PSoC 6 101

[ShowKemp]

Seems like the PSoC 6 devices are soon to be available, at least Cypress is uploading 101 type videos to get started with them:

Lesson 1-1 Introduction:  

[MK14]

If they put the PSOC 6 parts onto readily available (Digikey etc), cheap (<$10), small tiny development boards (like they have with the PSOC 5's/059's etc). Then that will be good and interesting.
Currently, no such boards seem to be available. 

[rstofer]

Boards are expected in stock by the end of the First Quarter 2018.  So, about 6 months from now.  That's pretty useless...

[ShowKemp]

If they put the PSOC 6 parts onto readily available (Digikey etc), cheap (<$10), small tiny development boards (like they have with the PSOC 5's/059's etc). Then that will be good and interesting.
Currently, no such boards seem to be available. 

A lot of people requested that on the forum, Cypress said they will but tbh i don't think it will be <$10.

Boards are expected in stock by the end of the First Quarter 2018.  So, about 6 months from now.  That's pretty useless...

Here somebody reported a mail from digikey, i'm not going to buy this kit, will wait until the tiny dev kits are available, mid 2018 i guess.

[MK14]

If they put the PSOC 6 parts onto readily available (Digikey etc), cheap (<$10), small tiny development boards (like they have with the PSOC 5's/059's etc). Then that will be good and interesting.
Currently, no such boards seem to be available. 

A lot of people requested that on the forum, Cypress said they will but tbh i don't think it will be <$10.

I'm still keen, on at least trying some, even if it is a fair bit more than $10.
But the nice thing about the current ones, which are below $10, and in some cases a lot lower. Is that they are cheap and small enough to design into lower end projects, without worrying about re-use.

[hendorog]

Looking forward to seeing how he will implement the Wifi/Internet integration mentioned in the video.

It ain't "IoT" if it isn't connected to the "I" 

[ShowKemp]

Just found this press release Cypress' PSoC 6 MCU, the Industry's Lowest Power, Most Flexible IoT Solution, is Now Ready for Designers to Start Innovating

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: CY) today announced the public release of the PSoC® 6 BLE Pioneer Kit and PSoC Creator™ Integrated Design Environment (IDE) software version 4.2 that enable designers to begin innovating with the PSoC 6 microcontroller (MCU) for IoT applications. PSoC BLE 6 is the industry's lowest power, most flexible MCU with built-in Bluetooth Low Energy wireless connectivity and integrated hardware-based security in a single device.

The PSoC 6 BLE Pioneer Kit (CY8CKIT-062-BLE) is available for purchase for $75 USD at the Cypress Online Store and through select distribution partners. PSoC 6 devices are currently sampling. Production devices are expected by the end of 2017.

Looking forward to seeing how he will implement the Wifi/Internet integration mentioned in the video.

It ain't "IoT" if it isn't connected to the "I" 

In Alan's blog (iotexpert.com) he is being playing a lot with Particle boards and Cypress Wiced chips.

[rstofer]

Maybe this should be a separate thread...

At my age, I don't make plans 6 months out yet somehow I think I might learn a bit from the PSoC series of chips/boards.

I want the board used in the video but, if I can't get that board, what should I buy to get a headstart on PSoC 6.  I might even want it to have the Arduino form factor so I can get a jump on the robot as well.  On board gadgets would be nice.  An optional display would be even better.

Let's pretend that cost is not a constraint.  My wife's at work when the packages arrive...

We don't have to pretend that I know anything about PSoC - I don't.

[hendorog]

Looking forward to seeing how he will implement the Wifi/Internet integration mentioned in the video.

It ain't "IoT" if it isn't connected to the "I" 

In Alan's blog (iotexpert.com) he is being playing a lot with Particle boards and Cypress Wiced chips.
[/quote]

Thanks that page is useful - I could never grok WiCED and where it fits in from reading the Cypress website, so I pretty much ignored it. The ESP 8266 stuff is just much more accessible.

I still reckon a WiFi enabled PSoC would be great, but there must not be a market for it or they would have done it.

