RISC-V CH32V003

Hi @will & Ron @zander,

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To be clear, " re: Dave is using a garden variety USB converter", I am not using 'anything', in respect of this processor, just suggesting some places to look if anyone is interested, given that it is a recently expanding possibility to explore. I am not 'recommending' any product, nor actively testing this one at the moment.

But Will is basically correct in that I am referring to a 'general purpose' USB to serial logic card.

e.g. Many of you will be familiar with Bill's excellent video of proragamming the ESP32 CAM which follows this route. https://dronebotworkshop.com/esp32-cam-intro/

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Arduino (and others) often supply a USB socket with their microcontroller boards, which in theory at least, makes it an easy plug and play, to get development started.

But many microcontrollers don't need USB when they have been 'developed' into a product, so there is a fair amount of 'stuff' on the board that can be discarded, once the program has been developed and installed. Hence, for 'minimal' boards, it makes sense to split the USB functionality onto its own board, and maybe use that to program several or even many 'processor only' boards.

(Note that the total circuit with USB board 'hand wired' to the processor board is usually about the same as the equivalent combined board.)

Of course, splitting these functions into two boards is likely to introduce more issues of compatibility, chance of miswiring, etc. and it is completely reasonable to decide that you don't want to go down this road. Again it is down to your choices.

Best wishes, Dave

@davee 

I was referring to the video's creator Dave Jones (EEVBLOG) not davee.

Hi @will,

  Apologies .. the danger of being a Dave ... especially when things start going wrong ... you never know whether your 'the Dave' in firing line!

I hope the message still makes sense!

Best wishes, Dave

@mathpi Ok, Now I understand what you are trying to do (I think). I would bet quite a bit that it is a CH340 since that is the company that makes it.

@mathpi Are you aware of the Github repo for it? They also had a different IDE, but it is 404 now so no ideas there although PlatformIO and VScode seem like a possible solution.