PSoC: CY8CKIT-059 first impression

[technix]

I have received my dose of PSoC. And it is bitter, at least for now.

First off: CY8CKIT-059 have literally the lamest package I have ever seen. It is just a piece of thick cardboard with a hole cut in it, and some adhesive paper covering the hole to hold the board inside.

Getting the board out - well there is a PCB USB connector. How much more money would it cost to put an actual USB connector there? Just use a micro-B connector as you do on the very other end of the same PCB. Thinning the board down to 1.6mm will more than make up the cost of adding a connector. PCB connectors rarely get reliable unless you put the damn metal shell around it, which actually holds the tab against the board. It also damages the mating connector by putting excessive stress on the spring tabs on the shell. Now I have to either find a shell that fits the board, or solder a SMD USB Type A connector on this mess. Of course I have to solder the connector shell too so some solder mask on the back have to be filed off to make the required pads. Ugh.

Soldering the pins: The board is thicker than usual, so pin soldering is a bit more difficult. Also why is the way too commonly used RESET button and JTAG connector missing?

Now the software. PSoC requires the use of a Windows-only software. This is really a non-starter for me but for the sake of experiment I grabbed an evaluation copy of Windows 10 and installed it in a virtual machine. Speaking of, using USB devices though USB pass through in virtual machines isn't that smooth as you think. Installation speed is acceptable though. Now getting into the interface I am utterly confused - this really is an IDE too hard to work with. Well let me load up an demo project... Well now I am in for even more confusion. The software looks like an awkward combination of some old version of Quartus and Visual Studio. And even though I am using the latest PSoC creator 4.1 it still does not support HiDPI display and looks HORRIBLE on my 4K monitor. A high resolution monitor can make good experience better, and make bad experience even worse. Ugh.

And do I spot a solder bridge on the CY8C5868LTI on the KitProg section of the board? The manufacturing quality...

[^_^]

You do seem to have high standards
I own a different CY8CKIT that also came with cardboard package and has USB-PCB connector and I don't care much about that.
The kit is for evaluation after all, the package is disposable and you can use USB extension cable to connect to the board.
Some manufacturers give you very short USB cable which is even worse if you're not gonna use it and it's a waste

And, they have used a way thicker PCB which is pretty cool and feels durable.
Anyway I think the impression will come when you actually program something useful.
I'd also like to mention that most MCU IDEs are Windows based 

[technix]

You do seem to have high standards
I own a different CY8CKIT that also came with cardboard package and has USB-PCB connector and I don't care much about that.
The kit is for evaluation after all, the package is disposable and you can use USB extension cable to connect to the board.

This type of board connector relies on the springs on the mating connector to hold the board against the contacts. It wears down my connectors, extension cable or not, extremely rapidly.

Some manufacturers give you very short USB cable which is even worse if you're not gonna use it and it's a waste

At least that is terminated with a standard shelled USB connector that I can attach an extension cable to. The STC U8W-Mini even have its USB Type-A connector soldered directly to the PCB (much like an oversized thumb drive) but I can still use extension cables without worrying about it being worn down.

And, they have used a way thicker PCB which is pretty cool and feels durable.
Anyway I think the impression will come when you actually program something useful.
I'd also like to mention that most MCU IDEs are Windows based 

False. IDE is one thing, toolchain is another. For most microcontrollers there are cross platform toolchains available (mosty GCC based, and there is xc8 and SDCC) which can be plugged into a generic IDE like Xcode or Eclipse CDT. PSoC requires the use of its IDE to perform some significant portion of the programming (especially the built-in PLD) which makes it a dead end.

[technix]

I have to perform a reliability hack, adding a normal USB Type-A connector on top of the PCB USB connector just so it won't either further damage my ports or disconnect due to poor contact. This hack involved filing two notches into the PCB to allow the shell to be crimped along the side, expose some metal on the bottom later ground plane to allow the shell to be soldered on the bottom side,  soldering the connector to both the exposed pads on the bottom I just created and the pins on the top, and dropping superglue down the seams of this assembly to further secure the added on USB connector.

Cypress, please revise your PCB and use a proper soldered down USB Type-A connector instead of this PCB one.

[igendel]

I played a bit with PSoC in the past, and I actually liked the cardboard package of the board - plain and simple. Unlike the annoying plastic of the STM32 Nucleo, that holds the board so tight that it either flies out when you press it, or pricks your fingers with the damn sharp headers. I want to learn the how to use a board, not the proper technique of taking it out of the package without collateral damage.

