Like to buy development board - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Datom
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 02:30:17 am
content: Does anyone like to buy development boards like me?Many of these development boards I just run led examples, and then I don't use them anymore.But next time I see a good development board, I still want to buy it.Confusing.The following shows only some of my development boards.

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 04:06:11 am
content: I also have a Nucleo, still in the packaging. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

author: mblinov
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 04:36:34 am
content: I have a tendency to use Arduino Unos (and devkits in general) as swiss army knives in projects. Has uart bridge, 3.3 + 5 volts, and its an MCU too, so you can use it to generate test signals for the device youre developing. The Arduino IDE is really perfect for this, you can just write some code, flash the Uno, and you don't have to setup a project or anything - takes 3 seconds. I don't even bother saving the sketches. Opening and setting up a "real" IDE for say the STM32 platform is only 15 seconds, but when you only want to fiddle a bit in a loop it gets repetitive fast. I usually have one of these dev kits sitting connected to each project in progress doing some debugging or driving some signals, and when I start a new project I just buy another since they're so cheap. Got about 4 Unos now...Elegoo used to sell knockoff Unos for £5.99 on Amazon, but I just checked and they now go for £14.99, so i'm not sure that its really very efficient anymore.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 05:52:17 am
content: I had this problem toobut with today's prices it is no fun any more.Have loads of different STM32 boards lying around, also some Arduino clones of the nano and mini and a Maixduino still in the box waiting to be played with. These Arduino boards are indeed very handy in combination with the Arduino IDE to test something. Lots of test sketches available on the net. For more serious work I do not like the IDE though. Rather do bare metal programming in my trusted old Netbeans 8.2 environment.Also bought several FPGA board before the prices went up. Now I have enough toys to play with for quite a while

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 08:23:07 am
content: Nah, No-one else has that problem.

author: hans
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 09:25:43 am
content: I think I've like 5 Nucleos, several DIY PIC32/STM32 eval boards, several ESP32 boards and some FPGA boards laying around...Some I genuinely still want to come back to, when I have the time..Others will be used once I get a project started (eval board with already some peripherals for that project), when I have the time..Anyhow, for cheap devboards like Nucleo's I don't really care. They are only 20-30 euro, and if it helps me evaluate even just 1 peripheral before a PCB layout then that's satisfactory usage for me.

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 09:33:46 am
content: Here are some dev/eval boards in my drawer, and 5 Raspberry Pi 3B/4B if they count as dev boards. I also have some old ST Discovery, TI MSP430, and Microchips boards I don't remember where they are ...

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 09:39:30 am
content: I do the opposite, I avoid development boards because it usually wastes time, instead I go directly for a PCB design. So I can write code for the "actual" HW platform from day 1, which I need to do anyway, and don't need to waste time soldering some temporary kludges, wiring harnesses etc. around a devboard.Yet I sometimes still get a devboard. My development boards so far:ATSTK200 from 1999 (my first devboard for Atmel AVR, came with the parallel port programmer)STM32H7-DISCOVERY (because customer had a prototype on this board, so I got one, too, and developed the custom PCB as an extension module for the devkit)Nordic Semi nRF52840-DK + Fanstel EV-BC833 boards, because fast jump into software development due to almost IO-less design and thus, no need to start by ordering custom PCBsThat's really all I can think of.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 10:53:44 am
content: This is one of the most interesting behaviours after development kits became dirt cheap. In a distant past, a development kit was so expensive that you did careful consideration before pulling the trigger to buy one.And yes, I also have this problem...

author: Datom
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 11:26:03 am
content: I saw the sign of "WCH". I guess the microcontroller must be ch32v307.

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 11:49:09 am
content: Quote from: Datom on May 24, 2022, 11:26:03 amYes, I'm currently trying to get tcp/ip working.Its very hard without documentation though.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 12:13:00 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on May 24, 2022, 10:53:44 amYeah, price isn't the problem anymore. I just want to avoid buying stuff I don't actually end up using, because even if cheap, it all adds up, also wasting space and mental resources trying to find something among the piles of crap.That being said, unused devboards (not my own, but found in labs I have worked in) have saved the day a few times, working as component donors. Last time I needed an SMD 32768Hz crystal and lo and behold, a random wild donor devboard appeared. And because no one actually uses those devboards after they ended up in drawers, no one cares if it misses a few parts.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 12:22:08 pm
content: Quotemight be worth a look at the pi pico. Not only are they dirt cheap with plenty of io options you can get the buggers to talk basic.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 01:16:25 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on May 24, 2022, 12:22:08 pmHaving a MCU talk basic is no biggy. There are open source C variants of basic around. Modded one to work on a STM32F103 or STM32F303.

