Question about whether to buy the Educational Kit or the Hydra Kit
SamMishal
Posts: 468
Hi All,
I know nothing
about the Propeller chip or the Hydra system and I want to learn about it.
My question is if I buy the Hydra Kit would I be able to use it to do the learning about the
propeller or would I be better off buying the Propeller Educational kit?
I want to get into the Hydra eventually, so I want to save money and buy the Hydra
kit instead of the Educational kit then the Hydra kit.
My concern is that the Hydra may not be suitable for learning about the propeller.
My idea is to buy the hydra and download the education kit's manual and do the
learning using the Hydra kit, then when I know more about the propeller proceed with
the Hydra aspect..... can I do this???
I am new to the propeller not programming or microcontrollers I am experienced in both
aspects and wish to experience the propeller since it seems like a GREAT IDEA and
the multi processor aspect of it intrigues me.
This brings me to my second question.....Am I right in assuming that the Propeller
chip is a multiprocessor chip? Can it do parallel tasking? for example can I have one
Cog monitoring a quadrature system, writing its data to the ram, while another Cog
can be doing PWM control based on data in another area of the RAM and a third Cog
doing coordination of the two????? That would be REVOLUTIONARY·if true.......
Regards
Samuel
Post Edited (SamMishal) : 9/10/2008 11:26:55 AM GMT
I know nothing
about the Propeller chip or the Hydra system and I want to learn about it.My question is if I buy the Hydra Kit would I be able to use it to do the learning about the
propeller or would I be better off buying the Propeller Educational kit?
I want to get into the Hydra eventually, so I want to save money and buy the Hydra
kit instead of the Educational kit then the Hydra kit.
My concern is that the Hydra may not be suitable for learning about the propeller.
My idea is to buy the hydra and download the education kit's manual and do the
learning using the Hydra kit, then when I know more about the propeller proceed with
the Hydra aspect..... can I do this???
I am new to the propeller not programming or microcontrollers I am experienced in both
aspects and wish to experience the propeller since it seems like a GREAT IDEA and
the multi processor aspect of it intrigues me.
This brings me to my second question.....Am I right in assuming that the Propeller
chip is a multiprocessor chip? Can it do parallel tasking? for example can I have one
Cog monitoring a quadrature system, writing its data to the ram, while another Cog
can be doing PWM control based on data in another area of the RAM and a third Cog
doing coordination of the two????? That would be REVOLUTIONARY·if true.......
Regards
Samuel
Post Edited (SamMishal) : 9/10/2008 11:26:55 AM GMT
Comments
As for your last set of questions, yes you could have cogs doing different things like that.
Combined with the book the hydra will provide an excellent start in programing from basic to advanced including assembly and video. The hardware side on the other hand is all taken care of.
The education chip will take you through the basics into some interesting applications and you will be building and rebuilding the hardware.
Basically there is no wrong answer, if you buy the education kit and then the Hydra the money will not be wasted, you will end up with a lot of useful parts if nothing else, the same goes the other way.
Graham
I made the mistake of not ordering the Hydra early along the way. Not because of the hardware, which is really well done, but because of the book...
I constantly see questions posted here, which are directly answered in the book and eventually get answered completely in the forum, but frequently in multiple posts over several days. This is both good and bad. The good part is that you almost always learn something in addition to what you were asking about. The guys seem to have ESP and not only answer your question, but give you something quite pertinent to think about in addition to what you asked. The bad part is that when you post a question and get an answer, which is already available in Andre Lamothe's book, you use your valuable time waiting for an answer and then not having the information that surrounds that answer in the book.
You can do all of the education labs... with very few changes,,, using the Hydra... but I wouldn't. I would order both. The education kit gives you a nice large breadboard for experimenting and lots of spare parts to work with.
If money is a huge issue, order the education kit and book and wait on the Hydra hardware... if there is any way to do it all in the beginning, that is definitely the way to go.
Rich
I guess I will order both then....but one more question if you don't mind...
I read in this forum that there is going to be Propeller II coming out
is this true? when? will it be maybe worth it to wait on the Hydra until
version II comes out? Since it looks to me like the Hydra has a soldered
version of the chip and thus a whole new board will have to be replaced.
(I guess this makes it three and half questions not one...
Actually one more question....oops..
Why is there two different versions of the labs for the educational kit?
Is there really that much difference between the 40 pin dip and the
PropStick version.... I know that the latter has the crystal and
serial comms and the power suply on board BUT why would there be
a difference in the labs if the I/O pins are all the same and the programs
are the same?
If there is a difference which version would be better...not concerned
about the price difference.
(notice I put fullstops after the additional questions so they are not really
questions....
Regards
Sam
·
The Hydra uses the 40-pin DIP socketed version of the Propeller.
Notice that there are two versions of the PEK Labs for Packaging, Setup, and Parts List because the parts are different. The Labs for everything else have only one version.
Post Edited (Mike Green) : 9/10/2008 1:51:31 PM GMT
I was not sure which forum would be best.....and I really needed
opinions....Sorry.
see the Hydra forum...no?
Sam
Yes there is going to be a PropII, there is no firm date, ball park guesses posted on the forum are anywhere from 6 months at the earliest to a year or so.