And the thick PCB, well it helps holding the USB contacts in place  But I too agree that a proper connector would be nicer.

[technix]

I agree with several of your criticisms maybe all of them.

* Yes there should be an enclosed USB connector.  Personally I have several USB A plug (for the PC) to USB A receptacle (to plug the kit into) "USB extension cables" that have come with devices like WLAN adapters so I usually just use such a cable so that I can keep the kit centered on my ESD mat regardless of how short or stiff other cables/connectors it may have are.  That works for me but, yes, it should be a proper connector.

I have those extension cables too. Those get worn down very rapidly by the PCB connectors.

* I would prefer a LINUX "IDE" as well as "toolchain" since I pretty much avoid MSW at all opportunities in recent years.  But as I think you know there is a compiler / linker toolchain option other than PSOC Creator.  But as you said you must use PC for the pin assignments and startup code generation and IC settings and programmable logic generation.  But after you have defined your logic and pinout and generated your auto-generated code from PC they say you can use some other toolchain / IDE like KEIL or IAR or probably GCC under LINUX etc.  I have not tried GCC/LINUX for a PSOC though.  As you said if you have to execute critical phases of the development routinely with MSW then you have all of the inconvenience of MSW and then even more inconvenience to switch back and forth to LINUX if you set that up anyway.

Windows does not support my hard drive setup at all, so it is out of question regardless.

* I think the packaging is OK for shipment.  The only thing it lacks is to be a good "storage container" for the kit when you are not using the KIT.  I do like that aspect of, for instance, some of the KINETIS kits which came in what seems to be possibly an anti-ESD(?) "black" coated cardboard "case" which is very convenient to safely (I hope) store the kit when it is not in use and protect it from ESD and other mechanical problems.  Its distinctive look and size also helps to *find* the kit when it is among many other items in some storage area.  The PSOC packaging is not good for these reasons.  But usually most kit packaging is not good for protection / storage so most often I just use some of my own supplied conductive anti-ESD bags to hold the kits safely and then put them into some larger box for storage when idle.  That works fine but is more inconvenient to find the kit you want unless you organize / sort / label things more carefully.

* I can't clearly remember all the details of what I did not like about the kit design, and the design may have changed since mine are very early revision boards and I know there have been 3 or more revisions of some sort.  But if I recall correctly I think it did not have either an installed or a footprint for either a low frequency (32kHz) or high frequency (XX MHz) crystal oscillator circuit.  If I am not thinking of another kit (I have a few with such problems) then that is disappointing since several applications benefit from more precise timing.  I wouldn't mind buying an "add on" crystal but at least empty PCB footprints would have been nice for the capacitors / crystal.

Me too. All other kits I know of have the crystal installed.

* There were no male or female headers supplied or installed.  It wasn't hard or a problem to solder some on but it could have been useful to provide some.  Then again I guess some people may prefer other kinds / sizes of connectors or different mating genders so I guess there are advantages in DIY arrangements.

* I don't recall that the power supply arrangement was quite as flexible as I had hoped.  I know it didn't have a way to enable the boost converter in the IC, but I think there were other limitations with the way they tied the supply and maybe the reference rails together and that relates also to the way the built in kit prog / USB power circuits are attached.  I know you can break those connections if you want but I think there were still some PCB limitations.  Not that big of a problem just a little frustrating to have no easy way to evaluate the boost operation or operate in low power modes effectively without limits.  Not a huge problem but could be better.

This defeats the point of an prototyping kit though.

* Of course none of the IOs is really "strong" or "tolerant" to external voltages beyond what their few "super IO" pins intended for I2C etc. provide and what the GPIOs offer.  With a MCU that is so well oriented to digital control and interfacing it would have been nice to have some extra capabilities to exercise that like footprints to drive an H-Bridge or other MOSFETs or some extra LED drive or ESD protection or something to encourage the direct kit use to drive some more powerful peripherals like your DCDC SMPS idea.  For some weird reason most MCU kits give you no good way to drive MOSFETs or actuators or really make good use of all their PWM capabilities or test their "motor control" features etc.

This also defeats the purpose of concentrating all components into the single chip too.

Anyway I do like the overall PSOC5LP IC.  If there was one that had higher performance analog (ADC, DAC, precision OPamps) and more channels of it (like for instance those Analog Devices and SILabs parts with all the 24 bit ADCs etc.)  it would be really useful without so much "additional circuitry required" to interface the IC / KIT to external devices properly (ESD, precision, power sequencing, drive strength or whatever).

