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Devboards final destination: drawer or circuit?

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DiTBho:

--- Quote from: RoGeorge on August 22, 2023, 01:22:08 pm ---wireless mouse thrown away between empty batteries, had nRF24LE1 (SoC 2.4GHz transceiver w 8051 MCU core), couldn't resist reprogramming that, cobbled a FT232R programmer for it to foul around with its optical sensor.
...
free-devboards situation is getting out of hands quick!

--- End quote ---

the difference between "devboard" and "repurposedboard"

* devboards are made for the explicit purpose of being friendly with IO, fully documented, flexible and expandible, covered by examples; pro-devboards also come with a built-in-debugger/loader/monitor, and, in my case, with headers for ICE and LA. In the past it was *THE* difference, and we paid a lot(1) for these features, expecially in avionics. These days, there are cheap MPUs and DSPs around, and their evbboard offer a part of the features I listed but they are very cheap.
* a "repurposed board" is... something that was designed for one purpose and is modified to do other things. So it's undocumented, you have to reverse engineer it to document it, it's not covered by any development software, unless it's running u-boot or similar (able to load a file from the serial, or from the network), it's not flexible, it doesn't offer LA headers, and it usually doesn't even offer an ICE header. Usually there isn't even a serial port. If you're really lucky, you can find hidden pads to solder a jtag or SWD connector and TX and RX signals to a TTL TO RS232 adapter to have a console.
they are not synonymous at all  :o :o :o

(1) e.g. my PPC7410SEQ, 5000 USD from Newark without ICE and LA.

AndyC_772:
I have a pile of the wretched things, STM32 mostly. I often pick up a Nucleo board so I can start software development while I'm waiting for new hardware to be prototyped, but as soon as the hardware arrives, I can move straight over to using that, and the ST dev board becomes instantly obsolete.

No doubt they'll fester in a cupboard until the day I retire, then they'll get scrapped in the great clear-out when I reclaim my lab.

globoy:
Last year I did the evil thing nctnico does.  I purged myself of a lot of stuff for cheap in lots on ebay.  But I still have a lot of electronics left over so I started a personal project I call "Use It Up" where I make useful gadgets for myself and others with the caveat that at least 95% of the components have to be from my existing stock, even if it means making sub-optimal design trade-offs.  There is no way this is efficient use of my time but it's a mental challenge and supports my desire to be somewhat responsible so it amuses me.  I'm also a little motivated because I know that when I die most of this stuff will be going straight to the dumpster.

So far I've built a DC-DC UPS for my home's networking system (modem, router, switch, wifi APs), a big USB battery around a Maxim dev board and some little test gear widgets.  In progress is a little Galaga console for a kid.

RoGeorge:

--- Quote from: globoy on August 22, 2023, 04:36:47 pm ---started a personal project I call "Use It Up" where I make useful gadgets
--- End quote ---

That's the spirit, I like the idea!  :-+

Infraviolet:
The trouble is there seems no way to use up certain types of part without buying a whole load of extra parts, all of which will come in minimum quantity largr than the number you'll need for working within a circuit design alongside the part you are trying to use up.

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