Wanted: MSP430 programmer

[Papa Bear_Left]

G'Day

My C skills, never much in the first place, have rusted to immobility, but I have a neat cache idea that I'd like to get off the ground using a micro dev kit I have.

Is there someone who might be able and willing to do a little fairly simple coding for me?

We can come to an arrangement for payment, maybe some demo boards or similar from my collection?

If you've got the skills, time and inclination, please email me (bearleft@mackereth.net) and we'll talk!

[muzza]

Hope it's not a reverse cache!

[Papa Bear_Left]

No, nothing so esoteric! The hardware's quite simple, and much of the code is pre-written, but I need a few bits added...

[mtrax]

just to be clear is it a C program you need updated or do you need specialist knowledge on this MSP430?
ie I'm pretty sure a few people could help with ANSI C but MSP430 not so sure.

[Papa Bear_Left]

You'd need to be able to program an MCU, which is a pretty different kettle of bits to a PC. There's no especially in-depth MSP430 stuff required, but you do need to manipulate i/o registers rather than just stdout (and if that makes no sense, you're probably not a candidate!)

[Zytheran]

Hope it's not a reverse cache!

Why not? I came back to this thread to ask if anyone wants to form a group making the reverse cache boxes. (Starts eyeing off the Rabbit uController sitting under the desk...not that I'd use a Rabbit , too $$$)

For those who haven't seen this..
http://arduiniana.org/projects/the-reve ... he-puzzle/
Any takers..?

[caughtatwork]

Hope it's not a reverse cache!

Why not? I came back to this thread to ask if anyone wants to form a group making the reverse cache boxes. (Starts eyeing off the Rabbit uController sitting under the desk...not that I'd use a Rabbit , too $$$)

For those who haven't seen this..
http://arduiniana.org/projects/the-reve ... he-puzzle/
Any takers..?

Should be a new thread, but yes, yes, yes.

[Trigg-A-Nomics]

Why not? I came back to this thread to ask if anyone wants to form a group making the reverse cache boxes. (Starts eyeing off the Rabbit uController sitting under the desk...not that I'd use a Rabbit , too $$$)

For those who haven't seen this..
http://arduiniana.org/projects/the-reve ... he-puzzle/
Any takers..?

Sounds like fun! I'd be interested in helping out.

[rexlee]

How is this project going. I am interested...lots of micro experience, always short of tine

[Zytheran]

How is this project going. I am interested...lots of micro experience, always short of tine

Went with an Arduino board. Most of the programing is done, GPS working, LCD working , Pololu switch working, keypad all good ,up to getting things mounted and some more testing with regard to power sources. Should be released this month although I do need another cache to explain the storyline the reverse cache is involved with.

Only downside is driving around with something that looks like a movie plot bomb, which is sort of good becuase in the main geocache the storyline is based around Dr. Evils Destronium Bomb and his plot to destroy the world...

[rexlee]

Arduino is certainly easy platform to work with. I guess the GPS engine will be more than half the cost of total project.
Perhaps a cut down/bare bones once it has been fully developed. Good work!

[Zytheran]

Arduino is certainly easy platform to work with. I guess the GPS engine will be more than half the cost of total project.
Perhaps a cut down/bare bones once it has been fully developed. Good work!

GPS chip was about $35, LCD about $15, Arduino dev board about $15 , Pololu about $8.
I did hunt around to get the cheapest prices I could find on the planet and my time was free.
All up the Geocache will be worth about $100, and a lot of hours of my time.
I have the Arduino bits for a Barebones but then there's hassles with dual power (USB or battery), USB interface needs some chips, Resonator cost etc. so I'll go with just using the cheap dev. boards I found. They are about the same cost as just a bootable Arduino chip. Yay for cheap knockoffs from China. It's all open source anyway so it comes down to which part of the planet has the cheapest labour for running an electronics plant I guess. Win for the consumer.
In the end the Arduino is soooo much easier to work with than the MSP, every library you could ever want has been written. (Oh, except the one I needed to read a keypad using just one analog input rather than a pile of DI's but it only took a night to solder up the keypad, program and test it.)

[nibbler]

why do I have a sense of dread looking at this post.
Zytheran has just found another way to taunt me
hope it goes well and people enjoy the cache.

[rexlee]

Once the unit has been programmed, the USB/serial I/O is no longer required, so the cost of a unit could be cut by having a Arduino programming plug adapter. Also, everything may be able to be integrated onto one board to obviate connectors/interconnection. I could have a look at that and "Eagle" up a board. I can get small quantity double sided boards made for about $1/sq inch.

[Zytheran]

Once the unit has been programmed, the USB/serial I/O is no longer required, so the cost of a unit could be cut by having a Arduino programming plug adapter. Also, everything may be able to be integrated onto one board to obviate connectors/interconnection. I could have a look at that and "Eagle" up a board. I can get small quantity double sided boards made for about $1/sq inch.

Yep, the Pololu and CPU are on a Bare Bones board at the moment. Although for the first one I'll switch back to a separate power board and the full dev kit to aid with debugging.