PSoC Express: Does it work for semi-analog designs?

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would be cheaper to use a costly PSoC. OK, in China they

Actually, I like mine. I've always enjoyed to squeeze the last penny out of any given design. It might sound silly to ponder the usage of a BJT plus resistor versus a FET. Heck, we've even gone custom on an inductor that was available off-the-shelf because we couldn't get the price down far enough. When there is a $0.02 cost differential and they make thousands of units per week even a whole hour spent on matters like that pays back quickly for the client. It also keeps the skills honed.

However, sometimes it seems that larger semi mfgs don't quite understand that level of cost pressure yet. IOW there really has to be a $0.25 PSoC and a $0.15 16-bit micro.

I suspect some of them are consciously *choosing* not to join the "race to the bottom" -- for many semiconductor companies it's a lot easier to compete on all tose "fluffly" things like customer service and support than simply price. Many companies don't have someone like you around to squeeze out the last penny, after all. :-)

Of course there are some manufacturers out there who don't seem to be good on price or relationships, e.g., those with really poor web sites!

That's a dangerous path to be on these days. You've got to keep a keen eye on where that bottom is. Because most likely your competitor does.

Whenever I open a consumer device it seems that companies in Asia all do :-)))

I have become pretty hardened as to how far I'll go to squeeze costs but sometimes they still blow me away. Like when I saw a design where they used a substrate diode as a rectifier and (most probably) a nifty dummy load scheme in firmware to keep Icc somewhat even so they could also get away without a regulator. The way I found out was by accidentally stopping the clock: KABOOM.

Yeah, and Cypress isn't all that stellar with their web site. WRT support we shall see. That was one of the issues that has caused the loss of several design-ins for TI in my case. They wouldn't answer a few crucial questions that went beyond data sheet info. So I did it like usual, all analog.

I am EE , i do signal processing . Proportional-Integral-Derivative is for college teachers , not real engineers like us who "do" / invent / create / fix

We engineers dont use text to create machines , we use the picture side of our brain . So after trying unsucessfully to figure what the Luddite Proff is saying , we toss it and put our hands on the hardware and learn Electronics ( Me , 70's , ) .

You are just using buzz words , hoping for a job laying out mo buzz words .

You dont work ....

Now on to rpoductive ...

ARM 9 is so low cost , it will be the only mcu . I am now redefinig ASCII as a temp way for computer to talk to us . Ojective is to keep each Ascii char general , use more to make it specific . This allows the mcu to use the chars on the left as a classing/typing method .

Dont use < to mean GT , only , it limits its use for more powerful contexts . Add char's to the Right, to adds classes to that object . Now a user, at keyboard will be able to use these new meanings to quickly put the mcu right . imagine a PC , misspells a name , and you ----- < R N ------------------ < expanded the hi-lited letters displayed on LCD . R moved cursor right one alpha , N generally means no, undo , reverse ,backup , BS , last MRU

PC swaps these chars , for chars from MRU edit strings place ....

This is old stuff , not copyrighted , u can use it ..

I am the fastest systems programmer on Earth ....

Really? Then how do you propose to control a slow plant? And here I mean a plant where you do not know its inherent (and usually thermal) delays.

As it stands I've got mo work than I'd like.

Sorry to disagree on that one. Might change my mind some day but not right now :-)

Ever seen an ARM that can live on a few microamps while running on a watch crystal? It's been a while but most of those that I checked out needed multiple supplies that had to come up in a very particular fashion and they were quite the power hogs compared to modern

And here I was hoping you'd suggest a slick way to do a PID job in a "non-luddite" way...

Actually the opamps are fast for the price (5MHz GBW) and the ADC runs at >5kHz with 8bit. (2kHz 10bit)

The next gen PSOC will have ADC that is a lot faster

Regards

Klaus

The GBW is ok. The offset isn't much to write home about but I can usually live with that. WRT the ADC capabilities the engineer from Cypress was honest with us (which I very much appreciated) and told us not to expect more than a few ten "real" Hertz out of the slope converter variant.

Most of the time I can make do with lots of PWM-DACs plus comparators. That should work nicely with PSoC.

Yes, but I am also hoping that they work on extending the lower tier segment. That's where I'd have potential applications but not if they cost $1 or more.

"Joerg" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:NbTqh.23540$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net... | > Actually the opamps are fast for the price (5MHz GBW) and the ADC runs | > at >5kHz with 8bit. (2kHz 10bit) | >

| | The GBW is ok. The offset isn't much to write home about but I can | usually live with that. WRT the ADC capabilities the engineer from | Cypress was honest with us (which I very much appreciated) and told us | not to expect more than a few ten "real" Hertz out of the slope | converter variant. | | Most of the time I can make do with lots of PWM-DACs plus comparators. | That should work nicely with PSoC.