Don't wait. You can start being productive the day you get your Prop, but getting your head around the entire system takes a while. My goal in ordering my PropI system was to get myself ready for the PropII... there is still enough time for this approach to work.
If money is not a real limiting factor... then you should consider some of the other boards ... First, the Professional development board from Parallax. Second, I am never where my stuff is... That's fine for reading but for doing stuff with the Prop it is a pain in the neck. Hittconsulting (aka Bean) has a nice mini board that plugs into your USB port, has a breadboard and requires no external power... for working "on the go," you can't beat it. ented and is a treasure trove of information HittConsulting also has an overlay board, which makes integration of things like GPS a snap and the board is completely documented. I particularly admire the integration, explanation and coding of a chip for syncing to an external video signal...which chip could give rise to any number of Prop applications.
Plan to destroy the first board you work with... so that should be a Proto board... the $19 variety. Order a couple of them, they are really handy and you can build them out to any level of hardware you want.
About the education kits... the main difference is the use of a Prop plug and the added circuitry that you need to build...
I encourage you to get that flavor of the kit, because then you can use your Prop Plug for the inexpensive ProtoBoards....
Remember... once you program your Prop... you set it free... you aren't tied forever to your computer, so which interface you use for programming is largely an economic issue... if you buy one Prop Plug (which comes with the education kit) you save yourself money every time you buy a cheap Proto board... I started with about a half a dozen and I'm down to my last two[noparse]:)[/noparse]
Working with the available sensors is a great way to extend your knowledge... they all have great objects in the OBEX and there is something slightly different to learn from each of them. Since you never know which one will seem most interesting next, it is best to just buy all of them at one time. You are going to want them... probably multiple copies of each; So, you might as well put them into your budget up front.
Welcome aboard.
Rich
The Professional Development Board is a good choice for someone who would rather not solder
to get started, and it has all 98% of the typical hardware requirements that most people want
right away with their Propeller setup. (You can purchase an SD interface from uController.com)
The Educational/PEkit setups are much like the above, only fewer items, etc but handy for
quick hardware play without a soldering iron required.
The Hydra is a ready-to-go configuration geared toward learning programming/games.
You can do a little hardware experimentation with blank plug-in cards. (Requires a little soldering)
Protoboards, blank boards with a Propeller chip, are perfect if you are handy with a soldering gun
or have the desire to learn. They have all of the requirements for power regulation, propeller chip,
and EEPROM, waiting for you to add components at your hearts content. (Take a look at the Cookbook
link below for examples.)
I have the PPDB and several Protoboards. I'm extremely pleased with these items, and highly
recommend them, but you can't go wrong with any board that has a Propeller chip attached. [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
Please post a topic when posting if you would it would help those who can help you.
I would consider the pro development board. You can add part kits to it and books to learn all about the hard ware of the propeller chip. When you have what you need built up in what you know about it. You can then even build the hydra out of that board adding the items you wish as you learn the spin programing language. Programing the Hydra is about know the hard ware and what it can do. It is a tool to learn how to be in the know of the points of strength of the hardware to cut down on coding. That would be the way to go if your funding is available.
Badger
We created two versions of the PE Kit for the following reasons:
1. the DIP Plus kit allows for inexpensive replacement of the Propeller chip, EEPROM, and other core components which is an advantage for students who might make wiring mistakes which could damage the parts. However, it does take longer to build up and test the core circuitry (the "PE Platform") before moving on to the experiments. As another poster pointed out, the Prop Plug that comes with this kit can also be used with the inexpensive Propeller Proto Boards for when you are ready to make dedicated projects.
2. The PropStick USB version of the kit was created to reduce wiring time for the PE Platform circuit. Not every lab class or seminar has the time for tight-wiring and troubleshooting the core circuit. We use this kit for our short seminars for that reason. Also, teachers sometimes purchase this kit for evaluation, and recommend the DIP version for their students.
Just FYI, if you want to have the option of working with graphics, keyboards, mice, etc. inexpensively, we have both PS/2 and RCA adapters designed to plug into the PE Kit breadboards, they are about $4.99 each. There are more PE Kit labs in the works, and there are example programs and wiring diagrams for using these adapters with the PE Kits.
Of course, the HYDRA kit does all that well, includes the keyboard, mouse, and gamepad, and there is no substitute for the 800 page manual and CD that comes with it. If you are going to be heavily interested in game physics, I/O drivers, and the nitty gritty of graphics generation and animation, that is the book to go with.
Whatever you choose, I'm sure you will have fun, and the great folks on the forum will help along the way.
-Stephanie Lindsay,
Editor, Parallax Inc.
Thanks a lot for all the responses...They were of great help
I have decided to buy the Hydra (+SD) and the PEK 40 DIP.
I congratulate Parallax on their REVOLUTIONARY microcontroller.
I think it is a GREAT product and as usual great support and
PROFESSIONAL manufacturing.....
I think the Propeller chip will be a very influential product.
I am going to work with it a lot so as to maybe incorporate·it
in a book I am working on....I love the multiporcessor concept and
think it opens the door for quite a new paradigm of microcontroller
applications.........WELL DONE PARALLAX...when will be able to buy
shares in the company....
Samuel