of features and value for its cost. I'm surprised that a community hasn't sprung up around it to support hobbyists.

Are there any forums or websites that focus on this chip and using it for maker style projects?

Being new to the NXP family of ARM chips I'm also confused about the various NXP official forums. LPCWare seems new so I joined this. But it seems the focus used to be the LPXpresso forum. So I joined that too. But it seems like they are trying to move to LPCWare but hit a bump so they didn't. So which one is the right place to post?

Could someone explain the role of LPCOpenware and how CMSIS fits into that scheme? Is the only why to get the latest CMSIS software for the LPC1114 via downloading the entire LPCOpenWare?

-rick

[Dr_HGC]

Ya you are right, i am also working on DIP since more than 7 years but there are no forums for my DIP LPC1114.

Let us create it .

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by MarcVonWindscooting on Mon Oct 21 08:01:53 MST 2013

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Quote: rickta59

To me, it feels like people working on commercial products with issues they are trying to solve via a vendor forum.  To be honest I don't feel any need to help those people.  If I help someone fix some problem with their code or figure out poor documentation, they just take that knowledge, keep it to themselves and put it into whatever commercial product they are building. I get limited benefit from it all.

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Some are like that, but the good news is: most of them appear once and are never heard of again. And very often, they have an OSI layer 8 problem.
They are easily recognized because of over-estimating their importance to NXP.

However, if there is a commercial background, we sometimes have our back to the wall. Our boss wanting to know about 'progress', the deadline approaching,.... :O
Some people can deal with mental pressure, other's can't.

I have the belief that problems communicated in this forum here find their way back into user manuals or even in future modifications/features. This is a way of giving back and it's a very good one, because ALL users who are willing to read the manuals will benefit.
And yes, you're right, this forum here doesn't feel much like a community. In the beginning, I thought: "Nobody is here. I have a question but not a single answer in days, not even an insult!" But I got used to that.

I understand that microcontrollers as a hobby does not neccessarily mean to deal in depth with both hardware and software. OK - there is space for 'stencils' on both sides. Agreed.

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Quote: rickta59

So why don't I stick with the msp430?

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I never got in touch with msp430, although I have a dev-board and my last try was this summer. gcc was already built successfully but then the problem that uC was supposed to solve could be done in software with the remaining CPU resources of a LPC1754 (it was DLP-Link 3D decoding if you care). Bad luck! Since I started with LPC800/LPC1100 I believe, that's probably the end of MSP430 for me.

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Quote: rickta59

P.S. You can find me on freenode.net in the #lpc1114 channel

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I'm the asynchronous communication type of human and I've never used IRC until a few minutes ago. Probably too 'real-time' for me  ;-)

Count on me, if you're starting a community for LPC1114. Of course, I expect you to include a link to my open-source LPC1114 flash-tool named mxli...

By the way, I had a short look at fabooh. Maybe you find it useful to define peripheral structures using the my script unionize.pl below. As an example I included syscon.h edited with unionize.pl . This script does an in-place modification. Sounds dangerous but isn't. apply ununionize.pl  to syscon.h to see how that looked before. You'll immediately get the picture. unionized.h is a helper that should be included. Main purpose: define the word 'unionized' as nothing.

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by woodchuck on Fri Jan 30 13:19:29 MST 2015

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Quote: rickta59

I recently started experimenting with the DIP-28 version of the LPC1114 chip. It seems to be a great little chip with lots of features and value for its cost. I'm surprised that a community hasn't sprung up around it to support hobbyists.

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Thank you for articulating exactly what has been on my mind for quite a while.  I wish the Arduino community were using the LPC1114FN28 rather than the AVR.  Alas.

So one soldiers on in isolation, making all manner of things after hours with the LPC1114FN28.  BTW, FISH Forth (from Clyde W. Philips, Jr.) has added a most fascinating dimension to this great chip.

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by bundgus on Wed Jun 04 20:15:00 MST 2014
@engineergorman - thanks for sharing your sample code.  In that spirit, I've put my LPC1114FN28 sample code on GitHub as well at https://github.com/bundgus/lpc1114fn28-mbed-self-wakeup.  This example is for a self-wakeup of the lpc1114fn28 chip, after deep sleep mode, for low power, long battery life motes.

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by rickta59 on Sun Oct 20 22:16:11 MST 2013
dup posting, please delete

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by engineergorman on Sun Oct 20 14:30:00 MST 2013
I don't think anyone is advocating non-portable code.  In fact the use of templates and bitfields can actually make code more portable than using the default HAL headers... and it certainly makes it more human readable which translates to fewer errors.  Different hobbyists have different needs and wants.  Some people would prefer to have the electronics side as simple as possible so that they can focus on software development (or solving the task at hand).  Others will want to focus on the electronics and have the software "just work".  I am all for information in the form of "cookbooks", specific patterns, etc., that remove the barriers of entry.  And that usually means that the components and tools in the "recipe" are very specific as it reduces complexity and likelihood of something going wrong when starting out for the first time.

