"Hw" <localhost@com.com> wrote in message
news:dLWoe.16504$h86.14923@tornado.socal.rr.com...
> I am considering using ST7 part with USB on-board.  I have not used ST7
> before, but have worked with PIC, AVR & MSP430.
>
> * How good are the ST7 tools?
>
> It looks like Cosmic offers a 4K limited version of their C-compiler.
> Is the Cosmic compiler/IDE (IDEA) any good?
>
> * How are ST7 parts to use?
>
> Any bizarre or strange problems?
>
> Thanks you.
> HW.

I have used many ST7 devices and generally very pleased. Good noise
immunity, peripherals, flat memory.
Not great for bit bashing compared to others but you can usually get round
the problem with the good peripherals.
I would recommend cosmic over metrowerks, better code density
software./hardware stacks. Do not bother with cosmic debugger idea/zap - use
ST's Visual Debug instead.

The softec indart is a great little tool for the XFlash parts FLITE/26x etc
but is a real pain with HDFlash parts - 321/521 etc. This is not a problem
of the indart but the awful Flash erase times.
If you need to use the HDFlash parts buy a DVP3, it will make life much
easier. Infact the dvp3 is easier to use compared to the full emulator
emu3/2.

The usb parts are very good/reliable but the dvp3 is not available so your
choices are indart or the expensive emu.
I can give a bit more info if you give more details on project etc.

Hope this helps
sjo

I've used the Cosmic and Hiware (now Metrowerks) compilers and have been 
very pleased.
I have several ST Emulators, all which were very low cost and are good 
enough.
Not used any USB parts to report anything but have used a big range of parts 
from the Lite family (1K5) to ST7F521 (60K)

One word of warning - I would recommend only using production parts, rather 
than ones "just around the corner". Our company got bitten badly when 
believing that a device would be properly released when we needed volume 
silicon.

"Hw" <localhost@com.com> wrote in message 
news:dLWoe.16504$h86.14923@tornado.socal.rr.com...
>I am considering using ST7 part with USB on-board.  I have not used ST7
> before, but have worked with PIC, AVR & MSP430.
>
> * How good are the ST7 tools?
>
> It looks like Cosmic offers a 4K limited version of their C-compiler.
> Is the Cosmic compiler/IDE (IDEA) any good?
>
> * How are ST7 parts to use?
>
> Any bizarre or strange problems?
>
> Thanks you.
> HW. 

I am considering using ST7 part with USB on-board.  I have not used ST7 
before, but have worked with PIC, AVR & MSP430.

* How good are the ST7 tools?

It looks like Cosmic offers a 4K limited version of their C-compiler.  
Is the Cosmic compiler/IDE (IDEA) any good?

* How are ST7 parts to use?

Any bizarre or strange problems?

Thanks you.
HW.