PSOC 6 sounds interesting there are several major variants / groups of it.

Anyway for $10 US the PSOC 5LP kit was / is quite a good deal in my opinion since it has a nice USB programmer, USB to UART setup, USB MCU device capability, and all the power of the PSOC 5 available.  Much better than typical AVR based Arduinos or whatever that have only a fraction of the power of the MCU and I'd still take the PSOC Creator IDE and MCU over Arduino / AVR any day!

It s still a worse chip than STM32 to me.

[technix]

1. Regarding building quality, that's a bloody $10 board with 2 $20 chips on it. What do you expect except that it works?
2. Solder bridging across pin 7/8/9 is acceptable. These are grounded together, and keep in mind that's a 0.4mm pitch IC. You need very high quality solder mask to prevent 0.4mm chips from bridging pad-connected pins.

It is not pins 7/8/9. pins 48/49 shorted together.

3. If you take a look at your Mouser shipping slip, you will find out the PCB is made in US. Unlike in China, connectors in US are bloody expensive, it's not uncommon to see a 0.5RMB connector to sell at $1.5 in US.
4. You don't need a reset button as the built in programmer can issue a reset signal for you if you need. The same for ISP header. If you are willing to buy an $100 ISP cable, you won't care about a $0.5 connector. BTW, that's not JTAG. 5 of the pins are grounded, 1 for target voltage, 2 primary ISCP and 2 secondary ICSP pins.

That is an ARM 10-pin connector with full JTAG pinout. Check the schematics.

5. Not having Windows is your problem, not a Cypress problem. Most practical engineers that contribute profit to Cypress or actually, all companies, don't have a creed on OS. Whichever OS helps me to make money, whichever I use. Cost of Windows is not an issue, at least not for me. Windows will be pretty much the cheapest commercial software on your computer if you use commercial development tools.

Not supporting anything other than Windows is definitely a Cypress problem. There are way too many situations where Windows flat out won't even work in the first place: complicated hardware setups commonly seen in advanced workstations and converted servers, Mac with Fusion Drive (a common scenario with Mac Mini,) or the company have to mind iOS (especially for IoT applications.)

For me my two computers each have one of the problems listed above: my desktop workstation is an advanced workstation with a complicated hard disk drive setup (yes RAID array cards are involved) and the other is a MacBook Pro which I have to keep macOS on for iOS development.

6. I use a 2560*1600 monitor and I don't have issues with PSoC Creator. I don't have DPI scaling.

Try the Dell P2415Q: a 24-inch display with full 4K 2160p resolution, without DPI scaling. You will feel the need of DPI scaling as the pixels are so tiny without DPI scaling you will have crazy lot of difficulty reading the screen. Ditto for Retina Mac users. Or Microsoft Surface.

7. For the packaging, my $95 Xilinx FPGA board (CMOD A7-35T) came with similar packaging. A small board sitting on a carrier foam, placed in a marginally larger paper box. The entire box is smaller than a 35ml solder paste syringe. My $30 genuine Arduino Due came with just a paper box containing the board sitting on its plastic shell, which actually broke when it arrived.

Cypress don't even have the salutary box...

8. Want a proper USB connector? Get a CY8CKIT-002 USB programmer pod. It allows you to run the board at lower voltage, it allows JTAG mode for other chips, it also allows debugging (not only downloading) function, and it allows faster speed, both ICSP speed and USB speed. Remember, you get the most basic function of a $100 CY8CKIT-002 free of charge as part of your CY8CKIT-059.

Why would I spend more money on a kit I can't really use...

For the PSoC Creator rant, here is a short tutorial:
1. Create a new workspace and add a new project to it.
2. Add pins, peripherals and connect them. PSoC development doesn't start from code. It starts from schematics.
3. Assign pins and clock tree, set operating conditions and debug level needed. These info will help PSoC creator to allocate memory and generate constraint files for logic.
4. Generate application. You will get libraries accompanying all CPU controllable blocks you've implemented. Read their datasheet. All modules come with example code, you can get them from File->Code Example.
5. For your custom logic, add control status and control registers to read and write certain net in your design from/to CPU.
6. Enjoy the libraries. They are as easy as, if not easier than, Arduino.

If you've worked with STM32, think of it a combo of CubeMX and coding IDE, with some extra features for the programmable part of the chips.

