DEMO9S12XDT512 - a start?

[illiterate2006]

I am interested in getting the DEMO9S12XDT512 to play around with, see what I can learn.  My previous experience had only been using the hc11.  Would this demo board be good for someone to start out with?  Also, to program this board, would I need to purchase additional things?  Cause I think I read in the manual that it comes with a usb to usb cable but what about the BDM thing, whats that about.  One last thing, can I connect a lcd to this?

Thanks!

[mke_et]

I got my USB MultiLink for $100 from Future. But the order got screwed up because I had to PROVE it was for my use and not for overseas. I guess they're afraid terrorist will get an edge if they get BDM pods!

The USB MultiLink I THINK works on SOME of the 08 parts as well. Mine came with a CD with CodeWarrior 3.1 SE for the 12 and for the 08, and a third CD with the USB updates.

I still have an LPT MON08 pod for my KX08 part, but someone told me there's now a USB MON08 pod... I've seen a picture of a USB pod with a cable that looks like a MON08 cable. Well, not 100% sure, but it's definately NOT the skinny BDM 6 conductor cable.

The BDM is a BIG incentive to pick 08 parts that are supported, but that belongs in the 8-bit forum!

[Nabla69]

You can connect an LCD yes, you will probably have to do this off-board as space could be a trouble on the EVB itself.

Put it does work and demo proves the XDT512 drives LCD with both fingers in the nose and the CPU in STOP mode...

Alvin.

[rhinoceroshead]

I have one of these.  The board itself is great and you don't need anything else besides a PC to get up and running.  There are a few example projects on the CD too.  The board has 4 LEDs, 4 DIP switches, 2 pushbuttons, a potentiometer, a light sensor, a DB9 connector and two LIN connectors.  This is the largest and fastest of all the HC12s (up to 40 MHz bus) and it even has a second CPU (XGATE) built in.  This thing has just about every peripheral that you could expect to see on an MCU.  So in that respect it is an ideal student environment.  On the other hand though, it does so much that it may be overwhelming.  If you're new to MCUs in general, you may benefit from starting with something simpler.

[rhinoceroshead]

Oh, and the BDM is a nifty thing that lets you control the chip from a PC.  You can step through, start and pause your program and look at the memory with it without interfering with the program that the CPU is running.  It's not really something that you directly work with - it just facilitates debugging in a much more convenient way than you could do without.  For example, the HC08 does not have a BDM and you can not stop your program on it without resetting the chip or telling it to stop at a specific place before you start it.  It may not sound like a big deal, but it really is.  After you've used it, you probably won't like working on chips without it.

[illiterate2006]

that bdm sounds like something very useful.  I remember having to go thru so much code to find out which part is messed up.  But its pretty exspensive at $175?

[rhinoceroshead]

I got mine directly from Freescale for $75.

About the USB BDM that comes on the board - it only works for that board.  You can't use it to program and debug other devices, unfortunately.

[illiterate2006]

ohh I think I get it now.  The DEMO9S12XDT512 comes with a bdm already thru the usb port which is $75.  And the USBMULTILINKBDM works with all HCS08 and HCS12 but costs ~$150

[rhinoceroshead]

That's right.  Except you can get the USB Multilink for $100 buying directly from P&E (I think that's where I got mine).

I heard some people saying that you could get an equivalent to the USB Multilink for only $50 by purchasing the HCS08 QG8 DEMO kit.  It has a removable PDIP chip on it and if you remove the chip and solder a 6 pin header onto the board then you can use the USB BDM programmer that's on the board to program any BDM device.

Message Edited by rhinoceroshead on 2006-06-08 09:47 AM

[illiterate2006]

For the software that comes with the $100 USB Multilink kit, is it also included in the DEMO9S12XDT512 package?

[rhinoceroshead]

I don't remember if the USB Multilink came with any software at all...  If it even did, I'm sure it was only a driver.  The DT512 demo came with a CD copy of CodeWarrior and a CD containing example programs and schematics for the board.

[illiterate2006]

ok, found this link http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.geocities.jp%2Fprogrammer_noritan%2Fhc08%2F...

It looks pretty simple actaully.  Just Vss(Ground), Vdd(+), reset and that background debug line does everything.  This isnt that much more work for saving $50 plus another development board to play with.

Message Edited by illiterate2006 on 2006-06-08 02:04 PM

Message Edited by illiterate2006 on 2006-06-08 02:05 PM

[imajeff]

Converting the $50 board to a BDM is easy, but I only would expect it to
work for the 8-bit MCUs. Anybody tried to load new firmware onto the
on-board UF32?

[rhinoceroshead]

---

imajeff wrote:
Converting the $50 board to a BDM is easy, but I only would expect it to
work for the 8-bit MCUs. Anybody tried to load new firmware onto the
on-board UF32?

---

Is the HCS08 BDM not the same as the HCS12 one?  I thought they were.

[imajeff]

---

rhinoceroshead wrote:
Is the HCS08 BDM not the same as the HCS12 one?

---

idunno but it didn't say it was, and they would have no reason to preload this one for both families since it has no socket for HC(S)12.

However, I'm looking to load opensource firmware currently being developed for S12X an the GCC (you mentioned you were not aware of) which is quite different It's in very early stage, though.

[peg]

Hi,

The P&E USB Multilink in the blue/purple box serves both S08 and S12. The Axiom schematic drawing for the QG board just shows a box with P&E USBBDM for this. It would seem to be not worthwhile to hobble it to restrict it to S08.

When you use one with CW it will reflash it if the firmware is older than what it knows about. So this may S12 enable it anyway.

What is needed is for somebody to "give it a go" and let us know.

Regards David

Message Edited by peg on 2006-06-10 11:52 AM

[imajeff]

---

peg wrote: Hi,

The P&E USB Multilink in the blue/purple box serves both S08 and S12. The Axiom schematic drawing for the QG board just shows a box with P&E USBBDM for this. It would seem to be not worthwhile to hobble it to restrict it to S08.

---

That would make sense but is not obvious to be true. I can only assume they are consistent until someone says otherwise. See, they don't have just one CodeWarrior for S08/S12/S12X, do they? I don't see why, but whatever they want to do I guess. That's just one reason I don't use CW.

[rhinoceroshead]

CW updates the UF32 firmware automatically?

[Alban]

Hi Rhino,

Yes, it does it automatically via the P&E Micro flash programmer interface.

Cheers,
Alban.

[peg]

Hi,

TOO automatically for my liking!

I had been using my USB Multilink for many months with P&E software then when I first used it with a fresh install of CW5 it just did it without asking me or even advising me. It all happened in a few seconds just flashed up a screen that it was doing it then the screen dissappeared. If I had looked away I would not have even known. My main issue with this was if it had introduced some problem I would not have known to blame the update first.

Regards David