[nimish]

Looking forward to seeing how he will implement the Wifi/Internet integration mentioned in the video.

It ain't "IoT" if it isn't connected to the "I" 

In Alan's blog (iotexpert.com) he is being playing a lot with Particle boards and Cypress Wiced chips.

Yeah a PSOC + Wifi + bluetooth, i.e. a PSoC esp32, would be killer. No idea why they want a multichip solution. Every IoT device or whatever needs a radio, it should just be integrated. ESP32 is cheaper and better for my tasks, beyond the interesting stuff w.r.t programmable analog
Thanks that page is useful - I could never grok WiCED and where it fits in from reading the Cypress website, so I pretty much ignored it. The ESP 8266 stuff is just much more accessible.

I still reckon a WiFi enabled PSoC would be great, but there must not be a market for it or they would have done it.
[/quote]

[ebclr]

Psoc is much more than esp32, and never will be priced as esp32, The point in psoc is a system on a chip

[nimish]

Psoc is much more than esp32, and never will be priced as esp32, The point in psoc is a system on a chip

Esp32 is a far more integrated (read : lower complexity implementation system) device if you need wifi and Bluetooth so it's a much better SoC than a psoc and wiced not to mention cheaper.

Like I said it's not clear why psoc with wifi integrated haven't been developed but hopefully the wiced acquisition spurs some development since the programmable bit of psoc is neat and would have saved my ass a few times




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Neganur]

http://www.cypress.com/microcontrollers-mcus-kits

75 USD when they finally have stock to sell... (at least I think they won't sell out as quickly as the PSoC5 dev kits did lol)

[jnz]

His enthusiasm about security made me giggle... I just had a project come up where the PSoC6 might be helpful so I'm going to keep watching.

[julianhigginson]

I really like the idea of an embedded IC with a proper dedicated communications coprocessor that leaves a main core more or less alone to do the application work - because time and time again I've seen projects using manufacturer supplied comms stacks with the application code on a single processor end up in all sorts of hell once they go over some undisclosed limit of processor time or interrupt latency or some requirement for some combination of peripherals  (just finished up a project, where I was just doing hardware design, it was using one of the nrf52 parts with the nordic softdevice because the product needed bluetooth and I was instructed to make it the only processor for the system so we "didn't have to program multiple processors in production"... we had 2 programmers trying to make a non-trivial real-time application work alongside the nordic softdevice, and it was so painful to watch! Having that crazy binary blob running alongside our code made all sorts of things that would normally be fine into impossible challenges, and probably doubled the application development time)

Anyway - I'm definitely excited to see the PSoC6 coming out after such a long announcement time.... Mouser seems to be the next to receive eval boards to send out - if their backorder info is to be trusted.

[andyturk]

(just finished up a project, where I was just doing hardware design, it was using one of the nrf52 parts with the nordic softdevice because the product needed bluetooth and I was instructed to make it the only processor for the system so we "didn't have to program multiple processors in production"... we had 2 programmers trying to make a non-trivial real-time application work alongside the nordic softdevice, and it was so painful to watch! Having that crazy binary blob running alongside our code made all sorts of things that would normally be fine into impossible challenges, and probably doubled the application development time)

Yup.  debugging in the presence of the soft device is no fun.

[Macman]

The PSOC 6 BLE pioneer kits with the e-ink display are now in stock at RS components in the UK.

I have ordered a kit but having looked at the silicon and software release notes maybe I should have waited a bit longer. There is supposed to be an updated revision of the silicon released later this year.

[timb]

I really like the idea of an embedded IC with a proper dedicated communications coprocessor that leaves a main core more or less alone to do the application work - because time and time again I've seen projects using manufacturer supplied comms stacks with the application code on a single processor end up in all sorts of hell once they go over some undisclosed limit of processor time or interrupt latency or some requirement for some combination of peripherals  (just finished up a project, where I was just doing hardware design, it was using one of the nrf52 parts with the nordic softdevice because the product needed bluetooth and I was instructed to make it the only processor for the system so we "didn't have to program multiple processors in production"... we had 2 programmers trying to make a non-trivial real-time application work alongside the nordic softdevice, and it was so painful to watch! Having that crazy binary blob running alongside our code made all sorts of things that would normally be fine into impossible challenges, and probably doubled the application development time)

Anyway - I'm definitely excited to see the PSoC6 coming out after such a long announcement time.... Mouser seems to be the next to receive eval boards to send out - if their backorder info is to be trusted.

