40pin DIP Module Using XS1-L1-48

[Brilldea]

I'm resurrecting an old thread. I haven't seen much regarding a 40 PIN DIP module beyond this thread. I'm curious if something else came about (that I'm not seeing) or why this module wasn't produced.

A few days ago I started digging back into XMOS. A long time ago I toyed with one of the first development kits. My mind was sparked with ideas when I saw the 44 pin QFP package, so I too thought about a DIP Module, but obviously XMOS got to it first. So - I don't want to reinvent anything, that is, unless there is a need to.

[Heater]

Timothy,

Hei, welcome to the forum. A familiar name from, well, that other MCU forum. You'll find other familiar names here.

All I can say is that I have not seen such a DIP module come to fruition yet and I still think it's a great idea.

[DanB]

Timothy,

Hei, welcome to the forum. A familiar name from, well, that other MCU forum. You'll find other familiar names here.

All I can say is that I have not seen such a DIP module come to fruition yet and I still think it's a great idea.

I'm sure that some of the design files required have been posted before (I cannot remember where off of the top of my head... this thread? I'll have to look!). I seem to recall that there was no intention to produce these, though.

If somebody does end up using these design files to produce some DIP modules I'd be more than happy to put my name down for one or so... I'm sure others would too! In fact, I was only thinking about these last night...

[Berni]

Xmos should have had this selling as there kits on the website back when the L1s came out, but it seams like nobody got off there ass to do that. If you want something to be popular with hobbyists it has to be cheep and be able to fit in to a breadboard.

Who is going to bother making these if the point of one is to bypass all the SMD stuff and just begin playing with these awesome chips straight away on a breadboard and wack together cool stuff. Think Mcfly think!

[Brilldea]

Thanks for the welcome guys! Yes, I've been on a couple different forums. Sadly my time outside of work has been limited for the past year or two so I only been lurking and not participating much. My work lately has been more in project management and system design rather than in embedded design.

But, I've got a few thoughts and was looking back at XMOS and I see an opportunity to produce some DIP or SMD module. One idea is to produce a module that has board to board connectors. This module can then be attached a board to DIP adapter or to a mating board connector in a custom PCB or final design of a product. Kind of like the DaVinci modules another user posted.

I'll do some sketches. If you got ideas of what are MUST haves or NICE to haves in a module, let me know.

[Berni]

Hmm that gave me an idea actually, what if a DIP module like that had an extra 90 degree header on both ends of it so you could put more of them in a line down the breadboard and have xlinks there between them as the connectors on the ends mate up.

[DanB]

Hmm that gave me an idea actually, what if a DIP module like that had an extra 90 degree header on both ends of it so you could put more of them in a line down the breadboard and have xlinks there between them as the connectors on the ends mate up.

What a great idea :D Make it happen!!

[DanB]

As an update, for those not following the other thread, XMOS employee dan has confirmed that;

As for the 40-pin DIP, I'm afraid we don't have any plans for that right now - it'll need someone from the community to drive it. Source

So, how best to take this forward? I think that there is a clear demand for such a module based on this thread. Would it be best to use the XMOS supplied design files or expand upon these (for example, Berni's most recent 90 degree header idea above)? If the latter option is followed I assume we should get this into Git.

Timothy, have you made any progress? What are your future plans with regards to a DIP module?

In particular, one of the attractions I see in a module such as this is low price. Therefore, I would imagine it would be best to form a group buy in order to bring PCB fab costs down. It may also be useful to purchase the required components too - Again purchasing everything in one go provides better value than several individual orders. (Some people may prefer to populate the board themselves but others may wish to get hold of a complete board - As Berni mentioned previously, 'bypass all the SMD stuff and just begin playing with these awesome chips straight away').

I know this could prove to be a bit of effort (particularly for those involved in managing the group buy) but I really hope that as a community we can bring the 40pin DIP to fruition.

I do not have personal experience in dealing with PCB fabrication, etc, however I would be happy to help in whatever way I can... Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help with organising this.

Dan.

[DrNO]

Hello All,
Out of curiosity what do you think the price range for a development tool like this should be?

Would you guys be willing to pay around $45 to $50? The prices only seem to drop if components were bought in the 1000's range which is ALOT of money.

I'm considering taking on this project only if the demand is there.

[Brilldea]

I too am considering taking on this project, however I've been tinkering with my own design of a an XMOS Module that would allow 40 PIN DIP and other items to be stacked together. I've been doing some research and sketching of ideas before I commit to going deeply into the design. I think I will need a few more days of dreaming, researching and sketching before I post the ideas for community feedback.

However, I could be convinced to possible invest in building some of the XMOS 40 DIP products if there was enough interest. Or maybe DrNo tackles that and I'll pursue my ideas as yet another alternative. It is good to have options for hardware, then we can have a broader interests to bring more to the XMOS community.