Akso On STM32 Nucleo?

#1

Is it true that Akso hardware is permanently NLA from ZRNA, and Axoloti Core is also permanently NLA?

A few people got Axoloti working on STM32F4 Discovery a while back, but that approach seems sub-optimum given the I/O mismatch between Axoloti core and STM32F4 Discovery.

How about a NUCLEO Expansion Board to go atop a NUCLEO-H743ZI2 or something similar? This seems an obvious way to port the wonderful infrastructure of this project to a more generic platform… Using a custom expansion board could allow continuing I/O hardware development…

Regards,
MagAmp

#2

IMHO using a generic development board is kinda moot if you have to design all the peripherals anyway. In other words, designing the custom expansion board to fit around the generic dev board is more complicated than designing the MCU on board in the first place.

Unless the Nucleo boards are currently available at reasonable prices? That would of course be a BIG plus point.

#3

sebiiksbcs, your wrote:

Unless the Nucleo boards are currently available at reasonable prices

Yes, excellent point! And the availability of the Nucleo boards has indeed been spotty. Actually it turns out I transcribed the wrong part number into my post, because that one isn’t even available! The one I meant to call out is the NUCLEO-H723ZG. It is in stock at mouser right now for $29.

Designing the custom expansion board to fit around the generic dev board is more complicated than designing the MCU on board in the first place

Well I agree, there’s definitely a trade there. I was thinking more in terms of minimizing manufacturing of custom hardware rather than minimizing design of custom hardware. But I/O greatly drives the manufacturing as well as the design, and a Nucleo board wouldn’t help I/O except on the download/debug side.

I was just hoping to start a discussion about this.

What could the community do to help nsm with the development and manufacturing of the Akso?

Regards,
MagAmp

#4

STM32 has a bunch of “small print” though, i.e. details about what some model numbers have that others do not. IIRC the H723, for example, only has one USB peripheral, whereas the H743 (Akso) has two. Not a deal breaker if one does not need USB host (connect a midi keyboard) but I dare say if a board is cheap and available usually there is a reason for it.

#5

sebiiksbcs, you wrote:

STM32 has a bunch of “small print” though, i.e. details about what some model numbers have that others do not.

Yeah, tell me about it! I’ve spent hours and hours trying to sort out all the detail differences in STM32 pwm and math co-processor peripherals for a motor control project I am contemplating…

the H723, for example, only has one USB peripheral, whereas the H743 (Akso) has two.

How many users need the USB host?

Regards,
MagAmp

#6

Actually I should probably start by asking what is the USB host needed for. I am actually not very familiar with the dev environment, and especially the Akso dev environment. Is the USB host just needed as an alternate for a MIDI interface, or is it needed for development and troubleshooting too?

#7

Just for connecting a MIDI controller AFAIK. I believe I saw somewhere on the Axoloti forum you can connect a generic mouse and have it control things in your patch?

It has explicitly been stated somewhere that connecting flash drives, USB hubs etc. does not work.

About how to support the creator and/or project, I suppose someone who is comfortable enough with the object code could help by fixing up all the buggy objects?