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What is the smallest Propeller Project Board? — Parallax Forums

What is the smallest Propeller Project Board?

rymanryman Posts: 12
edited 2013-05-13 07:56 in General Discussion
What is the smallest Propeller Project Board? Looking to build a project in a small box.

Thanks
-=Ryan

Comments

  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,933
    edited 2013-01-18 10:31
    There are a few out there.

    1) The Prop1 Module that Jeff mentioned
    2) Propstick USB from Parallax
    3) My M44D40+ module and PowerTwig combo. (module can be DIP or SMT)
    4) Take a Prop Proto board and cut out the center. There is a thread somewhere on the forums about that but see the attached pic.
    5) Parallax Propeller Backpack
    6) See this thread with the same question

    How small do you need? The Propeller Platform USB (replaced by the Propeller DNA) can fit in a Polycase VM-36 handheld case quite nicely as shown on this thread.

    Don't be afraid to brew your own. I did for my metronome project here.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2013-01-19 00:42
    Schmartboards has a small one. And then there is the Stamp form factor that is a 40pin DIP.

    http://www.schmartboard.com/index.asp?page=products_parallax
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,066
    edited 2013-01-19 02:08
    My CpuBlade is 1"x1". see www.clusos.com/home

    BTW Would have been better to ask on the prop forum
  • frank freedmanfrank freedman Posts: 1,974
    edited 2013-01-19 08:06
    Or get a piece of perfboard with room enough for what you want to do and clone the ckt from the prop ed kit and build on that. Or take the same perfboard and make it just big enough to allow you to clone the PEK circuit with enough room for a N<33 pin sip header to plug into either a breadboard or your project. Fast, cheap, easy.

    Frank
  • W9GFOW9GFO Posts: 4,010
    edited 2013-01-19 10:20
    SparkFun has a new Propeller board that is pretty small;

    https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11525

    11525-02_medium.jpg


    No decoupling caps though...
    188 x 188 - 54K
  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,511
    edited 2013-01-19 17:47
    ryman wrote: »
    What is the smallest Propeller Project Board? Looking to build a project in a small box.

    Thanks
    -=Ryan
    Steve (jazzed) has a module he calls the SpinSocket that has flash memory as well as an EEPROM.

    It's discussed here: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/129713-Introducing-the-SpinSocket(tm)-Concept
  • max72max72 Posts: 1,155
    edited 2013-01-20 09:07
    I posted a couple of propeller platform clones, with diptrace files.
    The latest is barebone (only 3.3 regulator, uses USB power as 5V supply) but is a perfect fit for itead, and so extremely cheap:
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/145389-Another-smaller-propeller-platform-clone

    Massimo
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2013-01-20 14:28
    I use WBA's M44D40+ module, it's my personal favorite, but there are other great modules out there I've never tried.
  • MacTuxLinMacTuxLin Posts: 821
    edited 2013-01-20 18:27
    There are just so many to choose from but ultimately, it depends on your specific requirements. If you have only a few components to add & space is a real constrains, probably the Prop1 module extended might be a closer choice.

    Prop1ModExt-SoundRecorder.jpg
    552 x 980 - 195K
    276 x 490 - 59K
  • shimniokshimniok Posts: 177
    edited 2013-01-22 07:57
    @W9GFO - WBA's M44D40+ has bypass caps and is smaller than SFE's, much better design, and is surely one of the smallest DIP boards. Likewise my eeZee Propeller has bypass caps, crystal, transistor reset for DTR, FTDI or Prop Plug, etc., but isn't smallest.

    @Cluso99's is quite small and well thought out.
  • tonyp12tonyp12 Posts: 1,950
    edited 2013-01-22 08:14
    My Lilly board is pretty small.
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/138457-PropLilly-worlds-smallest-Demoboard?highlight=smallest+demo+board
    Though I have not had time to write a virtual com port for the non-ftdi ic yet.
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,933
    edited 2013-01-22 09:37
    FYI, what I consider one of the advantages of my M44D40+ module is that it has the exact same pinout as the DIP40 Propeller chip.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2013-01-22 12:01
    Here is what SpinSocket Flash has to offer.
    • Board size 1.6 square inches
    • DIP32 package usable with bread-boards
    • P9 to P25 Propeller pins free + Serial In/Output P31/P30
    • P0 to P8 pins can be used with Flash disabled
    • PropPlug compatible
    • Stackable and PCB mountable
    • 4.5VDC to 10VDC input power
    • 4MB onboard Flash +64KB EEPROM
    • 80MHz operation
    • Decoupling Caps on the bottom
    • 4 each 16 pin stackable headers
    • $35 each ASP - discount available to forum members
    Price may vary. 30 PCBs available. Lead time about a week. USA shipping only. California customers pay sales tax. PayPal only.


    attachment.php?attachmentid=98788&d=1358883277


    attachment.php?attachmentid=98791&d=1358883757
  • rickfluckrickfluck Posts: 5
    edited 2013-01-23 10:19
    We at Controlled Capture Systems have been developing a small module that is based on the Parallel Propeller and is controlled by an Android application that we call AndroiDAQ DEMO. The module was designed for education, development, and prototyping. The Android software and Spin firmware are open source. The module is called AndroiDAQ and you can read more information about it at: http://www.controlcapture.com/androiddaqmod. It was designed for breadboard prototyping and its board dimensions are: 3.00" X 1.300", with a pin spacing of: 1.100" X 0.100". Drop me a line if you would like to know more about the module.

