Lpc2000

At 11:04 PM 2/23/05 +0100, Lasse Madsen wrote:
>Now I'm at this page:
>http://www.semiconductors.philips.com/pip/LPC2129.html
>
>I press the datasheet link and I'm given a 34 page datasheet, Wow excuse me
>but I guess this parts have more to it than just the supply voltages!
>
>Come on Philips you can do better, why did I have to search your website for
>an hour and ending up comparing pins on the LPC2114 and the LPC2129 to find
>a "match" or even a datasheet with more than 34 pages! This discourages me
>to get started with that part when the manufacturer not even knows how it
>works (or cant supply a real datasheet for it)!
>
>2)
>Another thing... I miss C and Assembly examples. A lot of microprocessor
>manufacturers has examples for everything that's just a bit special such as
>correct watchdog initialization etc. look at Atmel ATmega128 that datasheet
>is like the holy bible it self. I have seen datasheets like that from you
>before, but I'm missing them on the LPC parts.


Well, yes, sortof, maybe....

One of the things that annoys me (a lot!) about Atmel and Microchip is that 
they have merged the datasheet and the user manual.  Please (please, please 
please), Philips don't merge the user manual and the data sheet.  They are 
both useful, but largely for different purposes.  Pretty Please.

One of the things I definitely don't want is a datasheet heading out into 
the multiple 100's of pages.  You don't need that to describe timing, 
voltages, pinouts and packages.  The inner workings of the peripherals 
properly belong in a well written user manual.

I think the current datasheets probably have a few items missing but not a 
lot, the current user manuals have a few holes too.  One of the things I 
use data sheets for is checking closeness of fit.  And I don't want to 
waste reams of paper (literally) in the process of determining which micro 
to use for a project.

C and assembly examples are good, but I've noticed that most manufacturers 
only deal with the trivial case (often badly) in them.

>Another datasheet thing... The counter/timer/capture initialization is very
>confusing! I'm missing connection diagrams showing the logic inside how the
>actual "travel path is" from pin to MPU, the Prescaler logic etc. block
>diagrams etc. Some people like to read themselves to an answer, and some of
>us (like me for instance) learn better if the text is illustrated with some
>diagrams.

Good idea, but that's really a user manual thing not a data sheet thing.

>Again look at Atmel's ATmega128 datasheet look how easy Its all explained
>how they carry you through the registers etc.

I just did, what an awful datasheet.  The thing's nearly 400 pages 
long!  You know Lasse, I have a sneaking suspicion we're not going to see 
eye to eye on this :)

I suspect this is one of those splits like printed vs PDF only 
documentation divides.

Robert

" 'Freedom' has no meaning of itself.  There are always restrictions,
be they legal, genetic, or physical.  If you don't believe me, try to
chew a radio signal. "

                         Kelvin Throop, III