Because the PPDB predates the SD card library by a substantial amount of time. Because there where many hurdles to overcome in it's long development cycle, the decision was made·not to have product creep delay it further.
william chan said...
Why is a SD card holder missing from the PPDB?
Not to mention most of the SD Card Readers are available in a small form-factor with a SIP header which will connect right onto the breadboard very easily.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Engineering
This probably gets filed under "Stuff everyone else already knew", but
it has taken me a couple days to wrap my brain around what would be
required to display two different numbers at the same time
on the LED display on the PPDB.
If you've never done this, try to do it with without looking at this code..
Finally, it dawned on me.. sheesh..
Bet all of you already knew how to do this.. Just smile and wave..
Not sure what the demand for this will be, but I've started my own
"PEkit type" text for the PPDB. This one will be published through lulu.
The book will be 101 COOL PROJECTS FOR THE PPDB.
It will start out with the basics and use the items on the PPDB.
Here's the first three lesson programs...
Should there be any doubt, this board is the perfect tool for learning
the Propeller. In the last week of playing with it, it's design has forced
me to learn the some of the basics I blew by..
Breadboards SUCK. I have been screwed over on breadboard failure SO many times, and you will wear them out. It usually only takes me a week, being gentle. Plus using 7 segment leds is like so 80's dude.
The board would be cool if the FTDI chip was a usb HOST vinculum, but I dont think thats the case. Its really only 5$ more, and you get to host!
Get some protoboards, some swiss machine pins and some 22 gauge jumpers, that will last twice as long.
More expensive, but you can build yourself probably like 4 protoboards with 3 rows of swiss pins on all of the active locations on the board. That is where its at
Ive even had brand new breadboards fail, first use, technically non-defective, using 741's dip8.
The thought of breadboard failure has crossed my mind... It appears to be a
standard size and shouldn't be that difficult to replace. Perhaps we can even
convince Parallax to stock it. (If they don't already)
I'm also very keen on the Protoboard, but the PPDB provides a very "non-threating" way
for someone who has never done anything with electronics to get started.
Now, if they could just find a way to bring the price down to sub-$100 to allow more
participants a place to get started.
Oldbitcollector said...
Started hooking up the LCD across P0-P5. Looks like it ships with a little test program on the EEPROM.
My segments are turning on and off in an intelligent order. (I haven't overwrote the EEPROM yet)
OBC
Has anyone from Parallax yet come forth with a comment on "it ships with a little test program on the EEPROM?" Or did they just forget to clear your EEPROM before it shipped? Interested users would like a copy if it exists. Maybe I can then reverse engineer a test jig! Unfortunately, I cleared mine before I remembered your comment about this possible "bonus!"
Is it just the 10's digit of the hours. If yes, its because it is lit for longer than the other digits. You could subtract cnt between before readtime to before the first digit and subtract that from 100000 and use that for the delay for the delay after the last digit. Then all digits will be lit for hte same time period.
That works as well, the other thing you could do, is not read the time everytime round the loop, since seconds will only change every 133 times round the loop.
I was not aware of such a program shipping on the EEPROM. I will inquire about it tomorrow though.
Thanks, Chris....for all of us! Hopefully, someone unpacking a new PPDB will be able to dump their EEPROM to their host before they destroy what may be there, like I stupidly did. Then we can see if your burn-in folks maybe left something behind. I almost replaced that original 24LC256 with a preloaded one, but I found my USB upload cable and blindly bulled forward!
Okay, so here’s the deal…yes, there was apparently some residual code on a few of the first batch of 100 that we got in. As Ken Gracey mentioned in another thread we go to great lengths to ensure quality in the displays and the engineers at our manufacturing facility decided to write some code to test them. That is the code that was on the boards a few customers got. It was designed to ensure quality and consistency in the displays. There are actually 3 objects…one tests the switches/buttons and LEDs, another tests the 16-segment displays and the final one checks the servo headers using an external LED strip that plugs into it. These are additional steps added to those originally defined in the test procedure, so as Ken was saying, we are putting a lot of effort into this product. We hope our customers appreciate it. I will see if I can run the code tomorrow and see exactly what it is doing and report back. Take care.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Engineering
Chris Savage (Parallax) said...
Okay, so here’s the deal…yes, there was apparently some residual code on a few of the first batch of 100 that we got in. As Ken Gracey mentioned in another thread we go to great lengths to ensure quality in the displays and the engineers at our manufacturing facility decided to write some code to test them. That is the code that was on the boards a few customers got. It was designed to ensure quality and consistency in the displays. There are actually 3 objects…one tests the switches/buttons and LEDs, another tests the 16-segment displays and the final one checks the servo headers using an external LED strip that plugs into it. These are additional steps added to those originally defined in the test procedure, so as Ken was saying, we are putting a lot of effort into this product. We hope our customers appreciate it. I will see if I can run the code tomorrow and see exactly what it is doing and report back. Take care.