That’s one thing I really like about the CC3200 series WiFi MCUs from TI. Essentially a Cortex M0 and M3 on a single chip, with the M0 running the WiFi stack and talking to the M3 (which runs user code) over a shared memory bus.

Their Bluetooth MCUs work the same way (plus some of them even have a third, ultra low power, non-ARM core designed exclusively for gathering sensor data while the main/BT processor is asleep).

[julianhigginson]

The PSOC 6 BLE pioneer kits with the e-ink display are now in stock at RS components in the UK.

I first tried ordering from RS this week - when I ordered on the 11th they had parts shown as scheduled to send from UK on 13th... I rang up and spoke to someone there about estimated ship times and was informed it was totally solid if it was on the website.... so I ordered. Then 30 minutes after ordering, I got an automated email from them confirming my order and just casually mentioning on the line item that my shipment time was now mid Jan 2018!  Needless to say, that order is cancelled... (And that order is probably the last time I waste my life trying to use RS, because it's just the latest is a massive string of annoyances stretching back years and life's too short already, and when other websites just work, so yeah.....)

Mouser hasn't turned around and blown up their shipping leadtime on me for my PSoC6 eval board yet, but they still have a week left to do that, I guess. :-) 

[julianhigginson]

Yup.  debugging in the presence of the soft device is no fun.

Yeah - It sure limits how you can use the debugger!
:-)


Don't get me wrong, I still think for a tiny "wearable" that just does one simple thing and sleeps most of the time, and then exchanges data/settings via BT every now and then, the nrf52 is a pretty cool option. And I'm not singling this out, it's just the latest example.... I've seen other single core RFSOC parts do similar horrors when you push past the (often undisclosed) limits of what the proprietary (often closed source) stack leaves you.

[julianhigginson]

That’s one thing I really like about the CC3200 series WiFi MCUs from TI. Essentially a Cortex M0 and M3 on a single chip, with the M0 running the WiFi stack and talking to the M3 (which runs user code) over a shared memory bus.

Their Bluetooth MCUs work the same way (plus some of them even have a third, ultra low power, non-ARM core designed exclusively for gathering sensor data while the main/BT processor is asleep).

I also like the CC3100 which you can just add as a separate chip to any application processor you want (assuming you have space for a separate chip) I think TI did some great work with that and the 3200.

I hadn't seen they had a similar multicore BT offering, but will have to go check it out... maybe the next phase of this project I just finished needs a processor change. :-)

[Macman]

The PSOC 6 BLE pioneer kits with the e-ink display are now in stock at RS components in the UK.

I first tried ordering from RS this week - when I ordered on the 11th they had parts shown as scheduled to send from UK on 13th... I rang up and spoke to someone there about estimated ship times and was informed it was totally solid if it was on the website.... so I ordered. Then 30 minutes after ordering, I got an automated email from them confirming my order and just casually mentioning on the line item that my shipment time was now mid Jan 2018!  Needless to say, that order is cancelled... (And that order is probably the last time I waste my life trying to use RS, because it's just the latest is a massive string of annoyances stretching back years and life's too short already, and when other websites just work, so yeah.....)

Mouser hasn't turned around and blown up their shipping leadtime on me for my PSoC6 eval board yet, but they still have a week left to do that, I guess. :-)

When I ordered RS were showing they had 100's in stock. I have just checked the order confirmation email and it shows 9th Jan 2018. I'll probably cancel as well and wait for the kit with the updated silicon.

[Neganur]

What exactly are the silicon issues? I can't find any documentation on their website (or I am just looking for the wrong search terms)
All I could find was referring to the first runs working as expected and that the production silicon (which is out in October) will have some fine tuning.
This is all very normal in my eyes.

