Is this all I need to get going?

ROBSCIX

Hey Guys, I will be taking the plunge to SX land in the next few days.
THis is my basic order form parallax and I want to ask if I am forgetting anything?

1. SX 48 Proto Board
2. 7.5 1amp DC power supply
3. 4mhz crystal
4. 50 mhz crystal
5. SX key

Do I get the serial cable etc with the Key?

Besides discrete components for projects etc.··Can I get going with this list?
I need to know if I am missing anything as I have never ordered from here before.
As always thx for the help guys.

RobotWorkshop

Hello,

When I ordered my SX-Key it just came by itself and I had to use s serial cable that I already had on hand. If you are buying everything individually then I think you'll need to add that Serial cable as well. If you get one of the Starter kits for the SX then that cable may already be included.

julienj

If you don't have your heart set on the SX48, then I might suggest forking out the little extra cash to buy a programming kit. The kits get you everything you need to get your feet wet. From there, the only things that you should need to buy are more proto boards, as a SX-Key comes in the kit. For someone just getting started, the documentation that comes in the kit is priceless.

But you are on the right track if you're one that likes to dive in head first with the trial and error method. (And no, the SX-Key does not come with a cable, parallax sells them separately. Possibly a USB adapter as well.)

Hope that helps,
julienj

Sparks-R-Fun

As has been said, the SX-Key does not come with a serial cable when ordered separately.

I recommend picking up either another protoboard or some spare SX chips. I recommend this simply because I think it is likely that you will want to explore different concepts without having to tear apart your protoboard each time. It is mainly meant for quick, simple, one-time projects. For learning the SX I highly recommend using something with a breadboard so you can easily build and tear down circuits as you learn.

For this reason I second what julienj wrote. The SX Tech Tool Kit PLUS presents a great value for learning the SX!

Sparks

Shawn Lowe

I agree. I bought the SX tool kit plus, and it has been good to me! But, if money is a big issue, you can get by with what you have ( good choice on the key and not the blitz, by the way !)

When you get your stuff, check out the nuts and volts articles written by Jon Willliams to get up to speed! And the best sx threads posts!

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Shawn Lowe


Maybe I should have waited to do that......

ROBSCIX

Thx guys. Help is appreciated. Can't you download all of the print manuals that comes with the kits? Price is a concern to some extent·and I really want to start with the SX48 as it has the most power...
If I am gonna lose alot of extras however,·I may just go with one of the Pre-made kits.

As for the key, I decided this is the best option and it is highly recommeded by the forum members.·The blitz is only 20 bucks cheaper but I have programmed in the past and when your debugging every tool helps.·

Post Edited (ROBSCIX) : 1/3/2008 12:22:26 AM GMT

julienj

You are right. The SX-Key Manual is free for download from Parallax's site, but Gunther Daubach's book, Programming the SX Microcontroller, is not free. I would have to say that if you feel comfortable enough to just jump right in, go with your SX48. That's how I got my start.

Be aware too, the programming kits offered by Parallax do not come with a power supply and must be ordered separate.