Thanks, Chris!
Having at one time worked in System Configuration and Test as well as Quality Control at Dell, I knew you all probably loaded up some software to exercise the boards before they were shipped. I recall a similar situation there, which at first caused a bit of a stir, until it was determined that nothing proprietary had been compromised or inadvertently released!
Might be something Jeff (OBC) could add to his "Propeller Theme Park Handbook!"
The code for the 16-segment displays simply enables each segment, one at a time and then strobes them all before starting over. Since each digit lines is connected to VSS during the test, all 6 displays are affected at the same time allowing the QA technician to see first if any segment does not light and then relative brightness across the board. It’s really very BASIC and simple. Unfortunately there’s no way to know which of the three test programs is on the EEPROM when you got the PPDB and future boards will have made sure to be erased before shipping.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Engineering
Oldbitcollector said...
I've been dying to do this program since I got my PPDB.
Digital Clock: using the LEDs and the DS1302
Wiring schematic in the CON
Not sure why my hours digit is so much brighter, anyone running this please report.
Edit: @liljoentx found little issue with the wiring description. Fixed! thanks lil'Joe!
OBC
Noticed an interesting situation when I turned out the lights to watch Navy try to come back against Ball St. The Right Digit 1 is echoed dimly by Left Digit 3, while the Right Digit 2 is also dimly echoed by Left Digit 1 and the Right Digit 3 is dimly echoed in Left Digit 2. I don't think it's crosstalk in my wiring, but if it is this, could be a real issue with more critical circuits.
Oldbitcollector said...
I need to find a more "exact" setting for the timing, it's a persistence of vision issue.
Only one digit is actually on at a time..
OBC
Noticed that when I took some pictures of my wiring and there were blank displays!
Now where is that silly USB6 cable? What ever happened to standardization?
Wow! I had no idea how lucky I was to get one of these PPDB's. There were only 100?? I had been checking the home page for months to see when it would be available and logged on to find that only three were left. I fumbled for a credit card as fast as I could and snagged one. After letting it sit for several days, I finally have a free day to test it out. I must be the only guy who got one who hasn't plugged it in yet.
Thanks Oldbitcollector, for the code I just downloaded to try it out with.
There was a mix up on the job order, and the order for 1k inadvertantly was switched to 100. The remaining 900 is being manufactured and will get here as soon they can be made and tested.
I got caught by that too. It would be nice to label the headers on the PPDB schematic with the appropriate pin numbers for the library objects. So the VGA header on the schematic would be labeled with BP (base Pin), BP+1, BP+2 etc. Either that or put some comments into the library objects that clearly specify the pin assignments using the same terminology that is on the PPDB board. It took me a while looking very carefully at the Protoboard and PPDB schematics to figure out why my VGA was not working. Ditto (in spades - the protoboard does not have a TV connection to study) for the TV connections and probably some of the other stuff on the PPDB that I have not messed with yet.
I guess I should be lucky that I grabbed one of these boards when I did!
I've been playing with mine when I've had days off from work. I guess you all beat me to the punch, I've been working on the 6-segment displays and clock chip to have a simple clock.
I guess I really need to get back into serious electronics since I finished my degree!
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
while alive = 1
wakeup
program(propeller)
eat(3)
sleep(7)
Comments
Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer
Parallax, Inc.
Post Edited (Paul Baker (Parallax)) : 8/29/2008 6:18:49 PM GMT
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
it has taken me a couple days to wrap my brain around what would be
required to display two different numbers at the same time
on the LED display on the PPDB.
If you've never done this, try to do it with without looking at this code..
Finally, it dawned on me.. sheesh..
Bet all of you already knew how to do this.. Just smile and wave..
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
"PEkit type" text for the PPDB. This one will be published through lulu.
The book will be 101 COOL PROJECTS FOR THE PPDB.
It will start out with the basics and use the items on the PPDB.
Here's the first three lesson programs...
Should there be any doubt, this board is the perfect tool for learning
the Propeller. In the last week of playing with it, it's design has forced
me to learn the some of the basics I blew by..
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
The board would be cool if the FTDI chip was a usb HOST vinculum, but I dont think thats the case. Its really only 5$ more, and you get to host!
