Free ST Discovery Board - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 11:08:35 am
content: http://www.st.com/web/catalog/tools/FM116/SC959/SS1532/PF259096?ecmp=pf259096_enews_enews_sep2013#

author: kayvee
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 12:03:54 pm
content: Not automatic. They require a bunch of project details and thereafter your application is "Under Review".

author: Harvs
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 12:14:08 pm
content: I'm just waiting for this to be available, it'll be awesome if it's only 20 something $ like it's suppose to be.http://www.st.com/web/catalog/tools/FM116/SC959/SS1532/PF259090

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 12:18:34 pm
content: Well that sucks.

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 01:58:22 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on September 20, 2013, 12:26:44 pmI really dont see any company getting this item even for free.they are mainly purposed to student and hobbyists.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 02:12:29 pm
content: So far I've done this all from my phone. I'll actually try to order one when I get to work.

author: kayvee
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 03:58:46 pm
content: So much for my bona fide request, they turned me down.Looks like I will be going with TI after all.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 04:24:13 pm
content: ST is pursuing this market very aggressively. A few years ago, they were complete unknowns and now more and more designs are using their chips.They take the Chevy strategy (vs. TI's Cadillac strategy): their products are reasonably featured, they target multiple niches with specialized products, and unite them via their library. And they are very aggressive on pricing.My only issue with them is that the fragmented product line makes it costly to maintain software built on proprietary libraries which in the end discourages the use of their products. That strategy makes sense at low-end of the market where software cost is relatively low. At the higher-end of the market, I would rather prefer a limited number of fully featured offerings so one set of proven libraries can cover multiple chips.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2013, 08:43:49 pm
content: So what did you put for your project? I'm holding off until I can find something but their options are so limited nothing matches what I'd like to do.

author: mrflibble
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2013, 01:26:21 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on September 21, 2013, 12:58:49 amJust change your profile info into something non-spammable.

author: poorchava
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 09:50:11 am
content: If you have a chance to avoid using ST in your series production design.... for gods sake do it. While the silicon they manufacture is most of the time very good and they have some impressive product lines (eg. smart switches and STM32 controllers), the documentation and support simply suck. If you're not purchasing 20M/year of something, forget about decent support when something goes wrong. If you're not purchasing 20M/year of something when problems appear the bottom line of their answer is: "don't like it, don't buy it".

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 10:11:44 am
content: QuoteIt hasn't been the case for me.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 10:36:16 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on September 23, 2013, 10:11:44 amTry to develop on Linux for e.g. STM8. They don't want you as a customer.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 11:02:34 am
content: "Try to develop on Linux for e.g. STM8. "There will always be a platform or two where the oem tools or knowledge is limited.Like us, they have a resource problem too: how to deploy precious funding / people to maximize return on their investment. If most of their customers are developing on windows, that's where their money will go.That's the price you pay for using free tools, unfortunately.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 01:17:56 pm
content: It is not that their knowledge is limited, they don't want you.Quote from: dannyf on September 23, 2013, 11:02:34 amWe are not talking about free tools, there is no working free STM8 compiler.

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 01:58:03 pm
content: There you go SDCC for STM8, or they say:http://sourceforge.net/projects/sdccstm/

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 02:06:23 pm
content: Quote from: senso on September 23, 2013, 01:58:03 pmQuote from: Bored@Work on September 23, 2013, 01:17:56 pmEmphasis added.

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 02:08:13 pm
content: Just switch to 32 and be done with it.mmm didn't say anything.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 02:11:40 pm
content: Do we really again want to start an 8 vs 32 bit discussion?Anyhow, for product development there is more to support than tools.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2013, 11:33:44 pm
content: QuoteDepending on how you define "working":Is a buggy compiler flawlessly performing a task considered working?

