Project Of The Month - November - TonyD - XArduino

[jason]

Congratulations to TonyD who is this months winner for his XArduino project.



A quote from TonyD's project is as follows:

"XArduino is a XS1 L1 co-processor for the Arduino open-source electronics prototyping platform.

XArduino provides Arduino applications with a 400 MIP's multi-threaded 32-bit co-processor, as well as providing a VGA video output and PS/2 keyboard/mouse input for the Arduino application to use.

It features a standard XTAG-2 to for programming and debugging. In addition the XTAG-2 interface will allow for XK-1 boards to access the VGA and PS/2 interfaces as well as way of connecting standard Arduino shields.

XArduino is pronounced as Zar-dween-oh (xar = zar, like "xavier")

Note: This is a 3.3V-only board"

Once again well done to TonyD, please do check out his project here


Looking towards December, please submit your nominations to the main POTM thread here (please ensure criteria are met detailed in this post if you wish to be considered). Anyone have any Christmas nominations?

[Berni]

Looks like we have to start making the video criteria a exception on certain months.

My excuse is i'm too busy to come up with a project.(work, school...etc)

[bsmithyman]

I do quite like this idea; it seems like it has a lot of potential to catch the interest of the Arduino movement. Additionally, if there was community support to set up a firmware for access over the Arduino serial ports, etc. it could be used without explicit knowledge of the XMOS tools. Flipping things around, it could also be a convenient way to get access to the Atmega's analog inputs and treat it as the peripheral device. I could especially see some interesting applications for this and e.g. the Arduino Mega that has somewhat more I/O lines.

I notice that the project page says it's a 3.3V only board, which is logical given the L1 chip. Is the intent to only work on the 3.3V Arduino boards, like the 8 MHz Arduino Pro and not the standard 5V boards? I guess I'm wondering if a resistor between the pins would be sufficient to make it 5V safe, as suggested here. I'm hesitant to try it, but perhaps others have had success limiting the current sunk? It's unfortunate that the standard voltage for these parts isn't all that compatible with the standard Arduino boards.

[Berni]

Well the G chips are 5V tolerant, but they dont come in any normally solderable package.

Resistors are a good quick fix, but its better to do it properly with level translators or something, maxim makes some cool ones that are bidirectional without a DIR pin.

[RogerH]

Well done TonyD!

Do you intend selling these boards or making the PCB files available.

Keep those projects coming.

Cheers, Roger...

[jason]

Looks like we have to start making the video criteria a exception on certain months.

My excuse is i'm too busy to come up with a project.(work, school...etc)

Indeed I figured some projects may not be able to be filmed but are top quality projects - so have changed criteria to video/image - all projects can have an image eg board schematics, photo of whatever it is, or describing the key concepts of the project visually etc..

:-)

[TonyD]

Wow, many, many thanks for the award :-), it was totally unexpected.

Do you intend selling these boards or making the PCB files available.

I've no plans to sell any but I'll try and get some PCB gerbers up onto the project page in the next few weeks if people want to make their own.


Thanks again

[jason]

Great stuff Tony, look forward to seeing the gerbers go up. :-)

PS - please check your private messages - need your address details etc

[tautic]

Congrats TonyD! That's one nice little board!

[mikethe1wheelnut]

Submitted by mikethe1wheelnut on Wed, 10/11/2010 - 11:38.

hi.. I am interested in open-source FPV systems, and my search has lead me here. I first broached the subject on the arduino forums: http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaB ... 9331318/15, where the answer was a resounding no.

an example of the system I might be getting if no other options present themselves is: http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index. ... cts_id=275

is it the opinion of the developers of the xarduino that it could be the right choice for an open-source, arduino-compatible implementation of the above product?

thank's..

-mike :-)