Trying to find a suitable dev kit

I would not recommend this path. AVR32 is just not mainstream IMHO.

An IDE interface is very easy to build (PATA anyway). In small quantities I think you will have a very hard time finding anyone to beat Olimex's prices.

That made me curious, why not?

Petter

-- A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?

Have you looked at:

Well there is only so much a student can assimilate (or being force fed) in two sessions of OS courses or so. For this reason I'm looking for some simple hardware, and I wouldn't want assignments to become survival camps. Right now we're using simulated MIPSes, and it's simple and quirck-less enough to understand and use fairly quickly.

We'll certainly keep on using simulated hardware, but I'd like the more interested ones to have a chance to play with real boards. I'll also be playing with them and experimenting with OS concepts, and I'd like to avoid having to deal with too much dead weight (the "barnacles" from Nisley's Embedded PC ISA bus :)).

Regards, D.

Are You aware of the Atmel University Program

A university running a AVR32/Linux course can, if admitted into the program get a lab set of NGW100s + JTAG ICE free of charge! Further boards can be had at a discount.

The AVR32 is supported by

• gcc-4.1.2

• binutils-2.17

• uClibc-0.9.29

• gdb-6.4

• Linux 2.6.22.1

• U-Boot-1.2.0

and I have been working lately on integrating AVR32 support in "Buildroot"

Buildroot is a distributed Makefile which can be configured by Kconfig, the menu system for Linux, so it is fairly easy to build a root file system.

Buildroot will, after configuring, build the cross compiler, the linux and the rootfile system (and soon U-Boot)

Check Out

That's a fact. But it seems to be quite a clean chip, and considering the potential use the lack of "mainstream-ness" wouldn't be a show stopper. Apart from the lack of USB host, the other thing that bugs me is that I don't know of any emulator for it. That's annoying.

Indeed. Because of that it is the most likely choice actually.

Thanks! D.

That's interesting, but probably too complex. Maybe for my own enjoyment. And I'd wait until they give a price on their website.

Thanks, D.

If 'mainstream' was important, then the OP would not have said "but no x86 CPU!" - that's the most mainstream of all!

After that, 'mainstream' is all relative. AVR32 is relatively new, but Atmel have solid backing in uC, and the AVR32 looks sound, with a good eco-system (for the age). These days, Cores matter less than peripherals - just look at the OP's shortlist: already 'core agnostic' [well, apart from excluding the x86 :) ]

Given the high-end specs, I would suggest at least a look at the emerging "Low cost laptop" projects - one those stabilise, they could make quite nice embedded solutions.

-jg

Can you clarify 'emulator' - it comes with on chip debug, so did you mean software simulation ? I'll agree I consider it a 'better system' if the Debug link can flip into Software Simulation when no target is present. That's good for teaching and SW benchmarks and subroutine testing. Some (mainly 8 bit) systems are just so cheap, you can always have a USB attached chip for 'simulation'

-jg

Jim,

My mistake. I meant simulator, indeed. And my reasons are exactly the same as yours: teaching and verification/validation of code.

Regards, D.

Indeed, but as far as I know they are all x86 based: OLPC, Asus EEPC, etc. Or do you have anything else in mind?

Thanks, D.

May be following discussions provide you some help:

and for GNU toolset see this

ali

I'd start a dialog with Atmel, as Ulf suggested. I did a quick scan, and see the 8 bit AVR Studio does have the Simulation fall-back mode, so it may be close for AVR32 Studio. [ slightly more work to code/text a AVR32 simulator :) ]

-jg

No, I was thinking x86, but a 'more focused x86', and without the ISA bus. However, they are still a moving target, and will not have teaching on their radar just yet, so the information data & infrastructure will be less student friendly than something like AVR32, for a while.

There are teaching advantages to one-vendor tools, and Atmels Studio puts them in a strong position. I found Zilog's ZNEO easy to ramp a new design in, for that reason. All the tools and data, came from a single-vendor, and that gives less blind-spots, and less NIH syndrome.

-jg

The Portux920T is a bit expensive at 200 euros and lacks the IDE interface, otherwise it's a good match for your requirements. It has a standard ARM JTAG port. I've not used the board myself, but have considered it for a project.

-a