Suggestions for eval. boards for MPC56XX

[mahtabsarwar]

Hi all,

I would really appreciate some guidance on solutions for the following: I am trying to build a prototype power distribution system based around an MPC5676R (or similar) MCU and a series of MC33899 H-Bridge programmable drivers, programmable regulators and so on. Basically, what I need is an evaluation board/ dev kit with those devices so I can get a prototype system together.

I looked through the nxp tower community but couldn't find what I was looking for. It's important to have boards for both the MCU and the power drivers that I can get working together, but the sheer number of different dev kits and evaluation kits makes picking the right board/ boards/ combination a difficult job. So does anyone have any suggestions ?

Thanks !

[mahtabsarwar]

@duanemattern, @Marco Sacchi,

Guys, many thanks for the replies. I think I will go for the MPC5777C, though I take the point about code warrior and s32 - I'm quite comfortable with code warrior but never used s32. Jump in at the deep end if you really want to learn how to swim, though, as they say..

Another thing, as well as the H-Bridges, we need some high current sources, up to 20 amps; and some power management to go with it. The MC34717 looks like it'll provide what we need - if we use a few of them together - but am I right in thinking that there isn't an NXP PMIC that goes with it ? The recommendation is the Linear LTC2974, which looks fine, and there is a dev board for it, but it would be better to have an all NXP solution.

[marco_sacchi]

Hi,

if you want to work with MPC5676R, the only evb option is MPC567XKIT416-PT or MPC567XKIT516-PT, depending if youneed the package 416 BGA or 516 BGA. If you are interested to use this dual core Power architecture MCU, I would suggest to consider instead MPC5777C, which is similar as architecture, near pin to pin compatible with MPC5676R (just one power supply pin different) but significantly improved in term of resources and CPU power. In this case the evb p/n are MPC5777C-516DS (adpater for package 516 BGA), MPC5777C-416DS (adapter for package 416 BGA) and  MPC5777C-516DS and MPC57XXXMB (motherboard which provides access to all I/O pins). Despite the MCU can run only in the adapter, if you need the full access to the MCU resources you will need one of the adpaters (dpending on the package you are interested) and the motherboard. Please not ethat to work with this MCU on the evb, you will need a compiler and a debugger.

About the H-Bridge, MC33899 is quite an old product, it is still available but it doesn't seems that the evb is still an active p/n in NXP site. I would suggest to consider the new HB2000 H-Bridge, just introduced, which has also the advantage of the SPI interface. There is a cheap evb for this device, which is based on the form factor of the freedom board, the p/n is FRDM-HB2000-EVM.

Best regards.

Marco Sacchi

[duanemattern]

You might want to do a NXP.com site search on XPC, as there are some more expensive kits that provide some motor control functionality, for example:  XPC56xxMB2: XPC56xxMB2, or EVB supporting NXP MPC560xP|NXP 

I've been playing with the TRAK boards, specifically TRK-MPC5604P, TRK-MPC5606B, TRK-USB-MPC5604B, mainly because at $99, $99, $25 they are cheap.  However, they are also 4+ years old, so not as available as some of the others.  The TRK-MPC5606B is now on back-order.    The TRK-USB-MPC5604B is pretty nice at $25, but you have to deal with the PCI Express slot type connector that uses 2mm offset connector, (not 0.1" spacing).

Note, it'll help if you do some homework up front as not all of the chips in a processor family are directly compatible.  For example, the TRK-MPC5606B, TRK-USB-MPC5604B only differ in the memory and pin assignments on the kit boards, but software for one will easily port to the other.  But the TRK-MPC5604P is a different animal, even though it looks almost identical to the TRK-MPC5606B, the programming is different, particularly for the PWMs, (eMIOS for the former).  I switched from the MPC5606B to the MPC5604P and even though the boards look the same, it's been a struggle to migrate.

Also note, some of these kits come with free, limited hardware version of RAppID Init, which helps a lot to setup the board registers if this is your first time and are not familiar with configuring all of the peripherals.  I've been using CodeWarrior for MCU (Ver 10.6, 10.7 is available).  This is the Eclipse version that I like better than the classical version.  I think the new SD32 compiler will work for a few of these chips sets, but it's too new and I don't want want that challenge.