AVR-Chat

Ok 

<Rant>

I have just spent au$281 on an AT43DK355 which is the USB development
kit for the AVR (it supports the AVR parts with USB built-in)

Problems so far:

#1 No reference design unless you buy the Dev Kit (I had to spend as I
need the chip in a design)

#2 The Shipped dev board has mods not mentioned in the schematics (and
there is no Errata)

#3 The demo windows app, USB Code Wizard (which is designed for GCC and
IAR) and the EEPROM programmer have no installers, just Cut and Paste
they say, will work on any 98, ME, Win2k, XP box. Yeah right you need to
go find DLPORTIO.dll to get the EEPROM programmer software to work (it
direct access the parallel port) and you need to find 2 OCX files to get
the USB code wizard to work. Then program the board as it appears the
factory programming (they do test it right ??) is scrambled and will
lock up the demo windows app.

#4 The demo CD is not a stamped or bulk written CD, it is burnt as it
leaves by the looks of things with red texta pen writing saying what it
is.......

#5 2 months is a bit long to have to wait..... I could have paid someone
in the USA to buy it from digikey and ship it to me by USPS and received
it in 3 weeks max.

All in all, not very happy, I expect dev tools to be open box, read a
cheat sheet (just so you get the install order right) load software,
plug in and away you go, not have to spend a day trying to fault find
the tools, as no one in AU knows anything about this kit, and it seems I
have the first one in Au :o(

I sent a rather pointed Email to Atmel's USB support section and CC'd it
to my rep, I am waiting to see if I get a response or if I am ignored
like all my emails to Atmel.

I also asked them in the email when AVRStudio 4.8 will be out and how
many bugs they expect to release it with ;o) (my guess is twice as many
as 4.7 ;o)

Regards,

Kat.

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At 09:41 AM 22/11/03 +0800, you wrote:
>
>I also asked them in the email when AVRStudio 4.8 will be out and how
>many bugs they expect to release it with ;o) (my guess is twice as many
>as 4.7 ;o)

I have started a bug thread on AVRFREAKS.COM, someone
chewed me off for saying that it looks like another disaster, but so
far I may be right ( as always:-) )

Regards

John Samperi

******************************************************
                        Ampertronics Pty. Ltd.
  11 Brokenwood Place Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153 AUSTRALIA
         Tel. (02) 9674-6495       Fax (02) 9674-8745
               Email: samperi@ampertronics.com.au
                 Website  http://ampertronics.com.au
* Electronic Design   * Technical Services   * Contract Assembly
******************************************************

At 05:52 PM 11/22/2003 +1100, John Samperi wrote:

>At 09:41 AM 22/11/03 +0800, you wrote:
>>
>>I also asked them in the email when AVRStudio 4.8 will be out and how
>>many bugs they expect to release it with ;o) (my guess is twice as many
>>as 4.7 ;o)
>
>I have started a bug thread on AVRFREAKS.COM, someone
>chewed me off for saying that it looks like another disaster, but so
>far I may be right ( as always:-) )

Apparently the ICE-50 support is improved, but major bugs in the user interface remain, like skipping instructions, and moving all the code off the screen to the left to display the comments, remain.

John Samperi wrote:

>At 09:41 AM 22/11/03 +0800, you wrote:
>  
>
>>I also asked them in the email when AVRStudio 4.8 will be out and how
>>many bugs they expect to release it with ;o) (my guess is twice as many
>>as 4.7 ;o)
>>    
>>
>
>I have started a bug thread on AVRFREAKS.COM, someone
>chewed me off for saying that it looks like another disaster, but so
>far I may be right ( as always:-) )
>
>Regards
>
>John Samperi
>  
>
Its a beta version so what do you expect ?

It is cheaper for them to release a beta than it is to do extensive
debugging. Added benefit of finding more bugs than the developer would.
A lot of companies seem to do this, rather than do extensive QandA testing.

Remember at the seminar in June, the atmel guy
siad they had a new version of avr studio ready to go back then
and it was only the legal department holding them back as they hadn't 
approved the release.
Wonder if this was the ready to go version ?

How are you going with the plcc issue (or lack of them) ?

>
>Remember at the seminar in June, the atmel guy siad they had a new version of avr studio ready to go back then and it was only the legal department holding them back as they hadn't approved the release.


I find that rather hard to believe.

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, John Samperi <samperi@a...> wrote:

>>How are you going with the plcc issue 
>>(or lack of them) ?
 
>NOT going! A lot of my work lately has 
>been with the Mega8 28 pin through hole. 
>I guess I'll have to bite the bullett 
>one of this day with surface mount...IF 
>I can push that day 20 years or so...
>I'll be right :-)

SMT is nowhere near as difficult as you'd 
think...ESPECIALLY if you're talking about 
the larger stuff like SOIC/PLCC.  One
thing I figured out about the PLCC sockets 
is that they're a whole heck of a lot easier
to install if you cut out the little plastic
center part...then you have a fairly clear
shot to the contacts in the center.

Here's an example
www.poitsplace.com/images/adapter.jpg

and of course...use lots of flux :)

At 10:42 PM 23/11/03 +1100, you wrote:
>It is cheaper for them to release a beta than it is to do extensive
>debugging. Added benefit of finding more bugs than the developer would.
>A lot of companies seem to do this, rather than do extensive QandA testing.

Hmmmm...Microsoft come readily to mind....

>How are you going with the plcc issue (or lack of them) ?

NOT going! A lot of my work lately has been with the Mega8
28 pin through hole. I guess I'll have to bite the bullett one of this
day with surface mount...IF I can push that day 20 years or so...
I'll be right :-)

Regards

John Samperi

******************************************************
                        Ampertronics Pty. Ltd.
  11 Brokenwood Place Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153 AUSTRALIA
         Tel. (02) 9674-6495       Fax (02) 9674-8745
               Email: samperi@ampertronics.com.au
                 Website  http://ampertronics.com.au
* Electronic Design   * Technical Services   * Contract Assembly
******************************************************

oh...my mistake.  I just made etched that little board myself

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, John Samperi <samperi@a...> wrote:

> At 10:30 PM 23/11/03 -0000, you wrote:
> >One thing I figured out about the PLCC sockets 
> >is that they're a whole heck of a lot easier
> >to install if you cut out the little plastic
> >center part...then you have a fairly clear
> >shot to the contacts in the center.
> 
> ?? The idea of PLCC is that I can use wave soldering
> though hole technology which is cheap and aboundant
> in Australia. Surface mount is a lot more expensive as
> far as I can tell for small quantities and there are less
> companies that can supply the service.
> 
> Regards
> 
> John Samperi

At 10:30 PM 23/11/03 -0000, you wrote:
>One thing I figured out about the PLCC sockets 
>is that they're a whole heck of a lot easier
>to install if you cut out the little plastic
>center part...then you have a fairly clear
>shot to the contacts in the center.

?? The idea of PLCC is that I can use wave soldering
though hole technology which is cheap and aboundant
in Australia. Surface mount is a lot more expensive as
far as I can tell for small quantities and there are less
companies that can supply the service.

Regards

John Samperi

******************************************************
                        Ampertronics Pty. Ltd.
  11 Brokenwood Place Baulkham Hills, NSW 2153 AUSTRALIA
         Tel. (02) 9674-6495       Fax (02) 9674-8745
               Email: samperi@ampertronics.com.au
                 Website  http://ampertronics.com.au
* Electronic Design   * Technical Services   * Contract Assembly
******************************************************