Hi All,

I am in the process of designing a board to evaluate some sensors.

I want to design a board that can show up as a comm port on the PC. So I can us simple python(py.serial) to communicate with the chip on board.

This platform will allow rapid prototyping.

PC_USB --->FTDI ---->Microcontroller---SPI-->components.

I do not want to completely reply on the audurio platform. I want to be able to design the PCB using native uC and thier IDE.(It is a better learning experience for me)

I believe that is a very common and useful platform for my future projects.(PCB design)

Any suggestions in existing platform that can be referenced from are much appreciated.

Thank you so much,
Eddy

 

With a PIC, you can do it all with a single chip.

 

Any suggestions in existing platform that can be referenced from are much appreciated.

a few alternatives:

1) newer j-link allows a virtual comm port to the pc. that can be either an expensive j-link probe, j-scope software, or a very inexpensive j-link ob. In the simplest implementation, it requires just a stm32f072 + a couple pins.

2) newer st-link v2-1 allows a virtual comm port to the pc. you can find those on the nucleo boards, or certain stm32 discovery boards.

3) ti's launchpads for their arm chips also have a virtual comm port integrated.

...

 

I use these little boards from Chip45.

You get an Atmel micro-controller (various types available), crystal, USB to RS232 converter wired to the micro-controller chip and headers on a 0.1 grid for easy prototyping. The standard ISP programming header is also on the PCB.

Saves a lot of effort when designing a serial-driven micro-controller device!