MSP430 LaunchPad - $4.30

[TheDirty]

Presto, perfect traces (in theory).
My goal is to get 8 mil spaces and traces.
 

My experience is that anything that perfectly releases the toner, like the starch based etch resist transfers like Pulsar, the toner itself isn't enough to resist muriatic acid/peroxide etchant, which is really hard on etch resist.  You get a lot of rashing.  Pulsar sells a green overlay in order to fix just this problem.

Gloss paper etch transfer leaves a bit of the paper/clay in the traces and does a better job of resist.

[Matt]

Presto, perfect traces (in theory).
My goal is to get 8 mil spaces and traces.
 

My experience is that anything that perfectly releases the toner, like the starch based etch resist transfers like Pulsar, the toner itself isn't enough to resist muriatic acid/peroxide etchant, which is really hard on etch resist.  You get a lot of rashing.  Pulsar sells a green overlay in order to fix just this problem.

Gloss paper etch transfer leaves a bit of the paper/clay in the traces and does a better job of resist.

Yeah the Pulsar green overlay works great.  First started using the process during a research project for prototype stuff, and never had a problem.  Used a laminator acquired from Mouser, and they also sell the transfer sheets as well.

-Matt

[Zad]

I urge people currently using toner transfer to try photo-etch. Yes, the pre-treated pcb is more expensive, but the results are excellent. I have done dozens possibly hundreds) of photo-etch boards over the years with proper equipment but, as a test, I exposed some pcb with various test features. My high-tech exposure lamp was the sun, and my precision output was an inkjet printer rather than a laser. I don't have the feature size measurement, but an approximation with a magnifying glass and micrometer, shows clean and repeatable line widths below 0.1mm (4 mil).

The down side is that treated copper clad isn't so easy to get now, and the DIY approach results in very uneven resist coating.

I hope it isn't just me, but I love tracking international packages. Even to a cycnic like me, there is something amazing about ordering stuff online, and watching it come from (in the case of Digikey) a town in the wide rural spaces of Minnesota, to a regional airport, flying to Memphis, then to the Newark, then over to the UK, through customs, to the main hub, the local hub, and eventually my front door. Ironically, I live about 10 miles from Farnell's head office...

[Valhallasmith]

I urge people currently using toner transfer to try photo-etch. Yes, the pre-treated pcb is more expensive, but the results are excellent. I have done dozens possibly hundreds) of photo-etch boards over the years with proper equipment but, as a test, I exposed some pcb with various test features. My high-tech exposure lamp was the sun, and my precision output was an inkjet printer rather than a laser. I don't have the feature size measurement, but an approximation with a magnifying glass and micrometer, shows clean and repeatable line widths below 0.1mm (4 mil).

The down side is that treated copper clad isn't so easy to get now, and the DIY approach results in very uneven resist coating.

I hope it isn't just me, but I love tracking international packages. Even to a cycnic like me, there is something amazing about ordering stuff online, and watching it come from (in the case of Digikey) a town in the wide rural spaces of Minnesota, to a regional airport, flying to Memphis, then to the Newark, then over to the UK, through customs, to the main hub, the local hub, and eventually my front door. Ironically, I live about 10 miles from Farnell's head office...

Thats the thing, cost is the issue.  I can get a ton of copper clad off ebay for very little.  I can get all the chemicals I need from the local hardware store and a bucket.  Thats not true of photo etching.  I need a special film, or special spray.  I need an exposure box. 

I just don't have the room.  Bucket and laser printer are going to be much easier for most people.  Plus bare copper clad is cheap and useful for other things.

As far as the pulsar sheet, it seems like a good system.  But I'm cheap and doing this stuff on a shoestring.

[TheDirty]

Bucket and laser printer are going to be much easier for most people.  Plus bare copper clad is cheap and useful for other things.

Toner Transfer is easier once you have a system down, but photo is easier to reproduce good results right from the start.  Personally I have no need to do less that 8mil and I've got my toner transfer process down quick and easy so I have no need to do photo.

[johnboxall]

Do they have really cheap or free shipping or is it $4.30 + $25 shipping?

The store was down when I tried to find out.

After trying occasionally all day I just my order in. For one unit, directly from TI's Estore, the shipping was free.
There was an ominous mention of calling their service line for a ship date, but I'm not in a hurry.
It'll make for a nice surprise when it does show up.

I've seen it said that Mouser will have a couple thousand in early next month, but I'd expect those to go wicked quick.

Tried to order from the launchpad wiki, and it directed me to Mouser, but they wanted $30 shipping to Australia.
Just ordered 2 from ti-estore, there was a $0 FedEx shipping option, selected that and the order was accepted.
Should be a nice surprise whenever it finally arrives, can always give them away to interested people locally.

Excellent - just received my fedex tracking number - should be here in oz by Wednesday next week

Hooray - arrived today!
[edit] just finished dinner and new Top Gear...

*sigh*
no real Linux support of any use. If TI wanted to go after Arduino people, they would have made running this thing on macos or ubuntu a lot simpler.

Have decided to give one away as part of my monthly prize draw: http://bit.ly/aN236x

[TopherTheME]

Has anyone given this thing the thumbs up/down yet? I just got mine in the mail today (Newark has them in stock) and haven't had a chance to play with it yet. The ultra-low power consumption looks very appealing but not sure if thats enough to make me stop using the arduino. Although I can't really figure out if the launchpad lets you do ICSP or just external programming???