CubeMX is shit. And the IDE part is horrible too. I'll have to admit I am spoiled by Xcode (Apple built their IDE around the actual compiler they are using, so things like code sense or syntax highlighting is alarmingly accurate) but that is just horrendous to me. And it looks utterly ugly with DPI scaling. Even Eclipse CDT looks a lot better one way or another.

[technix]

It is not pins 7/8/9. pins 48/49 shorted together.

That sucks. But I can't see that from your pictures. Have you already fixed that?

Nope I don't have any way to debug QFN without damaging it.

That is an ARM 10-pin connector with full JTAG pinout. Check the schematics.

You're right. I didn't know there's a standard ARM JTAG, and I thought P_SWO and P_TDI are just another set of SWD.

Not supporting anything other than Windows is definitely a Cypress problem. There are way too many situations where Windows flat out won't even work in the first place: complicated hardware setups commonly seen in advanced workstations and converted servers, Mac with Fusion Drive (a common scenario with Mac Mini,) or the company have to mind iOS (especially for IoT applications.)

For me my two computers each have one of the problems listed above: my desktop workstation is an advanced workstation with a complicated hard disk drive setup (yes RAID array cards are involved) and the other is a MacBook Pro which I have to keep macOS on for iOS development.

Understandable. I served as leader and point of contact for open source society at Lanzhou University for 3 semesters, and I tried hard to accommodate Linux as a daily driver. I gave up after a year because Altium is the number one trouble. Same for OSX.
Most RAID cards do support Windows Server, and to use them, you need to load 3rd party driver when installing Windows (on the first screen which everyone just skips anyway), the same for desktop Windows.
I've never used a Fusion Drive, but I know single SSD/HDD Mac computers can install Windows under BootCamp.
BTW, I prefer a hardware RAID box for backup, and SSDs for main drive. I've never encountered a single situation an SSD becomes bottleneck except for server applications.
For Windows, NTFS is slower than most SSD, and hence there is zero real world experience difference between an NVMe and a SATA3, unless you turn of superfetch, Windows Defender and a bunch of other Windows services.

For me I always used the EAGLE + Eclipse CDT/Xcode stack which works everywhere (well EAGLE and Eclipse CDT at least, Xcode only works on macOS)

Try the Dell P2415Q: a 24-inch display with full 4K 2160p resolution, without DPI scaling. You will feel the need of DPI scaling as the pixels are so tiny without DPI scaling you will have crazy lot of difficulty reading the screen. Ditto for Retina Mac users. Or Microsoft Surface.

Mine is a 30'' one, U3011, plus 2 vertical U2415 on both sides. Guess why I sold my Macbook Pro and my Surface Pro and my Vaio Z Flip, and recently, GPD Pocket.

Bigger screen at lower resolution. No wonder you don't need DPI scaling. P2415Q have 4x as many pixels as U3011 or U2415 but smaller than U3011. That is why every pixel is so damn small and DPI scaling is a must.

So you gave up some far more pleasant overall user experiences just to accomodate a few software (that also promotes bad user experience)...

Why would I spend more money on a kit I can't really use...

Apparently you just found a way to use it.

What gave you the indication that I found a way around it? I am going to try adding the ARM JTAG so I can try using the Eclipse CDT stack skipping the analog section entirely (at this point this chip is just a much more expensive STM32F103RCT6 to me with 5V operation, since there is no way I can get the analog up any more without the PSoC Creator.)

CubeMX is shit. And the IDE part is horrible too. I'll have to admit I am spoiled by Xcode (Apple built their IDE around the actual compiler they are using, so things like code sense or syntax highlighting is alarmingly accurate) but that is just horrendous to me. And it looks utterly ugly with DPI scaling. Even Eclipse CDT looks a lot better one way or another.

As a vim+gcc+make user, I certainly don't care about smart features provided by IDEs.

I don't care a lot either but if I am using an IDE (like the damn PSoC Creator) I will compare it to Xcode.

[technix]

So you gave up some far more pleasant overall user experiences just to accomodate a few software (that also promotes bad user experience)...

I have built my own color calibrator.

I prefer to use calibrate U series monitor for the color, and 3 monitors each with different color drives one mad. A U series 4k monitor is expensive like f*.
I got my U3011 for only $300, though I actually drove 10 hours to pick it up and drove equally long to return home. But that was nice weekend driving experience.

What gave you the indication that I found a way around it? I am going to try adding the ARM JTAG so I can try using the Eclipse CDT stack skipping the analog section entirely (at this point this chip is just a much more expensive STM32F103RCT6 to me with 5V operation, since there is no way I can get the analog up any more without the PSoC Creator.)