    AndroiDAQ_image2.jpg
    575 x 430 - 91K
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2013-05-10 00:58
    rickfluck wrote: »
    We at Controlled Capture Systems have been developing a small module that is based on the Parallel Propeller and is controlled by an Android application that we call AndroiDAQ DEMO. The module was designed for education, development, and prototyping. The Android software and Spin firmware are open source. The module is called AndroiDAQ and you can read more information about it at: http://www.controlcapture.com/androiddaqmod. It was designed for breadboard prototyping and its board dimensions are: 3.00" X 1.300", with a pin spacing of: 1.100" X 0.100". Drop me a line if you would like to know more about the module.

    Interesting. A few points:

    1. The RN-41/RN-42 has a maximum SPP rate of 240kbps in slave mode. Your website says 3.0Mbps, which is maximum burst in HCI mode. Since your website is down (see below), I can't take a look at the code. I'm apriori impressed if you built the HCI stack, otherwise the top speed for SPP is 240kbps. In my tests (Propeller->RN-42->Android) I was able to saturate the Bluetooth link at about 160kbps.
    2. I'm also curious how you are doing the data storage on the Android device. I suppose that will have to wait for the website to come up again, but I can speculate. I've come to the conclusion that the best model is to use a content provider to store and serve the data, and a service (unattached to an activity) to process the Bluetooth link and store it with the content provider.
    3. I see for the I/O the website states "sink/source 40mA max. @ 3.3v, 5v compatible". I think the 5v compatible is a bit misleading, since you need external hardware to make it so (and from the pictures I can't see any). For inputs, you need a series resistor to reduce the current down to the 500uA allowed by the internal protection diode.

    It's an interesting product, and I'm looking forward to taking a look at the open source code once the website comes back up.

    ps: your website seems to be down when I try to go to new pages. I get the following error:
    Fatal error: Call to a member function authorisedLevels() on a non-object in /hermes/bosoraweb174/b1488/nf.controlcapture/public_html/administrator/components/com_kunena/libraries/integration/joomla16/access.php on line 57
    

    And your forums have the following error when I try to go to one of the subforums:
    500 Internal Server Error
    
    Fatal Error was detected!
    
    Please contact the site owner.
    
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2013-05-10 12:32
    @rickfluck

    Do you have a link to the code? Your website says that it is open source, but I can't seem to find it.
  • rickfluckrickfluck Posts: 5
    edited 2013-05-13 07:56
    SRLM wrote: »
    Interesting. A few points:

    1. The RN-41/RN-42 has a maximum SPP rate of 240kbps in slave mode. Your website says 3.0Mbps, which is maximum burst in HCI mode. Since your website is down (see below), I can't take a look at the code. I'm apriori impressed if you built the HCI stack, otherwise the top speed for SPP is 240kbps. In my tests (Propeller->RN-42->Android) I was able to saturate the Bluetooth link at about 160kbps.
    2. I'm also curious how you are doing the data storage on the Android device. I suppose that will have to wait for the website to come up again, but I can speculate. I've come to the conclusion that the best model is to use a content provider to store and serve the data, and a service (unattached to an activity) to process the Bluetooth link and store it with the content provider.
    3. I see for the I/O the website states "sink/source 40mA max. @ 3.3v, 5v compatible". I think the 5v compatible is a bit misleading, since you need external hardware to make it so (and from the pictures I can't see any). For inputs, you need a series resistor to reduce the current down to the 500uA allowed by the internal protection diode.

    It's an interesting product, and I'm looking forward to taking a look at the open source code once the website comes back up.

    ps: your website seems to be down when I try to go to new pages. I get the following error:
    Fatal error: Call to a member function authorisedLevels() on a non-object in /hermes/bosoraweb174/b1488/nf.controlcapture/public_html/administrator/components/com_kunena/libraries/integration/joomla16/access.php on line 57
    

    And your forums have the following error when I try to go to one of the subforums:
    500 Internal Server Error
    
    Fatal Error was detected!
    
    Please contact the site owner.
    

    Thank you SRLM for your input. Comments below regarding your observations and comments

    1. The specs for the RN-41/42 were taken from Microchip/Roving's data sheet. We have changed the text to correct this, thank you for pointing it out.
    2. Data logging is accomplished on-board and stored in a text file on an SD card, which then can be downloaded via our Android or LabVIEW DEMO applications.
    3. Yes, series resistors were used, changed text to 5-volt DC tolerant.

    Not sure why the website was down at that time, maintenance perhaps; anyway, here is a link for the zip file for the Spin code used in the firmware:
    https://androidaq-demo-enhancement-project.googlecode.com/files/AndroiDAQRev3.zip

    The firmware is fairly simple stuff.

    Thank you for your input,

    Rick
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,066
    I should add my P8XBlade2 to this list.

    Overclocked 96MHz prop, fully decoupled, onboard 3V3 regulator (5V regulated input recommended), selectable transistor reset circuit or bypass it, selectable WE to 64KB EEPROM, microSD socket.
    EEPROM preloaded to boot from microSD card.
    My Propeller OS available for microSD FAT16/32 formatted card, free download.
    Able to use cheap (~$1.25) USB to serial CP2102 6pin instead of PROPPLUG for downloading.
    Size < 0.8"x1.3" ENIG pcb.

    See www.clusos.com
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