Re:MPC-55xx Tools

>>  the MPC-55xx . . . we don't want to spend massive amounts of money.

>> What tools are available for this platform?

>> What tools are people using?

I've only worked with the MPC565, not MPC55xx.  However:


I've had luck with Phytec eval kits before:
http://www.phytec.com/search/index.html?path=&result_page=..%2Fsearch%2F
index.html&query_string=MPC55xx&search=Search 
or
http://www.phytec.com/products/rdk/PowerPC/index.html 

The basic Phytec MPC5554 kit list for $680 and seems to include FLASH
utility and Freescale tools - maybe limited to 64KB user code.  But does
it include a BDM/JTAG wiggler?  

A Phytec PowerPC kit that I had a few years ago had an RS-232 wiggler
and very good start-up board support files, but the included Freescale
tools were limited to a 30-day eval license.  Fortunately, we bought a
couple of those boards, so I was able to get some work done before the
license ran out.  Those Freescale tools seemed solid, and included some
handy files like an interrupt-based RS-232 driver.  Nobody gives away
free CANbus code!

Phytec offers an add-on kit for $800 with a 64K starter version of P&E's
PKGPPCNEXUS development package (with a USB/NEXUS probe).


  http://www.ee.ualberta.ca/~jasmith/mpc555/
This helpful site discusses inexpensive PowerPC options including
debuggers, and mentions that 
"dSPACE <http://www.dspaceinc.com/>  offers a compact MPC5554-based
electronic control unit <http://www.dspaceinc.com/goto?rapidproinc>
(ECU) for prototyping."

Scroll half-way down - he has links to 6 development board products.
Keep scrolling down for links to sample code.

If your development kit has only a 30-day license, you might want to
prepare some sample code, before the clock starts ticking, so you have
more development time left after you get past tool setup, FLASH and
board support issues.

Maybe remind your boss that he or she probably spends more for 3 days of
your salary than the best development kit on the market!  If you find a
kit with poor documentation, you'll spend more on setup and lost time
than you saved.  Best of all would be to buy, upfront,  the tool chain
you will use for real development, and save on the learning curves.


Rick Corey  -  Crane Aerospace



We value your opinion!  How may we serve you better?
Please click the below survey link to tell us how we are doing.

http://www.craneae.com/surveys/satisfaction.htm

Your feedback is of the utmost importance to us! Thank you for your time!


######################################################################
Attention: 
The information contained in this email message may be privileged and is confidential information intended only for the use of the recipient, or any employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient. Any unauthorized use, distribution or copying of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and destroy the original message and all attachments from your electronic files.


This email was scanned and cleared by MailMarshal.
######################################################################


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]