LM3S6965-IQC50 future availability

 Hi Frank,  I discovered full LM3S where obsoleted in a while... I finished project where 6xxx 8xxx and 9xxx required for Ethernet. I see Ethernet on parameter of LM4S series but none speak about how many time LM3S disappear or when LM4S with Ethernet has to come... This sound bad for who invested time learning Stellaris series, we cannot figure how many chip are sold and if remain in production to serve our product...

Like you guys I carefully researched everything and felt that EKS-LM3S6965 was the best kit to buy -- and that when my data collection project was fully designed I could go ahead and then count on TI having the Chip available well into the future. I rejected purchasing the EKS-LM4F232 kit because then I would be basing my design on a chip with no Ethernet and would have to add WizNet -- or something... It's an OK solution -- but I was looking for a simple clean one vendor approach... In every other aspect, the EKS-LM4F232 kit was a far better choice because of the FPU and the software routines available -- but I felt that I made a sound design decision...

So here we are, We have a wide Variety of LM4F to chose from -- but all the LM3S are gone -- except Concerto -- so I should have gone that way -- with LM4F I mean... When I checked within the last 24 hours -- none had Ethernet (out of the four (five?)) available -- but come Monday -- we should be OK I think. So I made a bad choice I guess I should have gone LM4F....

I'm in better shape than you guys as Miguel promised that he will call me yesterday morning and straighten out this trifling oversight.

I am sure that he will do the same for you as soon as he plows through his list of people with similar minor issues.

Cheers and best wishes.

Dave Robinson

EKS-LM4F232 kit was a far better choice because of the FPU and the software routines available

 Hi Dave, my primary concern come from multiple choices, for motion part I can evaluate concerto, it is lot more expensive than an LM3S9D96 coupled by EMIF but again no choice. LM4F promise (may be or not) EMIF  Ethernet and IEEE 1588 PTP but no plan on when they may came out.

 To test Hardware and software I wired an EK-LM39D96 board to an FPGA board and now to test concerto cannot fit instead of EK and need rewire all prototype, redo pcb artwork and pray no other produce nothing similar.

 A smooth fade out was probably less scaring developer than cut down, global crisis must consider what they promised and what can be manufactured, mantain a minimal part on production (Toolkit and main family tree) lock developer not to browse for alternate parts from others. All have part with Ethernet why TI cancel it?

 When they can manufacture pin to pin equivalent we can risk realize a multilayer pcb, otherwise I(we) need thrash away last year of work :((

  Other side next plan was to do some low cost VOIP on LM3S9xxx, again alternate choice can be on OMAP, it carry I2S and Ethernet but these are just BGA,require external RAM and Flash so production can cost a lot more than planned...

 I just wait for some buzz or again I must switch away from TI other than MSP.

I looked at Concerto as well -- It is viable -- but to test quickly I would need to get the kits -- there goes another Few Hundred Dollars $$$... So I rejected that idea for the time....

The EKS-LM4F232 kit?  there is another $200 delivered -- but still no Ethernet??? Should I buy the Wiznet/SSI kit from Mouser? as I said -- maybe -- maybe not... at least then I could move that portion more easily if I had to...

The real issue is time and money -- I burned two months on research and five months on real work. Oh well -- start over... no big deal!

Anyway -- some of what I said got missed in translation...

Well -- I do have other M4 kits here to test now... but again -- more work -- more cash .... so much for a spring deadline I had set... But I can change the deadline -- don't have to explain -- except to two investors who now make jokes about my abilities to choose suppliers. Where would we be if we could not laugh at the little jokes life plays on us? <Chuckle> <Grin> <insane laugh> <ARRGGHHHH!!!!>

Anyway -- all will be well -- Miguel will fix you up and it will be like nothing ever happened...

Maybe we should switch to Spanish...???

Dave Robinson

The EKS-LM4F232 kit?  there is another $200 delivered -- but still no Ethernet??? Should I buy the Wiznet/SSI kit from Mouser? as I said -- maybe -- maybe not... at least then I could move that portion more easily if I had to...

 Im my case I can switch to competitor but again a lot of time need to develop, I can add some core to FPGA and use a Wiznet removing arm at all.. but the motion part is fully locked to Stellaris and concerto is still a new part, I prefer C2xxx and cortex separated for. :(

 Wizznet has wiz7200 incorporating both an Arm cortex M3 (ST 103) and a Wiz 5100 tcp/ip, this is far less expensive than an LM4S and a wizz. What about development system of Wiz?

Dave Robinson

Maybe we should switch to Spanish...???

 Sorry I am Italian, I know more languages but I miss Spanish one I think sometimes I need learn too. I fell good with English where as I think I wrote.

Sometimes people who speak Italian are fluent in Spanish as well -- in my case it is English and Spanish, with Portuguese and  French quite bad and a it is a very weak Italian now... ah well...

Yes similar dilemma -- but as of Monday 5PM -- without some good news --  I will set aside the TI and revert to my design with newer derivatives of original processors... Now M4 and M3 with Ethernet  -- if I go pure M4 I will do the Ethernet with Wiznet, I will have a look at their latest -- I think I found one with SSI -- so I will order it ASAP.

The other M4 I have here to eval is 120MHz -- so maybe I can live without the floating point unit -- we will see.

Nobody has M4 with Ethernet and FPU from what I can see....

I was trying not to think about the loss of money -- but I remebered what papa taught me  -- if you must lie -- do so and suffer the dishonor -- but never, ever lie to yourself.

I guess I was thinking a solution would appear.

Here, I think  we must make our own solutions.

So, I will finish up the PC portion in the next few days -- maybe by Monday -- the data storage and analysis -- all the data base feed -- then I will carry on with new processors.

My old solution used Arm7 with Ethernet and AVR with Wiznet -- so I have some code I can maybe adapt...

Life goes on... lead, follow or get out of the way is an expression we use here. :-))

See you on the other side...

I sincerely hope you find an acceptable, workable solution.

Dave Robinson

I sincerely hope you find an acceptable, workable solution.

 Hi Dave, may be but Concerto is not a solution for now.. See HERE what happen and also this solution is not so good.. I think something is bad on M3 Ethernet silicon.. so no other reason exixst to stop a familiy in a so suddenly manner.

 Lie to is a microsoft market strategy, I don't like so I am developing for Linux and embedded. I miss all my Unix workstation and old stable OS....

 I fear TI learnt from bad school of trivial market.

Roberto:

Pretty sure you are right about the silicon problem -- you are not the only one to speculate about this.

If the plan is to provide a better set of processors with fewer problems -- great -- but it's a heck of a way to do it.

Yes that is an interesting thread in C2000 -- It had occurred to me to try the processor... Maybe not such a great idea at this stage.

I guess we are between a rock and a hard place. lol

Wiznet it shall be!