Development platform helps keep systems up to date

RS Components' Embedded Development Platform (EDP) removes the need to invest in individual development boards.

RS Components' Embedded Development Platform (EDP) is designed to help deliver additional cost and time saving options to design engineers.

This new solution consists of a baseboard able to hold a combination of up to four CPU or application modules.

Electronics design engineers are continuously upgrading equipment to keep up with the latest developments, a complex and expensive business.

When they invest in the latest microcontrollers and their supporting devices, the old development boards are laid to rest.

The whole process costs the engineer time, interfacing the new software and hardware products to existing application circuits, time that could be spent inventing.

The EDP removes the need to invest in individual development boards.

The baseboard is an extended euro card size measuring 220 x 100mm.

It is fitted with rubber feet for laying flat on a bench and can also be used in a standard rack system.

By adding a 64-way DIN connector, such as the RS 381-8696, users can plug the EDP into a backplane.

The EDP is also fitted with +3.3 and +5V regulators, a backup battery, RJ45 Ethernet and mini-USB connectors, a +12V DC power supply jack, an I/O breakout header and eight DIP switches ported onto the system IC bus.

The minimum configuration of the baseboard consists of four stations with a single plug-in processor module.

The baseboard currently supports the Infineon XC167 and ST Microeletronics STR912 processors, with others to be added on a regular basis.

All four stations are identical, with various CPU and application module permutations possible.

Even the minimum configuration allows the engineer to easily operate a web server via a standard onboard Ethernet connection.

Various application modules are available including an initial starter kit range consisting of basic digital and analogue I/O, a motor control module and a communications module.

RS has plans to launch many more modules as the EDP becomes a standard tool among engineers.

The more advanced user will also discover the baseboard can run more than one processor module in a master and slave configuration.

A CD is supplied with the baseboard and each module contains full schematics, Gerber files and a bill-of-materials.

RS supplies these on an open-source basis, so that engineers can develop their own boards for their own use (not for resale).

The CD also contains all the necessary software drivers and processor modules have the appropriate Windows-based development tools.

The DIP switches allow the user software, running on a processor module, to read a configuration setting, enabling I/O ports to be set up correctly.

Depending on the capability of the particular processor module, up to three IC buses and two CAN networks are available.

Many of the application modules use an IC bus for primary communication with the processor providing maximum flexibility.

Some processor chips will require +5V DC, while others require +3.3V DC.

A factory link on the module selects the correct supply from the connector.

This supply is linked to a further connector pin on all the other module stations, providing a correct voltage reference or bus pull-up for the application modules.

There is also duplication of an analogue input unit, for larger inputs.

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