GAP (aka. General Android Peripheral) Mini Kit is based upon LPC812, a 32bit Cortex-M0+ microcontroller. It is designed as a peripheral development kit connects to Android via USB port. In order to make it an easy programming platform, it follows a simple design rule: the simpler, the better. It is a tiny yet powerful platform, you can have a lot of fun on it.

Why GAPmini?

GAPmini is my first feet heading to appcessory world. Although it is similiar to other kit sold worldwide, I define it an easy programming, plug and play platform for Android appcessory. Although that means there are a lot of work to do in Android APK.

Either connectivity technology has its bottleneck, so use it wisely. Maybe iOS devices have dominated the market, but Android is more popular in emerging markets.

GAPmini supports Android Phones with 3.2+ OS, which supports USB host API. Of course, your device have to be able to offer 5V VBUS to GAPmini.

Easy Programming

First of all, it is an easy programming platform for hobbisits. You can find a lot of code from mBed, which offers online compiler and runtime libraries for many ARM micros. So you don't bother to think about hardware setup, low level drivers. Just copy an existing code (import), compile online (build), download to your PC, and then program (upload) into to GAPmini.

Meanwhile, it is an easy programming platform for firmware developers. No matter which tool chain you prefer, including Keil, IAR, Code Red GCC or ARM GCC. NXP and its partners have already prepared well-documented libraries for you.

Since LPC812 has only 16KB ROM, you can use evaluation version of Keil/IAR to build you code. No more viruses from hacked compilers.

At last, GAPmini will offers shields adapters in two form factors, one is Arduino, the other is mikroBUS from mikroElektronika. So you can find a lot of shields already available to plug into GAPmini.

Low Cost Yet Flexiable

GAPmini uses an entry level micro, but this micro is highly flexiable due to two features:

• SWM (Switch Matrix) allows features available on any pins, so your design could be unique.
• SCT (State Configurate Timer) allows flexiable timing algorithm running on main clock, including PWM, IR remote encode/decode, LED control and many custom protocols.

Android Connectivities

GAPmini has on board USB/USART converter CP2102. Thanks to open source projects, it was designed as accessory for Android devices from the very beginning. If you Android device supports USB host API, then you can use GAPmini as an appcessory platform.

We have offered many open source projects and Android software, ready for download.

Alternatively, LPC812MiniKit supports 2FSK modem in firmware. So it can serve all of the mobile phones, including Android as well as iOS. That solution is still under development.

Embeddable

What we are developing is so-called embedded system. Now, we can EMBED it into a LEGO brick. So it can be used as an embedded module inside a LEGO style enclosure.

Then we can have LiPo module, sensor module and other modules in LEGO bricks.

mBed Powered

mBed is a good online compiler C++ platform. With this platform, you can easily share and co-operate with other makers. And you can move all your works to cloud servers. What does it mean? You can edit, build your project via an iPad or Android tablet, before uploading the binary code into the microcontroller with same mobile devices.

Cool idea!

Technical Support

The supports are available from communities/blogs for open source projects, including LPCware, mBed, and github.

Currently, we have offered following projects:

• Hardware design for EAGLE 5;
• Demo code and drivers for low-level drivers for IAR/Keil/Code Red GCC;
• Demo project and drivers for mBed C++;
• OLED projects
• Firmata project ported from Arduino to GAPmini (Firmware)
• pyFirmata ported to GAPmini (Windows/Linux/MacOS）
• Android USB host driver for GAPmini （Android 3.2+ USB host API)

Meanwhile, these projects are under development:

• AndroidFirmata ported for GAPmini
• ISP APK for GAPmini
• More demos APK for GAPmini
• JIT modules for GAPmini small scale productions
• 6DOF project with MPU6050
• WS2811 LED strip
• GAPmini MKII for TSSOP20 LPC812(to improve SWD/ISP/Pinout)
• GAPmini+ for LPC1114/STM32F030
• GAP standard for MKL25Z (which supports ADB/AOA/ADK/CDC with USB host/device interface)

Before You Order

Because I am prepare user manual for GAPmini in English and upload everything to github recently. You can leave questions here, or contact me at allankliu (at) 163.com