about BS2 and TCS230

nio

need help guys..i want to make some final project using TCS230 from parallax.
so i decide to buy a BS2 microcontroller,then i search in internet.i find that there is OEM BS2..what the different with the "usual" BS2?why both prices different?
please someone help me choosing the right basic stamp microcontroller for me.
ouw by the way i'm noob bout this..this is my first touch with basic stamp..
(sorry for bad english)

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Mike Green

The differences between the BS2 and OEM BS2 are physical. The BS2 comes assembled in a 24-pin module using surface mount parts. It's ready to go into your project. The OEM BS2 is a kit of parts including a printed circuit board, uses "through hole" parts, and must be assembled. It's physically much larger than the 24-pin module. OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer" and, in this case, refers to people that want to incorporate the parts of a BS2 into a larger design, possibly modifying the design somewhat to integrate it into the larger product. For example, there's no need for a separate voltage regulator in a device that already has a regulated 5V supply. Some products may not need the parts that provide the interface to the PC serial port, either because they're in a separate "programming adapter" that plugs into the main device or maybe there's a USB interface that's used. Anyway, the OEM BS2 is for people planning such a use and provides a "reference design", an assembly that's known to work just like the BS2 module and, because of the larger "through hole" parts, can easily be used for experimentation and testing where the 24-pin module would be too difficult to use.

nio

thanks it help alot[noparse]:)[/noparse]
now i decide to buy BS module..is there any significance different between BS2 and BS2SX? if i go for BS2SX,then i download a BS2 program on it.can it works well?
or i have to change some part of the program that i write for BS2.i see that the basic stamp editor also different between BS2 and BS2SX..

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Mike Green

The Parallax website has an interactive table to show the comparisons among the different Stamp modules. You can select which modules you want to compare and it will show you the differences side-by-side. Among other things the BS2sx is faster than the BS2. It has more memory for programs and an extra area of memory for data. It has some statements that the BS2 doesn't have.

A few of the statements have timing information that's dependent on the module. For example, there's a Baud constant that varies from model to model. The Stamp Manual has the information on the differences in the chapters on the various statements. The manual also shows how you can use conditional compilation to automatically adjust your program for different models by defining a different set of constants for each model, constants that you use in these timing-dependent statements.

nio

ok..last question from me before buy BS2SX
i have a color demo program for using with TCS230.the extension is .bs i read in an ebook "basic stamp 2p" the extension used for BS2 is different with the one used for BS2SX..
and what's your suggestion about which one should i choose.is it 500lines PBASIC code is more than enough for building a color censor system?

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Mike Green

1) There's a different extension used for each of the Stamp models to help the user keep straight which model the program is written for since there can be differences, mostly in the timing constants. There's also a directive that tells the compiler which model you're using. The compiler can be told to change the directive using a menu selection. Again, the manual goes into details on this.

2) The BS2sx should have more than enough capacity for a color sensor system. You didn't say anything about the user interface. That's usually the most complex and memory intensive part of a system. You can always use additional "slots" (2K memory areas) to handle functional units of your program. There's a nice article on multi-slot programming in the Nuts and Volts Columns series. I think there's also an article on the TCS230. Go to the main Parallax webpage and click on the Resources tab. You'll see a link to the Nuts and Volts Columns index.

3) I'm somewhat biased towards the BS2p/pe/px models. These tend to be more expensive than the others, but they do have additional features. If you don't need the features, then it doesn't matter. If you plan on using a parallel LCD display or a 1-Wire or I2C device, these have I/O statements that make programming for these much easier than for the BS2 or BS2sx.

nio

1) okey i'll read the manual."basic stamp 2p"is that manual,isn't?
2) i just connect TCS230 with BS and then BS wired trought PC.i use VB for software interface using hyperterminal on windows for data transferring
3) no,i'm not using LCD

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Mike Green

The manual I'm referring to is the Parallax Basic Stamp Syntax and Reference Manual (www.parallax.com/tabid/440/Default.aspx)

nio

ok mike..thanks alot.[noparse]:D[/noparse]
you're the man..

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nio

hi guys..need help again.i already bought a -BS2SX based- module.ready to use.
and i try to download a program,color match 10 from paralax, to it. the prob is when i connect it to TCS 230 and run prog,then debug window show "error-white surface too dark".
question is:
1. what is that?i mean why this message always shown up
2. in what way i can test my TCS230 still works well
3. coz i'm not using those parallax edu-board (my device is BS2SX module-connector D.I.Y-DB expander-TCS230),how can i check my connector works properly.i try to add a LED and try to control LED with BS2SX but it doesnt work.
thanks..yes i know bad english,sorry

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nio

does anyone know?

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Chris Savage

I’m sorry I thought your question was answered above, which is why I did not chime in. Please attach the code that you are using (do not paste it into the message) so we may see what may be happening.

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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering

nio

here..i attach the file.
thanks chris

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Chris Savage

nio,

Okay, I see your problem now…your program was written for a BS2, but you are using a BS2sx. The COUNT command used in this program returns different values when running on a BS2sx than when running on a BS2, so the values returned aren’t what the program is expecting to see. If you look in the help file under the COUNT command you will see that for a BS2 each unit in the value relates to 1 mS of time. On the BS2sx each unit relates to 400 uS of time. So you would need to alter the program to work on the BS2sx. I hope this helps. Take care.

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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering

nio

well..okey thanks chris.okey let me get this straight,in BS2 COUNT command valued 1mS and in BS2SX COUNT command valued 400uS so its about 5/2 times of BS2.
i'll try it ASAP.if any further problem may i ask u again.coz i'm new in this parallax stuff.[noparse]:)[/noparse]

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nio

whoa...help guys.need some revelation here

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