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 05:23:55 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on September 23, 2013, 11:33:44 pmBuggy? Last time I looked at that open source STM8 compiler the compiler didn't even compile out of the box. Someone screwed up the makefiles by replacing tabs with space, newlines with cr/nl, etc. And "fixed" that by trying to pass off some .bat file or something similar as a build system. Works really well on Linux. Not.Further it turned out that some of the compiler's source code was also broken and didn't compile. And other parts of the code - presumably not needed for STM8 - were missing. Oh, and the code for the C preprocessor was missing, too.Once this all was fixed it turned out the code generation for the STM8 series was incomplete.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 06:16:37 am
content: QuoteAn open source compiler that doesn't work? Let's blame ST.Who can I blame for my code not working on a PIC? Yeah, let's blame Maytag for that.

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 06:56:01 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on September 24, 2013, 06:16:37 amYou are really trying very hard to misread my statements. Let me quote myselfQuote from: Bored@Work on September 23, 2013, 02:11:40 pmI am not blaming ST for no / not working free tools. I am blaming them for not providing support. If your narrow minded brain equates support == free tools, then well, then you have a problem. If you intentionally do this, then well, you are just trolling.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 07:01:49 am
content: So B@W, how about NXP and TI ? In the context of arm mcu ? Really curious to hear your view.

author: ElectroIrradiator
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 07:28:56 am
content: Quote from: BravoV on September 24, 2013, 07:01:49 amAre the rest of us allowed to chime in?NXP now ownsCode Red Tech. Their Eclipse/GCC based Red Suite tools, including the code size limited (128KB) free LPCXpresso edition,supports Windows, Mac OS X *and* Linux. The full version at $999 even supports TI and ST (and Freescale and SiLabs...) Cortex MCUs. Check the list at the bottom of the page.Disclaimer: No affiliation to NXP or Code Red Tech, except as a customer.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 07:40:43 am
content: QuoteThen probably you shouldn't mention "open source" compilers - it does create lots of confusion.QuoteWhat kind of support do you think they should provide but don't?

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 07:45:31 am
content: QuoteCCS is fairly nice: there are places where they could have done better but overall, it is nice.CodeRed is very much like CCS but limited to the arm chips (while CCS covers a lot more). They were not as refined when I used them a couple years back.If you make a living in this, nothing beats IAR/Keil.If you just want to play, the free tools from OEMs are nice but sometimes limiting. CoIDE is free and not feature limited but its supported devices are limited and not as refined as well.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 07:55:09 am
content: Didn't aware NXP acquired CodeRed !One of the reason I partly sold my soul to TI Arm cortex at the beginning of my fresh journey to ARM mcu world is because TI uses Eclipse, I hope this does not sound too weird.Aware of Keil or IAR, but as an eternal hobbyist, their league is just not for me.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 08:06:05 am
content: There are a few CB-based IDEs as well. They are nicer and faster than Eclipse.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2013, 08:11:48 am
content: Quote from: dannyf on September 24, 2013, 08:06:05 amNope, I'm so reluctant to move others anymore, for me I had enough, Eclipse is the place to stay.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2013, 10:32:34 am
content: BTW, I am still curious as to what "support" you think is not adequately provided by ST to you. We know that it is not tool chains but what else could they have done for you?

author: synapsis
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2013, 03:47:29 am
content: My board (plus two ARM chips) got approved and is in the mail.

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2013, 06:39:05 am
content: my st board is approved, but backordered. hope it will arrive soon !

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2013, 08:40:12 am
content: Quote from: kripton2035 on September 26, 2013, 06:39:05 amSo what did you tell them to get it approved? I stopped my application after everyone kept on saying they got rejected.QuoteHey Geiger Counters! Cool! I just got one working.

author: kripton2035
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2013, 10:28:37 am
content: Quote from: Stonent on September 26, 2013, 08:40:12 amnothing special, the name of one of the projects I have in plan actually, and I use a company email.

author: MatCat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2013, 12:09:17 am
content: Either they took away sample option or I am not seeing it... All they are offering is to buy it from a distro?

author: true
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2013, 03:26:38 am
content: Read the thread. Look at the post dates.