I thought you just installed a Windows copy and started learning PSoC Creator. For the USB issue, I don't know if VBox/Parallels USB passthrough will work, but if not, try another desktop hypervisor. Never use those hypervisors designed for headless mass deployment (I mean KVM).

I do a lot Linux development on Linux, either in VBox, or on a dedicated Linux box. So far VBox's USB have never let me down.

The problem is that VirtualBox crashes when a USB device is removed physically without removing it from the guest logically first. Couple that to the unreliable connector I have ranted about above you get a no-go and a ruined Windows installation. Snapshots can help but not much.

[technix]

The problem is that VirtualBox crashes when a USB device is removed physically without removing it from the guest logically first.

Doesn't happen on my Windows host. Maybe you can try it on another OS since you have both Linux and OSX on different computers.

My Mac is an old dual-core Core i5 laptop with 8GB of RAM. It barely runs Sierra on its own, does not support 4K display, and I have ran out of hard disk drive space and I cannot afford a 960GB/1TB SSD now. VirtualBox on Linux have this crashing problem.

[danadak]

Is the board thickness a choice to ruggedize use of board with pins to act as a dip,
eg. the stress of multiple insertion/unseat over time ? The added thickness providing
more mechanical support, less trace lifting due to rotation of a pin in a thin board ?

Just a thought. I always treat boards like this with extra caution, and minimize insertions/
removals.

There is of course the more expensive solution, CY8CKIT-001, which has cpu modules
with connectors, can accommodate multiple families.


Regards, Dana.

[hendorog]

The USB PCB connection caused me some pain as well. I ended up using an extension cable which made it just reliable enough.

I also have one of these kits, which are cheaper than the 001 kit danadak mentioned and are much better than the 059 kit:
http://www.cypress.com/documentation/development-kitsboards/cy8ckit-050-psoc-5lp-development-kit

[technix]

The USB PCB connection caused me some pain as well. I ended up using an extension cable which made it just reliable enough.

It damages my USB extension cables too, and it is extremely unreliable. without the added connector with a shell.

I also have one of these kits, which are cheaper than the 001 kit danadak mentioned and are much better than the 059 kit:
http://www.cypress.com/documentation/development-kitsboards/cy8ckit-050-psoc-5lp-development-kit

When the $10 kit is a disappointment (connector problem is the least of them all) why would I bother stepping up to a $100 kit?

[hendorog]

I also have one of these kits, which are cheaper than the 001 kit danadak mentioned and are much better than the 059 kit:
http://www.cypress.com/documentation/development-kitsboards/cy8ckit-050-psoc-5lp-development-kit

When the $10 kit is a disappointment (connector problem is the least of them all) why would I bother stepping up to a $100 kit?

Well that is your call old chap, not mine Just highlighting that you can get a 'pro' kit for $100 instead of $250...

I got mine before the 059 kit was introduced and I've used it a lot.

[technix]

I also have one of these kits, which are cheaper than the 001 kit danadak mentioned and are much better than the 059 kit:
http://www.cypress.com/documentation/development-kitsboards/cy8ckit-050-psoc-5lp-development-kit

When the $10 kit is a disappointment (connector problem is the least of them all) why would I bother stepping up to a $100 kit?

Well that is your call old chap, not mine Just highlighting that you can get a 'pro' kit for $100 instead of $250...

I got mine before the 059 kit was introduced and I've used it a lot.

With $100 I can get a fairly advanced third party i.MX6ULL or Samsung S3C6410 kit...

[Bruce Abbott]

When the $10 kit is a disappointment

When you set yourself up for disappointment....

You knew (or should have known) about most of the 'issues' before you bought it.  PCB pads for USB, no reset button or JTAG? Obvious just by looking at a picture of it. IDE doesn't work in Linux? Well documented, and why would you expect it to without checking? 

[technix]

PCB pads for USB, no reset button or JTAG?

That is less than a problem and more of an annoyance. I can solder (and have soldered) those components on there already.

IDE doesn't work in Linux? Well documented, and why would you expect it to without checking?

It is the less than reliable connector that does not play nice with IDE in virtual machine. Also the IDE itself have a fairly steep learning curve.

[westfw]

CY8CKIT-059 have literally the lamest package I have ever seen.