My profession is in high level software engineering (high performance computing and 3D graphics) and I do electronics just for fun.  I started experimenting with electronics about 2 years ago using the $45 Olimex LPC2148 board.  I thought it was awesome.  For about $200-$300 I could get a board, the debugger, and a license (non-commericial use) to Rowley Crossworks and have most of the barriers removed.  At the time I was not interested in designing my own boards.  But $45 per widget is pretty expensive when you're just messing around.  When I saw that there was a 32-bit ARM chip in a DIP format for $1.50 I decided in 2 seconds that I would make that my default platform for experimentation. That certainly doesn't mean that I will only use that chip... in fact I am now using Eagle to build a board (for the first time) for a LPC1751.  When getting started with the LPC114 (DIP28) it took me many frustrating hours of Internet searching to get started:  where to purchase the chips, which SWD debugger/flash programmer dongle to buy, which IDE/compiler to use, how to hook up SWD, how to get the IDE to recognize the flash/debug device, what's the bare minimum board setup to boot and program the chip, how to change the clock speed, etc.  It took a long time to get everything going.  Most of the vender solutions cost thousands of dollars.  My new setup (described on my Github page) only costs $50 for someone to get started (non commercial license).  Honestly, I would rather have followed someone's cookbook to just get a full system up and going.  Once a platform is up and running, the experimentation begins!

In response to your comment: "most hobbyist programmers need to train and improve their programming skills"... well I know your intentions are good, however I think that when it's a hobby then the priority is to have fun above all else.  A lot of hobbyists will never become professional HW or SW engineers, but that's totally OK.  Most hobbyists are so motivated in the first place that they seek to improve their skills and tools, sometimes reaching levels above that of professional engineers.  The hobbyists I know are already professionals in another area and have no desire to turn their hobby into a professional experience... thereby wrecking the fun.  :)  I think there is value in having LPC1114 (DIP28) hobbyist specific forums alongside LPC1100 level forums and even higher level LPC Cortex M0/M0+/M3/M4 family forums.

Cheers.

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by rickta59 on Sun Oct 20 08:59:04 MST 2013

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Quote: MarcVonWindscooting
Hi Rick,
I like the way you described how to get such a microcontroller running.
However, In my opinion a community dedicated specifically to the LPC1114 and even more specifically to the DIP28 seems way to much limitation to me. LPC1100 is a big family and the possibility to switch from one uC to another is very attractive to me.
Marc

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I guess my point is, this forum does not feel like a community. 

To me, it feels like people working on commercial products with issues they are trying to solve via a vendor forum.  To be honest I don't feel any need to help those people.  If I help someone fix some problem with their code or figure out poor documentation, they just take that knowledge, keep it to themselves and put it into whatever commercial product they are building. I get limited benefit from it all.

The 43oh.com website/community is probably closest to what I'd like to find, but for people interested in NXP arm chips. I only proposed to create a community around the lpc1114fn28 to make it more focused around solutions for one chip to make it simpler to get a body of projects and solutions one could use.

If you look at the nexus of the 43oh community, it started when TI released the $4.30 launchpad development board.  You could say the same thing about that community, it was limited to one board and one chip. However, over time people matured, TI's product offerings matured and the discussions are about many different msp430 chips, not just the one the site originally focused on.  I've participated on group buys to collectively buy something and reduce its cost, people involved aren't looking to make money, it is all about mutual benefit. I've contributed code and helped many people address problems and provided them solutions.  The big benefit to me was the knowledge I've gained.  When I helped with Energia (an arduino port for the msp430) I was paid back when code magically appeared that implemented things I wanted to do.

So why don't I stick with the msp430?  I like those chips and its simple architecture but I often feel constrained by some of its limitations. The lpc11xx also has limitations but I can easily move up the product line while still being able to leverage any arm knowledge I've gained by using the lpc1114.  With the msp430, I'm at the top of the chain and I really have no where to go except to limit myself to solutions it does well and go elsewhere for other projects.  I would rather become really proficient in one architecture, learn it really well and not have to switch.

I'm not advocating any non-portable code. I'm personally working on a template based C++ approach that is meant to be able to write code that works across a variety of architectures.  I want to work with opensource tools. I don't want to be limited or locked into vendor tools.  That is another reason I like these lpc1114 chips.  I'm using linux with the linaro toolchain to compile my fabooh.org framework and deploy and debug it using Black Magic Probe. 

