Renesas application at work

[Excavatoree]

(EDITED once moved to "microcontroller" forum.)

I was told I would receive a "cable" to reprogram our user interface module for our product.

I was surprised to see that I was sent a Renesas E8a programmer.  (looks like the Japanese market version)

I had no idea that our technology supplier (and part owner of the company) had chosen a product with a Renesas device in it.  

Now, the question is, will they let me keep it?  Can I figure out how to hack my company's module to display "Excavatoree is really Awesome" at startup?

If I hadn't been reading Dave's forum and watching his Blog, I never would have known.

I've only worked with small PIC devices so far, so it's good to get some Renesas experience - albeit probably not as much as I'd like.

I received a E8a with an "unsupported evaluation version of the C compiler" and "an unsupported version of the on-board flash programming software."

This should be interesting.

(sorry, this was originally posted to the wrong sub-forum.  It was later moved to  "microcontrollers.")

[allanw]

I'm pretty confused. Context?

[Excavatoree]

Sorry, I was a bit exited when I wrote that post.  Let me start again and, hopefully, I'll be more coherent.  (I'm a bit long winded as well. If you're easily bored, skip this)

I now work for a maker of heavy equipment - hydraulic excavators, hence my username, excavator ee.  Anyone who has ever looked at construction equipment knows that these things are mostly mechanical and hydraulic.   While the electronic systems have gotten more and more sophisticated in the last few years, the thing is still mostly mechanical.  Other than the electronic engines, which are mandated by the EPA in the US and other environmental organizations in the world, the thing could work with no electronic systems at all.

Usually, the "real EE work" is done by our former parent company, now our technology provider.  (I'm glossing over some details due to non disclosure, and because they are boring. (Company A buys a majority of Company C from Company B ....)  I design some harnesses, I help troubleshoot machines that fail at the end of the line for various reasons,  I help with testing (10 years ago I picked out our Tektronix 3014, now I'm trying to convince the management that we need a new Agilent.)  I've taken data to be sent to our technology provider about engine control problems, and hydraulic controls timing.  Fun stuff.

Otherwise, I help out with non electrical stuff, and, stuff I thought wasn't even engineering, but I suppose as long as I approach the problems in a methodical, engineering type way, it still is engineering.  I devised the system of coding for options and machine configuration, and I work with (shudder) marketing to keep them straight. (Ok, at least I keep them from ordering stuff that can't exist.)

Recently, I discovered Dave's blogs, and this forum, and I've been slowly getting back to my electronic roots.   I bought a PicKit, and am learning some micro controller programming.  I've started building electronic kits.  I've hinted at this stuff in other threads.  I thought that, at work, I'd never get to do any micro controller work.

That's why I was excited when the Renesas programmer landed on my desk.  I was told our user interface module needed new software due to late changes in the engine programming, and I'd be given a "cable" to re-program the module.  I didn't expect a product from Renesas, a company I never would have known about if it weren't for Dave's Blog.

I've got the E8a programmer and the IDE.  I was so surprised that I get to do "real EE" stuff that I got a bit carried away and had to tell someone - no one here (I'm the only electrical person) understands.

Plus, I was hoping someone was familiar with the Renesas IDE, because I'm flying blind here.  

I've learned a lot here, and I appreciate everything everyone has taught me.

[RABeng224]

I have been working on a project, for over a year now, that is using an M16C/65 Renesas uC.  This family of uC also uses the E8a emulator and HEW IDE for development.  I have done a lot of work with Atmel, PIC and MSP430s and I have come to like HEW very much.  It was easy to install and configure and the emulator environment performs very well and is quite fast.  The only issue is when you hit the code limit for the free version of the compiler, which is 64K on my edition(We are well over 100k on this project), they want over $1200 for the standard version.  This is very steep in my opinion.  In this project the M16C is running a 3 phase PWM, handling/processing inputs and running a 128X64 graphics display so we are really pushing her and thus far she is performing excellent. 

[EEVblog]

I have been working on a project, for over a year now, that is using an M16C/65 Renesas uC.  This family of uC also uses the E8a emulator and HEW IDE for development.  I have done a lot of work with Atmel, PIC and MSP430s and I have come to like HEW very much.  It was easy to install and configure and the emulator environment performs very well and is quite fast.  The only issue is when you hit the code limit for the free version of the compiler, which is 64K on my edition(We are well over 100k on this project), they want over $1200 for the standard version.  This is very steep in my opinion.  In this project the M16C is running a 3 phase PWM, handling/processing inputs and running a 128X64 graphics display so we are really pushing her and thus far she is performing excellent. 

Well, I guess you should have know the cost/limitations up front?
If it's for a company then $1200 isn't much.

Dave.