author: luiHS
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 04:41:24 pm
content: I only buy it if I plan to do a design with a microcontroller, I buy the evaluation board first for testing, and then I make my own PCB. I have many evaluation boards from NXP for i.MX RTxx series microcontrollers, and from ST for STM32H7xx.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 04:49:42 pm
content: Quote from: brucehoult on May 24, 2022, 04:06:11 amDon't they all! I have a four pack of Pi Picos that seemed like a good deal at the time. I actually bought them to play with microPython. Interesting...PSOC 6 is fun, the mbed LPC1768 is one of my favorites, I also have several STM32Fx boards and I need them all. They're all mine and I'm going to keep them!I do get them out of the wrappers!

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2022, 04:57:01 pm
content: What about the more exotic boards like the Google Coral or NVIDIA Jetson Nano? They are interesting boards for a certain class of project. I have a couple of each... The Jetbot is an interesting platform for computer vision projects.

author: dorkshoei
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2022, 05:24:31 pm
content: If you find yourself unable to continue to self-justify your microprocessor eval board addiction there is always FPGA boards. If that then becomes a problem, I'd suggest moving onto PMODs. I've not figured out the next "treatment" stage ... yet.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2022, 05:31:21 pm
content: Quote from: luiHS on May 24, 2022, 04:41:24 pmDitto, but of course we all occasionally buy boards that we end up not using. For instance, I have a Nucleo board for the STM32L496 that I've never used. I had used the L476 in some project and wanted something with more RAM and the DMA2D controller the 496 has sounded great. But I picked another MCU and the board is in a drawer.Or, we buy more than needed. As I guess a number of us here, I bought a few RPi Pico boards (some original, some third-party boards with RP2040), and have only used one so far. =)And yes, I also have a few SBCs around, most of them getting no use so far.

author: tellurium
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2022, 10:40:26 pm
content: At some point I was entertaining an idea of a cloud service where people could connect to and "lend" their unused boards to the customers for the hardware tests, i.e. continuous integration of the firmware builds on a real dev boards. Those who "lend" their boards, might get paid if the service attracts paying users. That way, those hoards of unused boards might actually get used and even repay their price.That would be too complex to implement though, and probably would not have much demand. I haven't seen many people and companies doing a hardware CI tests.

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 02:38:54 am
content: Quote from: rstofer on May 24, 2022, 04:49:42 pmI haven't got a Pi Pico yet. I'm sure I will. They look pretty nice, and it's really great to see that the price they sell for is a real price, and if you want to buy a lot you get a discount, as compared to the Pi Zero where the price isn't real and you're banned from buying a lot.Sometimes you just need to have things on the shelf so that there are THERE when you have inspiration at 11 PM.It's one thing when you live somewhere that Amazon can get almost anything to you by 9 AM next day, but it's very different when you live in a more remote part of the world where getting anything interesting and unusual takes from a week to a couple of months.I was living in San Francisco before COVID and when I decided to return to New Zealand I had a bit of a shopping spree on Amazon before I left. The STM32F446RE Nucleo was part of that, as was a Blue Pill and ST-Link, a Maixduino, a couple of extra Elegoo Unos and Megas, a bunch of bare DIP ATTiny85s, an MSP430 board, a 65C02 and 65C22.Everything together probably came to about the same as it costs to fill my car now.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 05:06:45 am
content: Quote from: brucehoult on May 29, 2022, 02:38:54 amAn excellent point to justify having loads of these small board lying on a shelfLiving in a somewhat remote location in France the postal services take their timeNo next day early morning delivery unless you pay premium.With today's petrol prices you were able to buy a lot of these kind of dev boards when they were still available and priced decently.Just on the verge of the shortage problems I ordered 8 STM32F303 boards from RobotDyn via Aliexpress for a still reasonable price of a couple a Euro a piece but they never came. At first they gave a silly reason about the chip not being good, and later that they were out of stock.After that I bought a couple of Lichee nano F1C100s boards, some FPGA dev boards and a bunch of peripheral modules like displays, touch panels, ethernet interfaces, etc., but with the added VAT, paying for shipping and increasing prices the addiction came to a halt.Edit: Almost then, just ordered two pico clonesReasonable deal here:https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005003708090298.htmlFollow the store and order the limited to two and buy two. Shipping to France Euro 7,48 total including VAT.

