propeller vs. basic stamp
JosephMichael
Posts: 11
Is the programming on the propeller similar to basic stamp?
JosephMichael
Posts: 11
Comments
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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer
Parallax, Inc.
Check it out here: http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=25&p=3&m=173975
If you have other programming experience or are receptive to using other than the Basic Stamp language it's fairly straight forward to use Spin. It looks peculiar and daunting at first but it's reasonably easy to get up to speed using just the basics.
Don't get put off by the complexity of programs in Obex; consider them for now as simply illustrations of what a program looks like. It was all WTF ( what's that for ) to me when I started
In terms of the programming process it's very similar to the Basic Stamp. Connect the Propeller up to the PC via USB ( or serial ), launch the Propeller Tool, write your program code and hit the download key.
The Propeller is a very powerful processor and has a rich language to support that, objects, methods ( subroutines and functions ), and multi-processing capabilities. To strat with you don't need to worry about all of that. A program to turn a Led on when a button is pushed can be as simple as ...
PUB Main DIRA[noparse][[/noparse] 1 ] := 1 ' Make P1 an output for Led repeat ' Repeat forever ... if INA[noparse][[/noparse] 0 ] ' If button between P0 and +V is pushed OUTA[noparse][[/noparse] 1 ] := 1 ' Turn Led between P1 and 0V on else ' otherwise OUTA[noparse][[/noparse] 1 ] := 0 ' Turn Led between P1 and 0V offI am 16 years old. i just started programming this semester for our schools robotics team. I used a flow chart like programming software so i am a little slow on actually writing my own programs so if you guys can explain in a little more detail it will be appreciated.
as far as i know basic - compared to SPIN, SPIN is shorter in syntax and therefore a LITTLE bit harder to understand but once you know it it is faster to code.
I don't know basic-stamp-basic at all. My experience with other basic dialects is: it is easy to understand and easy to write spaghetti-code
Spaghetti-code is sourcecode that jumps to all directions and you loose overview quickly. Re-Reading a program after some weeks in spaghetti-code-basic is horrible
and a big time-eater.
The propeller-IDE-syntax forces to format your code very acurately (otherwise your program does NOT work)
SPIN is somehow similar to programming in C (While there are still quite a lot differences between SPIN and C). C/C++ is in industrial standard.
The propeller offers 8 co-processors that CAN work REALLY parallel. For starting your code can use just one coprocessor
For Robotics i guess with the basic stamp you reach the limits sooner than with the propeller. But this depends on how far you wanna get
A simple follow_the_light-robot can be well done with a basic-stamp. A balancing bot needs the power of the propeller
best regards
Stefan
Here are some things that the prop can do but the basic stamps can't
1-Video/VGA output
2-High speed coms - upto 3Mb/s serial to PC and about 12Mb/s serial to another prop
3-Sound processing-have a look at the OpenStomp Coyote-1
It is possible to do some of these using other chips with the basic stamps but the propeller can do it all with a minimum of other components.
How do i calibrate·the propeller for ·joystick·to control·a speed controller?
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I am 16 years old. I just started programming this semester for the schools robotics team. so far we had a few successful programs, but unfortunately the programming software i used is a flow chart-like program. All i had to do was drag and drop and plug in some variables. So explain in detail please.
By the sounds of it you want to do two things.
1. Read the position of a joystick
2. Control a servo
The Servo32 object should look after number 2 very nicely. The RCTime object should look after number 1 if you are using an anologue joystick. Both of these objects have demoes in the demo folder that should show you everything you need.
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I am 16 years old. I just started programming this semester for the schools robotics team. so far we had a few successful programs, but unfortunately the programming software i used is a flow chart-like program. All i had to do was drag and drop and plug in some variables. So explain in detail please.
The long lines connecting all objects in the drawing represent wires.
The circles with arrow/bar in them represent transistors.
The zig-zag lines represent resistors.
The parallel lines crossing the wire lines represent capacitors.
You should look up electronics in wikipedia and do lots of reading.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics
Good luck.
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jazzed·... about·living in·http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Valley
Traffic is slow at times, but Parallax orders·always get here fast 8)
Another good question. As you may know, this diagram is called a schematic. This appears to be a programming schematic for the Propeller. Do you have one of the Propeller kits? Which One? If you are just starting out, and are nervous about working with the electronics portion, then I would recommended a Prop Clip/Plug and skip this circuit. But you budget might be tight and to is another opportunity to learn more.
On to your question. This circuit attaches to your PC DB9 serial port (the left side of the circuit). This "jagged" lines are resistors and there values are labled in ohms (the omega symbol, like 4.7K ohms). The circle with a "totem pole" in them are transistors and there are two different transistors in the circuit, an npn and a pnp,. The symbol with parallel plates is a capacitors and those units are in farads (0.1 uF is micro-farads). I have not been to a Radio Shack in a really long time. My guess is that most of those parts could be bought there and put together on perf board or bread board.
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Timothy D. Swieter
www.brilldea.com·- check out the uOLED-IOC, an I/O expansion for the uOLED-96-PROP
www.tdswieter.com
One little spark of imagination is all it takes for an idea to explode
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I am 16 years old. I just started programming this semester for the schools robotics team. so far we had a few successful programs, but unfortunately the programming software i used is a flow chart-like program. All i had to do was drag and drop and plug in some variables. So explain in detail please.
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Timothy D. Swieter
www.brilldea.com·- check out the uOLED-IOC, an I/O expansion for the uOLED-96-PROP
www.tdswieter.com
One little spark of imagination is all it takes for an idea to explode
You're certainly right to be interested in the Prop. Without a doubt it's the coolest new micro controller to come along, and anyone just beginning their education should probably count on learning to program it someday. However ........
I'm not trying to rain on your parade here, but your remark:
"I am 16 years old. I just started programming ........ unfortunately the programming software i used is a flow chart-like program. All i had to do was drag and drop and plug in some variables"
tells me that you are probably not ready to tackle the Prop yet. One of the main reasons I say this is that all the available literature on the Prop is written for people who already have a good understanding of the more simple devices like the Basic Stamp. The Prop manual would most likely confuse you right from the beginning, and most of (or likely all) the guys in this forum were several years more advanced than you when they first started to read it.
If you first learn PBasic, and use it to have some fun with the stamp, you will be introduced to many programming concepts that are very important to your ability to even get through the Prop manual when you're ready to learn Spin and Assembly.
I suspect that most of your robot projects for school could probably be handled perfectly well with the BS/2, and the real upside to using it in your case, is that there's a wealth of learning material on it that is written for people just like you. What you need are books that are written as student learning guides - like a typical school book. The stuff you can download for free (from this site) on the Basic Stamp is written like this, and provides your best opportunity to learn electronics from the ground up and have fun doing the projects. The prop manual, by comparison, is just a technical reference guide and not what I would call an "educational" book for someone in your shoes.
I'm sure the greater power and speed of the Prop impresses you just as it does everyone else, but to make the most of it there are a lot of things that you need to learn first, considering that you are a 16 year old student who now needs to take the next logical step past that "flow chart-like program" you have been using.
Just one year of Pbasic with the Stamp would do you a lot of good, and the free literature about it will teach you a great deal about fundamental electronics THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, and not just how to program it in Basic.
Be patient ! The Prop will be there when you're ready, and that probably won't be long.
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I am 16 years old. I just started programming this semester for the schools robotics team. so far we had a few successful programs, but unfortunately the programming software i used is a flow chart-like program. All i had to do was drag and drop and plug in some variables. So explain in detail please.
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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer
Parallax, Inc.