I think their packaging is brilliant!   I am always sad when I get a tiny little PCB in a giant shipping box, where the shipping may have cost more than the PCB.  (worst example was some Freescale board that came with a wall wart and half-a-dozen different plug adapters (for different countries.)(heavy ones, too.))  If I'm buying an eval board, that's NOT what I want to be spending my money on!

[donotdespisethesnake]

I have received my dose of PSoC. And it is bitter, at least for now.

I agree with a lot of those observations, the PSOC boards are simply not as nice as many other cheap dev boards. But you're gonna get a lot of flak from the PSOC fanboys...

I sometimes wonder if cults develop around things that are difficult to use, because of the supposed kudos gained by doing something difficult. Linux used to be very similar. It does seem to be a trait of many engineering types. The bigger the challenge, the more people like to crow about it.

Meanwhile, there are a lot of engineers who just want to get things done simply, rather than earn skill badges.

[alexanderbrevig]

I love these cheap boards. They have replaced Wiring/Arduino for me as a go-to-try-something-quickly thing. And they're cheap enough to leave them in prototypes and just order a couple more.

On my bench I have a small USB hub that I use for most programming. My electronics bench is "behind me" when I'm at the computer, so I just spin around and press upload and spin back to test. I'm not worried that this will break my hub, I recon it will take quite a number of inserts before it will be a problem.

It fits a breadboard, the IDE and HAL I find very good for the most part, the official support is top notch. It's $10. What do you expect? They over-deliver like few other I think.

[technix]

I love these cheap boards. They have replaced Wiring/Arduino for me as a go-to-try-something-quickly thing. And they're cheap enough to leave them in prototypes and just order a couple more.

For me I have way too many options for such boards, so the comparison is sharp.

On my bench I have a small USB hub that I use for most programming. My electronics bench is "behind me" when I'm at the computer, so I just spin around and press upload and spin back to test. I'm not worried that this will break my hub, I recon it will take quite a number of inserts before it will be a problem.

My workbench is a combined EE/CS workbench with a USB hub right between the monitor and the breadboard. So I can watch things happen on both the computer end and the device end.

It fits a breadboard, the IDE and HAL I find very good for the most part, the official support is top notch. It's $10. What do you expect? They over-deliver like few other I think.

The STM32 on adapters also fits on breadboards. I feel more comfortable with Eclipse or Xcode as my IDE. I hate vendor HAL of all forms in general - I don't use things like ASF or CubeMX or MCC or Harmony for my existing projects. So this really does not fit my style or project design.

[technix]

I have received my dose of PSoC. And it is bitter, at least for now.

I agree with a lot of those observations, the PSOC boards are simply not as nice as many other cheap dev boards. But you're gonna get a lot of flak from the PSOC fanboys...

I sometimes wonder if cults develop around things that are difficult to use, because of the supposed kudos gained by doing something difficult. Linux used to be very similar. It does seem to be a trait of many engineering types. The bigger the challenge, the more people like to crow about it.

Meanwhile, there are a lot of engineers who just want to get things done simply, rather than earn skill badges.

Agreed. Flak already incoming, brace for impact.

I just want my projects to be done in the most straightforward way. Using any complicated kits means I get locked into a platform and increased costs.

[Back2Volts]

There is of course the more expensive solution, CY8CKIT-001, which has cpu modules
with connectors, can accommodate multiple families.

Regards, Dana.

Wouldn't the CY8CKIT-050 be a better alternative, way cheaper that the CY8CKIT-001  ?

Tony

[MT]

CY8CKIT-059 have literally the lamest package I have ever seen.

I think their packaging is brilliant!   I am always sad when I get a tiny little PCB in a giant shipping box, where the shipping may have cost more than the PCB.  (worst example was some Freescale board that came with a wall wart and half-a-dozen different plug adapters (for different countries.)(heavy ones, too.))  If I'm buying an eval board, that's NOT what I want to be spending my money on!

The smaller and less of "faffed-in-bling-components" the better. A stamp size PCB + crystal +6x6mm tact for reset+ ISP connector supplying power+ some decoupling etc, and all the pins to a edge connectors delivered
in a slightly larger then a stamp esd cardboard box for symbolic 2 euro incl shipping is simply nice!

[Bruce Abbott]

It is the less than reliable connector that does not play nice with IDE in virtual machine. Also the IDE itself have a fairly steep learning curve.

Oh sorry, I thought you were complaining about the software being Windows only. I think most modern IDEs suck, particularly those that are based on Java or Microsoft Visual Studio. The only real problem I have with PSOC creator is that it's too easy to crash (probably when I do something wrong, but even so...).