[Macman]

Errata from the PSOC64 with BLE datasheet:

[1]. 124 BGA: SIMO Buck operation at VDDD input voltage >2.7 V All Rev. *A Silicon fix planned in next silicon.
Current sample date is Q4 2017.
[2]. Deep Sleep current not meeting spec All Rev. *A No fix planned.
[3]. UDB Deep Sleep retention All Rev. *A Silicon fix planned in next silicon.
Current sample date is Q4 2017.
[4].116 BGA: HBM ESD rating All Rev. *A Silicon fix planned in next silicon.
Current sample date is Q4 2017.
[5]. Wake-up time from Deep Sleep interrupt to first execution from
IMO
All Rev. *A No fix planned.
[6]. Frequency-Locked-Loop (FLL) wakeup time from Deep Sleep All Rev. *A No fix planned.
[7]. Flash Read-While-Write (RWW) feature does not work All Rev. *A Silicon fix planned in next silicon.
Current sample date is Q4 2017.
[8]. Flash RWW feature requires blocking for 1 ms when Writes to
the Emulated EEPROM Sector (32 KB Sector) are done
All Rev. *A Silicon fix planned in next silicon.
Current sample date is Q4 2017.
[9]. CMAC-based authentication of Boot Flash code in Supervisory
Flash can be spoofed
All Rev. *A Silicon fix planned in next silicon.
Current sample date is Q4 2017.
[10]. Protection Context (PC) is not restored properly in system calls
that inherit the Client’s PC.
All Rev. *A Silicon fix planned in next silicon.
Current sample date is Q4 2017.
[11]. Hard Fault results if two system calls occur simultaneously and
the first system call inherits a non-zero Context.
All Rev. *A Silicon fix planned in next silicon.
Current sample date is Q4 2017.

[Neganur]

OK, now I understood what I was looking for. The Pioneer kit will have a PSoC 63 BL chip.

The preliminary datasheet (rev. September 27) is here (also attached below): http://www.cypress.com/file/385921/download
and the errata listed one post above can be found on page 57

another interesting post: PSoC 6 BLE Pioneer Kit and PSoC Creator 4.2 Beta - Limitations and Known Issues - KBA221482

with the following links:

PSoC 6 BLE Pioneer Kit (CY8CKIT-062-BLE) Release Notes
PSoC Creator 4.2 beta Release Notes

And no idea what that means for the pioneer kit and whether it will have the bugs mentioned or not.

PS. the CY8KIT062BLESetup.zip is 608 MB (contains BOM and schematics for the pioneer kit).

[andyturk]

Don't get me wrong, I still think for a tiny "wearable" that just does one simple thing and sleeps most of the time, and then exchanges data/settings via BT every now and then, the nrf52 is a pretty cool option. And I'm not singling this out, it's just the latest example.... I've seen other single core RFSOC parts do similar horrors when you push past the (often undisclosed) limits of what the proprietary (often closed source) stack leaves you.

Nordic's stack seems pretty solid, and I think a lot of that comes from it taking nearly complete control of the hardware. However, we've had some problems with nRF but those have come from issues in the peripheral silicon rather than OEM firmware. It burns my grits when a nRF5x has some goofy race condition in hardware that would be a bug in anyone else's book, but they just spackle over it in a firmware update and then never update the errata.

[julianhigginson]

well... mouser delivered!
 
now I need some time to actually get into it and see what it can do.

maybe in a few weeks.

[Neganur]

Just got the confirmation email from Digi-Key, my preorder has been shipped too.

[rstofer]

Thanks for posting the updates!  I just ordered a couple from Mouser so I should be good to go with the tutorials.

[Mr. Scram]

Oh dear. I only just started mucking with PSoC 4 and 5LP, but it looks like this might need to be added.

[rstofer]

Now the problem is waiting on the project videos.  At the moment, there are just 4 of the proposed 40 and it will take less than an hour to work through them.  Then what?

My primary interest is in the robot arm project (plus the proposed gadgetry), not the PSOC 6 itself.