This CH552 USB Dongle Development board is designed to support our short, engaging, and cost-effective STEAM-related activity/workshop offered during the Penang International Science Fair.
With an extremely tight budget, we had to explore alternative low-cost MCU options that still provided ample learning potential and aligned with the STEM curriculum suggested for the local STEM curriculum.
The result is a low-cost development board that is Arduino compatible (C Language only). It allows participants to experience and explore the various topics in embedded software development using onboard sensors through a series of guided exercises.
Automatic IDE integration is supported via the Arduino Boards Manager. This is the recommanded way of installation now.
Start the Arduino-IDE. In File->Preferences, Settings tab, enter
as an Additional Boards Manager URL.
- Open Tools->Board:...->Boards Manager
- Find Ch55xduino by typing 'tomato' into the search line
- Click on the list entry
- Click on Install.
Now you should find a new entry CH55x Boards in the list at Tools->Board:...
- Choose CH552 Board from the list
- open the standard Blink example from File->Examples->01. Basics->Blink
- Change pin number in Blink example. For example, if you have LED on P3_0, you will write pin 30.
- compile it by hitting Verify
- If your board is never used with ch55xduino before, you need to make the ch55x chip enter bootloader mode. You need to disconnect USB and unpower ch55x, connect the pull-up resistor on D+ line (generally a 10K resistor between D+ and 5V, controlled by a push-button or adjacent pads). Then you connect USB. and hit Upload. Also, a blank new chip will enter the bootloader automatically.
- If you have used ch55xduino once and your code doesn't crash the USB subsystem, you can simply press Upload. Arduino and the firmware will kick the chip into the bootloader automatically.