Moving from Teensy LC to Teensy 2.0

[vince.cimo]

Hi guys, thanks for all your help thus far. I've just successfully funded my teensy project on Indiegogo (www.datalooperpedal.com) and am going to be doing a manufacturing run of about 150 units. I'm currently using the Teensy LC in my prototypes, which works great, but was thinking about switching to the Teensy 2.0 and wanted some advice. My main reason for wanting to make the jump is the amount of EEPROM memory. I have 36 addressable 'buttons' (3 banks of 12) that I'd like to store routines for...the 128 bytes of EEPROM on the Teensy LC doesn't leave me with many options, whereas the Teensy 2.0's EEPROM gives me lots of flexibility.

Here are my questions:

1. My teensy code is more or less just detecting button presses, releases and long presses and sending out USB MIDI SysEx messages. Is there any reason why an 8-bit processor wouldn't do this just as well?
2. I'm planning on using a multiplexer to address numerous RGB LEDs from the limited PWM pins..will I run into any issues doing this on the Teensy 2.0 due to the slower processor speed?
3. Is the Teensy 2.0 dev process any different & is the USB MIDI library still supported in full?
4. Alternatively, I found this thread (https://forum.pjrc.com/threads/34537-Teensy-LC-Increase-EEPROM-Size) and was wondering if that method is legit. I could meet my needs with 255 bytes of EEPROM & the Teensy LC.

Thanks again guys, you've been super helpful thus far.

Best,

-Vince

 

[JWScotSat]

I'd be concerned about changing such a huge part of your product when you've gotten it funded and have working prototypes. If EEPROM storage is your main concern then what about looking at i2c eeprom memory as an add on? - https://www.sparkfun.com/products/525

I unfortunately can't answer your questions as I have no experience with the Teensy 2.0 but the LC is better in almost every way. If it fits in your budget and your product is based around the LC then I'd stick with it and overcome your storage issues another way.

 

[Theremingenieur]

I'd not go for slower and older 8bit hardware. If you consider a hardware upgrade which might be cheaper than adding an external EEPROM, go for the Teensy 3.2 which has more than enough EEPROM, Flash, RAM and CPU horsepower, so that your design will allow future software updates with improved functionalities.

 

[garubi]

I'd be concerned about changing such a huge part of your product when you've gotten it funded and have working prototypes. If EEPROM storage is your main concern then what about looking at i2c eeprom memory as an add on? - https://www.sparkfun.com/products/525

I unfortunately can't answer your questions as I have no experience with the Teensy 2.0 but the LC is better in almost every way. If it fits in your budget and your product is based around the LC then I'd stick with it and overcome your storage issues another way.

I'm not an expert at all, but I built a number of MIDI controllers using Teensy and even Arduinos, and me too I'd be concerned to such a radical change.

I'd suggest, as @JWScotSat said, to just add a simple i2c EEPROM (I'm sure that 150 unit of them will cost a lot less than the single unit on Sparkfun). Or just switch to Teensy3.2 that is way more similar to the LC (but I think if more expensive that the i2c eeprom solution).


Stefano