[alm]

I haven't found time to play with mine either. I believe you can program the MCU in the socket and do in-system programming, but you might have to add a header and remove the MCU from the socket for the latter. Not sure how many of their devices use Spy-biwire, I was under the impression that you could program a fairly significant chunk of their MSP-430's (at least the lower pincount ones) with the launchpad.

I think the power consumption of the modern PIC and AVR devices in pretty close to the MSP430, but that might depend on the circumstances. I'm sure each manufacturer has found some configuration in which they can claim their device is the most efficient, and the specs might not be directly comparable.

[DJPhil]

Disclaimer: I'm in the process of learning micros with this kit, and I'm only halfway through my first book. Reflections below are definitely from a novice.

I'm chiseling away at a book on the MSP430 at the moment (MSP430 Microcontroller Basics). The architecture is compared to PICs often in the book, and it seems to be very different. There's a large number of registers, unified address space, and a medium sized instruction set to go along with a heap of clock options and power saving modes. The book focuses on the F series, and the board comes with G series chips (the budget version), but it seems like a good place to start. I've got no sense of whether it's a good idea to start with this or not, but what the heck, it's cheap and I'm persistent!

The Launchpad itself seems fairly flexible, though I haven't put it to a great deal of use yet. It's got a series of jumpers connecting the prototype area with the programmer, and a set of holes adjacent with a very fine pitch that look like they could hold a pin header. I'm not sure what it's actually capable of, but I'm willing to take pictures and trace continuity upon request.

Worst case, it's only $4.30. I can believe it, but I just now realized why they set the price at such an odd number. MSP430 = $4.30. Sheesh.

Hope that helps.

[DavidDLC]

Today I received the unit after some weeks on waiting mode.

$4.30 !!! well after buying some stuff in China I can believe it, for example I bought tactile push button at $0.07 USD and I only bought 40 of them, TI probably got them cheaper since they bought way way more. I also bought Mini USB connectors at $0.14 USD each.

Cheers.

[RayJones]

but I just now realized why they set the price at such an odd number. MSP430 = $4.30. Sheesh.

Hope that helps.

LOL, yeah same thing occurred to me about a week ago telling somebody about it, and it was only when I said MSP430 for 4 dollars 30 that the penny dropped.

[XynxNet]

Good news. I got a shipping notice and tracking number. I ordered at 26.06.2010. It seems they are now working on the international deliveries.

[Hypernova]

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INV DATE    SHIPPING METHOD      OPERATOR ORDER DATE    CLIENT # ORDER #
----------  -------------------- -------- ----------  ---------- --------------
11/05/2010  FedEx Standard                07/14/2010     1070*** TI04000010****

About damn time.

[Hypernova]

Code: [Select]

Left at front door. Package delivered to recipient address - release authorized
Well guess what? It's not there when I went home to pick it up 3 hours later.

Called FedEx and there's nothing they can do...

Fuck!!!

[migsantiago]

Code: [Select]

Left at front door. Package delivered to recipient address - release authorized
Well guess what? It's not there when I went home to pick it up 3 hours later.

Called FedEx and there's nothing they can do...

Fuck!!!

Maybe your neighbor collected it... and he just forgot to give it to you. Why don't you ask him/her?

[Hypernova]

Code: [Select]

Left at front door. Package delivered to recipient address - release authorized
Well guess what? It's not there when I went home to pick it up 3 hours later.

Called FedEx and there's nothing they can do...

Fuck!!!

Maybe your neighbor collected it... and he just forgot to give it to you. Why don't you ask him/her?

They have no idea, at this point I'll going with the theory that someone walking by stole it. Given the my mbed was supposed to have shipped on the 19th Oct I fear that it has met the same fate.

[CryptLordGR]

still waiting for my board, i almost forgot it, i post my order on 8/6 totally fail for me

[CryptLordGR]

by the time of the offer the shipping was free for anywhere, now there must be a shipping charge dont know however

[JohnS_AZ]

My order went in 8/24 and I still haven't received a thing.

In the mean time, however, I've received 3 Arduinos, the mbed NXP, and the big Renesas board.
If the MSPs ever do show up, they'll probably get tossed on a shelf. What I wanted them for I've finished with a few PICs.

[CryptLordGR]

My order was on 08/06 and today I received an email that my board has been shipping, a little bit late but it was shipped

[Bored@Work]

Wow, six month later and TI still hasn't sorted out their fulfillment issues.

[CryptLordGR]

4 months I followed the mm/dd type for days. I think I ordered the last day of the free shipping so after me i think theirs sales have dropped. But yea it is ridiculous 4 months for the Launchpad

[Bored@Work]

4 months I followed the mm/dd type for days.

I didn't use your date. I was talking about the duration since TI released the Launchpad in June. They had fulfillment problems right from the start. For me that is now six month of ongoing fulfillment problems.

But I bet the responsible TI manager is selling that pathetic performance as a great success to his boss. Must be a stupid boss.

[CryptLordGR]

You are waiting for 6 months? (i didnt understand difficult english )

[JohnS_AZ]

Amazing. The FedEx truck dropped off my launchpads today, and the TI website still says that my order is backordered, and they have no ship date. Almost 4 months to fill the order.

Now ... what the hell was I going to use these for???