20 cent USB MCU in MSOP10 package - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: blueskull
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2019, 11:27:47 pm
content: So, today's hero is this little guy:https://hackaday.com/tag/ch552/I'm working on my FPGA board, and part of the cost optimization is to get rid of any expensive parts (such as FT2232H), plus to get rid of parts that need pre-programming (implies DFU).It looks like CH552E is a good option -- small package, $0.21, with HW UART/SPI, DFU bootloader, and up to 24MHz 1T 8051 core and 14kB of RAM (16kB if you nuke the bootloader).Since it's stupidly cheap and LCSC doesn't carry it (LCSC has its TSSOP20 version, CH552T, which I don't have the PCB space for), I have to buy some from Taobao.Due to the again, stupidly HIGH shipping cost to US (if the seller doesn't have an export license and a contract with China Post ePacket) and my bad patience, I decide to go with DHL or SF-Express.Therefore, I'm looking at $30 on shipping for $0.21 parts, which brings the question:Is there anyone interested in this little chip? We can make a group buy.I need 100pcs.Some English resources of this chip:https://www.electrodragon.com/w/WCH#MCU_.2B_USB_CH55x_Serieshttps://github.com/Blinkinlabs/ch554_sdccSome Japanese resources of this chip:https://github.com/hakura040/CH552_SampleCodehttps://hakura03.hatenablog.com/entry/2019/03/30/115430USB DFU downloader:https://github.com/rgwan/librech551*: CH551 is stripped down version of CH552 (no analog, less ROM/RAM, SOP16 only), which is stripped down from CH554 (removed USB host).*: Blinkinlabs GitHub repo has a translated English document.*: I will upload my journey with this thing on YouTube, so there will be plenty more English resource on this chip.*: I will NOT have time to translate the whole DS to English unless WCH pays me to do so.There was not an SDCC-version of CH552-specific header in the wild (though you can use CH554.h, just don't use registers that are not on chip), so I made my own.Comments are stripped for the sake of formatting, I will add them back and translate them to proper English once I have spare time. Attached below.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 12:42:22 am
content: This may help you in the development stagehttps://www.google.com/search?q=eletrodragon&rlz=1C1CHBD_pt-BRBR863BR863&oq=eletro&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0j69i59j69i61l2j69i60.3356j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8You can use Keil for that very easy ( if you have any Silabs board can be free )https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/8-bit-8051-microcontroller-softwareA single header file with some specific register on WCH and you are done.Sdcc also works in Windows, Linux, and WLSIf time inst' an issue you can have very cheap freight using the epacket, My last WCH chip order +- 100 Pcs, paid only 3 USD freight to the farthest possible country with China OriginBy the way, The EFM8 can be a better option in some circumstances, I would suggest taking a look is a little more expensive but have some advantages on speed and the product itself is more flexible.https://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/8-bit/efm8-universal-beeOn the WCH site also have a lot of useful information ( you can read chinese I guess ? )http://www.wch.cn/products/CH551.html

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 05:38:40 am
content: I have been using the CH55x family for a few months now. See the other thread for some projects I have done. I recently got a few CH552T from aliexpress because I wasn't ready for another LCSC order (got the 551G and 552G from them). Cheap shipping and got them in about 2 weeks.Would definitely be interested in a group by of the CH552E.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32907096404.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.6d8d4c4dWkLHpjhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/microcontrollers/lt30-cent-mcu-with-usb-controllers-capactive-touch-more-wchs-ch55x-series/msg2409603/#msg2409603EAGLE files for BOB attached.

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 05:59:53 am
content: I'll take 32 of the CH552E.

author: PCB.Wiz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 10:13:26 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on October 06, 2019, 05:54:00 amLCSC has stock of the MSOP10CH552ECH554E, but shows at 100+ $0.5242The CH55x series is older, and the newer CH54x has a faster core, but I think not in MSOP10.EFM8UB3 may be worth looking at, that has a 48MHz Core, and has 3mm packages - depends what speed of MCU you need ?.

author: hugatry
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 10:26:33 am
content: Quote from: PCB.Wiz on October 06, 2019, 10:13:26 amThat's theCH554Ewith limited stock, not CH552E.

author: PCB.Wiz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 07:08:53 pm
content: Quote from: hugatry on October 06, 2019, 10:26:33 amOops, corrected.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 09:02:33 pm
content: So... do you think that these are the same silicon that makes of the ubiquitous CH340x USB/Serial controllers? (the CH340E is an MSOP10 version.)If so, does that mean that the CH340 might be re-programmable? hackable with BADUSB-like malware?

author: oPossum
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2019, 09:13:24 pm
content: Definitely not the same. There are a few significant differences in electrical characteristics.

author: PCB.Wiz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2019, 02:33:57 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on October 07, 2019, 12:28:20 amInteresting brief.Does that mean you need a SPI programmer, for the FPGA Flash / FPGA directly ? I'd have thought a MSOP10 was too pin-limited for useful SPI ?Using one of these little parts to do a Byte-Blaster type FPGA bridge could be interesting.Maybe SO16 is better choice, as I see the CH54x series will come in SO16, and those have 12b ADCs

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2019, 02:42:57 am
content: This is the Taobao WCH store, have many things for people interested in this lineFor your application on FPGA, development board I guess CH551T will fit better, check this onehttps://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=531909755701I'm teased by that usb analyser very cheaphttps://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1-c.w5003-13505955048.5.5907215da3XLDx&id=4244192817&scene=taobao_shop

author: PCB.Wiz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2019, 07:35:35 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on October 07, 2019, 02:58:18 amThere is a lot offloaded from your 10 pin MCU choice, into the 20 pin SLG46580, maybe using a single 4x4 QFN28 part like CH547F (25IO) can give a smaller PCB ?

author: krho
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2019, 08:02:42 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on October 07, 2019, 12:28:20 amCan you tell the part number

author: krho
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2019, 05:48:45 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on October 07, 2019, 08:26:30 pmThanks.. I don't find 1,13€/1000 cheap.. especialy if you need a 3-4 of them on each board. So that's 6-8 of them then. Not for price sensitive product

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2019, 07:07:12 am
content: I'm crazy enough, and I want to program WCH52 in Pascal, The blink and GPIO /timers things are already done, USB will take more time and effortCH55Xt is a 20 Pin versionwidth Pin spacing4.40mm 173mil 0.65mm 25milQFN-16 3*3mm 0.50mm 19.7mil Square leadless 16 CH552PMSOP-10 3.0mm 118mil 0.50mm 19.7mil Micro Small Outline 10 CH552E

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2019, 09:09:01 am
content: Try some sampleshttp://wch.cn/services/request_sample.html

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2019, 09:52:31 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on October 05, 2019, 11:27:47 pmFor future orders, if you have a lot of patience you can get Superbuy/Cssbuy/Basetao (my favorite)/ytaopal/etc to ship epacket (EUB). Now that shipping rates have gone up it might make sense to purchase through there.They also offer a cheap "DHL economic package 10-15 days" ~$7 but I've yet to try it, could be this:https://www.logistics.dhl/ca-en/home/our-divisions/ecommerce/shipping/international-shipping.htmlBut its a bit different for me as there is no way I could navigate taobao without their help.

author: ebclr
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2019, 01:37:14 am
content: By the way, here a development board, with one of the small oneshttps://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.8.76bf523oDxTIR&id=550861969916&ns=1&abbucket=17#detail

author: soFPG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2019, 08:47:58 pm
content: Interesting project - any updates?