Hard to solder packages and homebrew projects

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Hi, I'm working on my CSci major at the moment and want to get some
hands on expirence programming MCUs/embedded systems. I'm on an ultra
low budget. I've decided to try out the
TUSB3210:http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tusb3210.html .
According to the datasheet, it is programable via USB; I don't need to
buy/build a complicated programmer, right?

This chip only comes in LQFP64. What is the cheapest/easiest way that I
can adapt this so that I can play around with it on a breadboard? I'm
considering springing for a PCB with LQFP64 solder mounts on top and a
DIP arrangement on the bottom. My brother said I could bake the chip on
using an oven; is this even possible?

Thank you,
Aaron

 

[Jim Brain]

Hi, I'm working on my CSci major at the moment and want to get some
hands on expirence programming MCUs/embedded systems. I'm on an ultra
low budget. I've decided to try out the
TUSB3210:http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/tusb3210.html .
According to the datasheet, it is programable via USB; I don't need to
buy/build a complicated programmer, right?

This chip only comes in LQFP64. What is the cheapest/easiest way that I
can adapt this so that I can play around with it on a breadboard? I'm
considering springing for a PCB with LQFP64 solder mounts on top and a
DIP arrangement on the bottom. My brother said I could bake the chip on
using an oven; is this even possible?

Thank you,
Aaron

I think you should reconsider this approach. You'll need a PCB to map
to DIP sockets, and then a USB connector, and probably a 3v power
source, and few people will be able to help with newbie questions.
DIgikey has them for $5.00. For the same amount of money, you can grab
some perfboard, an ATMEGA48 (2.69), a parallel port DB25 (.70), and a
74LS244 (.50) and wire up a board that is the CPU and a programmer.
Much cheaper, the programmer is not complicated, and you can tap into
this group and avrfreaks.net for answers.

If not the AVR, PIC folks in here probably have a suitable PIC setup as
well that costs about the same.

Jim

 

[aaron_ds]

Hi Jim,

I have a USB connector already, and I've made regulated power supplies
in the past for non-IC related projects. I suppose if the PCB to map
the LQFP64 to DIP is going to be more expensive and harder than using
the ATMEGA48, I ought to go with the ATMEGA48. The usb interface looked
so easy to use too; too bad the TUSB3210 doesn't come in DIP.

Thank you,
Aaron

 

[Deefoo]

<snip>

Jim Brain, Brain Innovations

[email protected] http://www.jbrain.com
Dabbling in WWW, Embedded Systems, Old CBM computers, and Good Times!

Why do I get an error 403: Forbidden! when trying to acces your web site?

--DF

 

[Jim Brain]

Hi Jim,

I have a USB connector already, and I've made regulated power supplies
in the past for non-IC related projects. I suppose if the PCB to map
the LQFP64 to DIP is going to be more expensive and harder than using
the ATMEGA48, I ought to go with the ATMEGA48. The usb interface looked
so easy to use too; too bad the TUSB3210 doesn't come in DIP.

Those boards are not cheap, and they're usually one-time use.

It might cost about the same, but I still think a new intro to embedded
would be better off with a PIC or AVR. I'm still sorting out the PIC
stuff (just getting my feet wet), but I came up from 0% AVR knowledge
(my earlier experience was on HC11s, in a dedicated programmer from
Motorola) in 1 day. parallel port dongle was trivial to build,
programming just worked(tm), and WinAVR (with the cute Makefile maker)
made compilation a breeze.

Jim

 

[Jim Brain]

<snip>

Jim Brain, Brain Innovations

Why do I get an error 403: Forbidden! when trying to acces your web site?

Hmm, I guess I need to fix that.

Try http://www.jbrain.com/gallery/projects/ for pics of the stuff.

Jim