I like the possibility to select the right ADC on the same silicone. Even it is late and you need to change it entirely in software. Or left it out if I don't need it and use the spare module for other purposes.

The flexibility have it's price of course.

- Henry

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is late and you need to change it entirely in software.

Just an hour ago I happened to get a request for a new design that might be a near perfect fit for PSoC. One of those where the specs are not yet cast in stone (the usual...).

So I am poring over the CY8C21x23 data sheet, trying to figure out what this charge pump is all about or how I can "divert" its usage, how to get these things out of sleep mode and so on. It'll be interesting.

I've always noted that priority in your posts. However, whenever you mentioned something definite about your (possibly former) field of work it was about "medical ultrasound", hardly a 1000/wk item.

So what's all this cheap analog consumer crap you seem to be working on?

Just curious:

robert

The offset can be nullified easily. Just use a configuration with a DAC to trim the offset away. Then you have zero drift over temperature, time and other parameters

Yes, they are fast and low current (at least the comparators)

Regards

Klaus

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is late and you need to change it entirely in software.

purposes.

There is no PGA, DAC or voltage reference in these parts. You can make a simple DAC using a PWM output though

Regards

Klaus

"Joerg" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:kcWqh.49749$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net... | Just an hour ago I happened to get a request for a new design that might | be a near perfect fit for PSoC. One of those where the specs are not yet | cast in stone (the usual...). | | So I am poring over the CY8C21x23 data sheet, trying to figure out what | this charge pump is all about or how I can "divert" its usage, how to | get these things out of sleep mode and so on. It'll be interesting.

Out of memory I would say you looked up the wrong type. It is not always best to just sort the variants in dollars. OK, that is not much help.

Start with the 29466 or such to prototype. It is easy to replace if burned (socket!) and have rich resources to play. So much resources that is possible to make target and test generator on the same part for development.

If you know later on what you really want and how to implement, then downgrade. The 24123 or such is a nice little 8-pin device and fits the same socket as the 29466 if you can switch the VCC pin. There is an app note with all types listed!

One trick with PSoC is to choose a smaller Flash(ed) device just for speedy loading of code and then later replace the part with a bigger Flash(ed) one if your code sizes...

The charge pump on the SMP pin is just a boost converter to run PSoC out of a small battery. As always: There is an app note ;-)

Sleep mode -> app note!

Read the PSoC Technical Manual.

- Henry

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is late and you need to change it entirely in software.

I was just using it as an example, plus because they are in stock locally. On this one I'll have to run a rather fast switcher, basically like creating a 120V inverter with a true sine wave. It has to run above

Either that or use a mux up front and ping-pong, then average in SW. In the analog world I usually just clamp it away. That's why the sales guys have such a hard time talking me into opamps that cost more than 10 cents ;-)

Also in standby. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that PSoC can live off a few uA. Not as good as an MSP430 but good enough even for a coin cell.

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to just sort the variants in dollars.

Yes, it was just an example. Express won't let you select a type that's too cramped.

(socket!) and have rich resources to play. So much

for development.

downgrade. The 24123 or such is a nice little 8-pin device and

app note with all types listed!

I also would have to make sure that whatever I use is either small or available in MLF or similar. Can't get any big fat chip into this design.

loading of code and then later replace the part with a

small battery. As always: There is an app note ;-)

Yep, I will. Looks like quite a learning curve.

"Joerg" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:Zb8rh.10358$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net... | I was just using it as an example, plus because they are in stock | locally. On this one I'll have to run a rather fast switcher, basically | like creating a 120V inverter with a true sine wave. It has to run above | 100kHz because there isn't much space for magnetics. Have to talk to the | client tomorrow. If it's like usual where they need it "yesterday" I | might do it analog just one more time (and ask for forgiveness...).

EL converter? Hm.

- Henry

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"Joerg" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:sN8rh.12532$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr17.news.prodigy.net... | > Out of memory I would say you looked up the wrong type. It is not always best to just sort the variants in dollars. | > OK, that is not much help. | >

| | Yes, it was just an example. Express won't let you select a type that's | too cramped.

Oh sorry, I forgot you use Express. It don't come to mind how to select a device there. Sorry, I use Designer.

| | | > Start with the 29466 or such to prototype. It is easy to replace if burned (socket!) and have rich resources to play. So much | > resources that is possible to make target and test generator on the same part for development. | >

| > If you know later on what you really want and how to implement, then downgrade. The 24123 or such is a nice little 8-pin device and | > fits the same socket as the 29466 if you can switch the VCC pin. There is an app note with all types listed! | >

| | I also would have to make sure that whatever I use is either small or | available in MLF or similar. Can't get any big fat chip into this design.

The app note lists all devices in nice table with package type.

- Henry

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No. But my lips must remain sealed for now. The whole thing is slow but it has to run off a battery voltage that's only 1/8th of what the load needs and in about the space of a slim USB stick.