So in the end I'm just trying to see if there are other people who are interested in this specific chip. If there are, I'm wondering where they all hiding : )

-rick

P.S. You can find me on freenode.net in the #lpc1114 channel

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by MarcVonWindscooting on Sun Oct 20 06:16:08 MST 2013
Hi Rick,

probably I'm not an typical hobbyist because I also do some commercial development and I'm 98% on open source and Linux (2% = EAGLE layout editor and Opera web browser). I do use the LPC1114 (DIP28) for hardware testing (breadboarding) but in the final PCB I use other packages. I really love the SO20 (50mil pitch) because it fits very well to the 0805 R's and C's I typically use. In my most recent project (not a hobby project) a LPC1110FD20 ended up on the PCB while evaluation was done with LPC1114DIP28.

I like the way you described how to get such a microcontroller running.
However, In my opinion a community dedicated specifically to the LPC1114 and even more specifically to the DIP28 seems way to much limitation to me. LPC1100 is a big family and the possibility to switch from one uC to another is very attractive to me.

At the moment I don't see too so activity in LPC1100 forums that splitting is of any help.

There's another point. Think  about the consequences of such 1 community. Dedication (limitation) to one specifiy member will create plenty of programs all written with "I know it's a LPC1114 DIP28" in mind and the members of the community get used to the limited thinking. Bad idea. Most hobbyist programmers need to train and improve their programming skills, really. REALLY! It's not the right way to make the easy things more easier. A wood carver has to learn wood carving, not how to run other peoples' CNC programs or apply someone else's stencil on a pre-cut board.
Imagine a community member (hobbyist) goes 'professional' some day. He will try to stick to the device he's used to because of his nonportable code. OMG!

Marc

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by rickta59 on Sat Oct 19 18:54:38 MST 2013
I opened up an IRC chat channel on freenode #lpc1114 for people interested in more real time interaction than you get from the forums.

You can try this webbased client:

http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=lpc1114

-rick

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by engineergorman on Sat Oct 19 15:48:22 MST 2013
I have been working with the LPC1114 (specifically the LPC1114FN28/202, the DIP28 version) quite a bit lately.  I keep all of my sample code up on GitHub at https://github.com/engineergorman/lpc1114fn28

I use the free version of the Keil development environment and my samples use C++ bitfields to provide a slightly cleaner Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) than using the typical C based methods (use of logical operators and shifts).  The use of bitfields makes the HAL quite a bit more human readable. 

I have samples for: programming the system clock for 48MHz, GPIO, GPIO interrupts, ADC, UART control, and PWM.  I am currently working on a 3 phase BLDC (with 3 Hall effect sensor input) controller (under the spindle folder). The code is MIT license (free) and use at your own risk.

I love this chip... it's absolutely perfect for the Maker community.

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by rickta59 on Thu May 09 11:09:26 MST 2013

Thanks Paul,

Is the intent of CMSIS to have the vendor provide the CMSIS implementation for the chip? I did find the standalone CMSIS code for download, but it seems that is version 2.0 and the one in LPCOpen is version 3.0. I'm using open source tools and want to avoid any kind of licensing restrictions. It looks like the CMSIS code is free of any restrictions even in the LPCOpen version. Is this a valid assumption?

I've been chronicling about my successes on a site totally unrelated to NXP chips. I'd prefer to write it someplace where someone else might actually care : ) Here is what I have so far. Some might find the code to drive ws2811 chips useful.

http://forum.43oh.com/topic/3756-my-time-with-the-lpc1114-dip28/

-rick

[lpcware]

Content originally posted in LPCWare by NXP_Paul on Thu May 09 09:36:28 MST 2013

Hi Rick
I am not familiar with a community supporting the 28-pin DIP version of the LPC1114.  There may be one, but I haven't seen it.
LPCware is the preferred location to get documentation and software for the LPC family of microcontrollers.  The LPCXpresso forum was created for support of the LPCXpresso tools.  NXP monitors both the LPCware and LPCXpresso forums.  The LPCWare and LPCXpresso forums will hopefully merge, especially now that NXP has acquired Code Red.
The goal of LPCOpen is to allow users to "Access NXP microcontroller software libraries all in one place.  The LPCOpen Platform allows users to quickly and easily utilize NXP's extensive array of microcontroller software libraries to create and develop multifunctional products.  The platform uses common APIs that work equally across all microcontroller families and can be built with Keil, IAR, and LPCXpresso (Eclipse-based tool from Code Red) tool chains.  Detailed documentation and examples make it easy to integrate the necessary development tools into projects."
It would be best to visit the ARM website to get details regarding the CMSIS (Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard).  You will find information related to CMSIS at:
<a href="http://www.arm.com/products/processors/cortex-m/cortex-microcontroller-software-interface-standard.p...">http://www.arm.com/products/processors/cortex-m/cortex-microcontroller-software-interface-standard.p...</a>
In addition to LPCOpen, we still provide example code for the LPC microcontrollers.  The example code for the LPC1114 can be downloaded from:
<a href="http://www.lpcware.com/node/11538/58">http://www.lpcware.com/node/11538/58</a>

-paul