author: OZ1LQB
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 10:08:06 am
content: Hi all..Nice to se that i am not aloneI have more than 100 STM32 boards not counting arduinos,msp430

author: Datom
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 10:32:38 am
content: Quote from: OZ1LQB on May 29, 2022, 10:08:06 am100??So much, are you kidding？

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 10:43:17 am
content: Quote from: OZ1LQB on May 29, 2022, 10:08:06 amWow that is quite a lot. My STM32 count is just shy of 40 varying between F103, F303, F407, F411 and H743, not counting the 6 ST-link clones.

author: OZ1LQB
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 11:34:07 am
content: Hi again.No not kidding,i just have the problem that i like to have a few of eachnot only that but i have more than 50 raspberry pi pico'smy famely gives me a few every birthday and xmas.but yes with my age it is a supply for the rest of my life :-)

author: 8goran8
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 03:16:22 pm
content: I have a lot of them but this one is my favorite.The picture shows the development system for the 80C31 Intel microcontroller.Some parts are missing but the memory of my beginnings remains.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 03:57:14 pm
content: Now we are talking (ancient) historyI do have some of that era too. Two of the boards are own development experimental prototypes for smart card reading writing, two are also own development sensor to midi processing boards of which one is a four layer board. Very expensive at the time. The other two are (industrial) control boards. One is 65SC02 based and the other is a Philips 80C552 micro-controller based board.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 09:49:42 pm
content: Quote from: Datom on May 24, 2022, 02:30:17 amI've got well over a hundred dev boards from over a dozen companies, so yes, I like to buy them too.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2022, 11:38:37 pm
content: OK folks - what the most "obscure" development board that you have in your "collection."I think in my case it is the VersaKit-3074, for one of the early FRAM-based 8051 chips from Ramtron (who were acquired by TI, IIRC.) Although the Zilog EZ8 board might be close. No - wait! I apparently have a National COP8 board!(these are dangerous times for board hoarders, with vendors offering "under $30" (2020 dollars!) development boards as a matter of course, as opposed to "under $100" (1990 dollars) "specials.")

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2022, 02:42:38 am
content: Quote from: westfw on May 29, 2022, 11:38:37 pmI have a few oddballs around here, most antiques such as a RTC/EVM7000N-1 (a TMS7000 Evaluation Module) and an Advanced CMOS Logic System Evaluation Board - a kit to test fan out and propagation delay of several 244 and 373 latches from various manufacturers.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2022, 05:28:59 am
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on May 30, 2022, 02:42:38 amThat is an oddball MCU that was used in the Siel Opera 6 synthesizer of which I own one.Still in good nick. Wrote an emulator for it many years back.

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2022, 09:05:22 am
content: Not so much obscure but definitely ancient, I have this MC6800 system - A heathkit ET-3400.

author: brucehoult
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 30, 2022, 11:11:28 am
content: Quote from: woofy on May 30, 2022, 09:05:22 amIn a way it's a shame the 6800 has disappeared. It's probably by far the easier of the 1970s 8 bit micros to learn the entire instruction set of, and very orthogonal. It's just not very efficient, in either code size or speed, compared to the much more complex to understand 6502 and 8080/z80.

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2022, 05:41:21 am
content: Quote from: westfw on May 29, 2022, 11:38:37 pmFor me it’s a KIM-1 from MOS Technology that I acquired back in 1977.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2022, 06:08:00 am
content: I also have this illness,https://lab.2help.win/.I hope this isn't contagious

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2022, 06:09:23 am
content: I love your 6800 board, I would love to have one like that

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2022, 06:58:37 am
content: Don't feel too guilty.I might have, too, about 20 boards or so, anything from $2 Arduino nano to SDR or FPGA boards. Anyway, I'm afraid the abundance of cheap devboards we used to see before 2020 might never come back, so we might be "the last generation of shoemakers".

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2022, 10:32:13 am
content: Quote from: ebclr on June 02, 2022, 06:09:23 amThere's a broken one on ebay for the usual silly price.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363552116132?hash=item54a5650da4:g:zEoAAOSwIUxg~~-2

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 02, 2022, 12:07:25 pm
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on June 02, 2022, 06:58:37 amThe really cheap is in the past for sure with the added shipping and VAT. The cheapest bluepill I bought was Euro 1,32 and the cheapest Arduino Micro (Nano without the USB -> Serial) was Euro 1,27. Now you pay that at least for shipping alone