Get some protoboards, some swiss machine pins and some 22 gauge jumpers, that will last twice as long.
More expensive, but you can build yourself probably like 4 protoboards with 3 rows of swiss pins on all of the active locations on the board. That is where its at
Ive even had brand new breadboards fail, first use, technically non-defective, using 741's dip8.
standard size and shouldn't be that difficult to replace. Perhaps we can even
convince Parallax to stock it. (If they don't already)
I'm also very keen on the Protoboard, but the PPDB provides a very "non-threating" way
for someone who has never done anything with electronics to get started.
Now, if they could just find a way to bring the price down to sub-$100 to allow more
participants a place to get started.
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
Lil'Joe
I was not aware of such a program shipping on the EEPROM. I will inquire about it tomorrow though.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
Digital Clock: using the LEDs and the DS1302
Wiring schematic in the CON
Not sure why my hours digit is so much brighter, anyone running this please report.
Edit: @liljoentx found little issue with the wiring description. Fixed! thanks lil'Joe!
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
Post Edited (Oldbitcollector) : 9/5/2008 2:50:22 PM GMT
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
Thanks, Chris....for all of us! Hopefully, someone unpacking a new PPDB will be able to dump their EEPROM to their host before they destroy what may be there, like I stupidly did. Then we can see if your burn-in folks maybe left something behind. I almost replaced that original 24LC256 with a preloaded one, but I found my USB upload cable and blindly bulled forward!
You all do burn these boards in, don't you?
Lil'Joe
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
Thanks, Chris!
Having at one time worked in System Configuration and Test as well as Quality Control at Dell, I knew you all probably loaded up some software to exercise the boards before they were shipped. I recall a similar situation there, which at first caused a bit of a stir, until it was determined that nothing proprietary had been compromised or inadvertently released!
Might be something Jeff (OBC) could add to his "Propeller Theme Park Handbook!"
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
Noticed an interesting situation when I turned out the lights to watch Navy try to come back against Ball St. The Right Digit 1 is echoed dimly by Left Digit 3, while the Right Digit 2 is also dimly echoed by Left Digit 1 and the Right Digit 3 is dimly echoed in Left Digit 2. I don't think it's crosstalk in my wiring, but if it is this, could be a real issue with more critical circuits.
Lil'Joe
Hey, Navy just scored....23-21! Kewl
Only one digit is actually on at a time..
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
Noticed that when I took some pictures of my wiring and there were blank displays!
Now where is that silly USB6 cable? What ever happened to standardization?
Lil'Joe
Did that migrate from another electronics item or did you source that somewhere?
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
Parallax Item Code: 805-00011 for the 10 inch cable - $1.99
······························· -00012 for the 14 inch cable - $2.50
Each comes with a 3 pin male to male header:
http://www.parallax.com/Store/Accessories/CablesConverters/tabid/166/CategoryID/40/List/0/Level/a/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName
I got a bunch of them for use with the Proto boards I have rigged out.
Enjoy!·
Lil'Joe
Thanks
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
Thanks Oldbitcollector, for the code I just downloaded to try it out with.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer
Parallax, Inc.
Here's a design question regarding the VGA head on the PPDB...
Why did the x1 {240ohm resistors} get placed before the x0 {470ohm resistors} ones?
The hookup for the VGA head on the PPDB falls out like this..
V = P16
H = P17
B1 {240ohm} = P19
B0 {470ohm} = P18
G1 {240ohm} = P21
G0 {470ohm} = P20
R1 {240ohm} = P23
R0 {470ohm} = P22
Each of the RGB connection crosses over. Wouldn't have been easier to place them as follows?
V = P16
H = P17
B0 = P18
B1 = P19
G0 = P20
G1 = P21
R0 = P22
R1 = P23
There must have been a design consideration that isn't obvoius to me? [noparse]:)[/noparse]
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
I've been playing with mine when I've had days off from work. I guess you all beat me to the punch, I've been working on the 6-segment displays and clock chip to have a simple clock.
I guess I really need to get back into serious electronics since I finished my degree!
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
while alive = 1
wakeup
program(propeller)
eat(3)
sleep(7)
You'll need the Parallax GPS module & the Parallax 4-line Serial Display
Also cool if you've already created a battery adapter for your PPDB.
Enjoy.. I'm going outside to do some geocaching. [noparse]:)[/noparse]
OBC
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
New to the Propeller?
Getting started with a Propeller Protoboard?
Check out: Introduction to the Proboard & Propeller Cookbook 1.4
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
Post Edited (Oldbitcollector) : 9/14/2008 7:57:21 PM GMT