Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Hello from the newest member! — Parallax Forums

Hello from the newest member!

RubrChickenRubrChicken Posts: 39
edited 2009-01-07 01:01 in Propeller 1
Hi everyone!

Well, I'm new to the propeller world. Actually, I'm still waiting for it to be shipped. I have it from a reliable source (hi ken!) that it will be shipped tomarrow (Monday the 5th). I have a BS2 (no letters after) on a BOE-bot, but imnow upgrading to top of the line! I'm getting two of the actual chips, a RFID tag demo kit, the transponder set, a few ping)))s, and some assorted other junk. I think I'm also getting an accelerometer. I have a few ideas for projects:

•Make it communicate with a BOE-bot with the wireless transmitter, and drive the BOE-bot around
•Put it in my easy star (a type of big slow RC plane) and have it fly
•Put it in a 1984 Light Blue Toyota Tercel (the BEST CAR EVER) and make it control throttle for me

Obviously, none of these are my first project. I'm just going to try to get prop to prop communication first.

Comments

  • PhilldapillPhilldapill Posts: 1,283
    edited 2009-01-05 07:37
    Welcome! And wow - you sure are hitting the ground running with all that stuff! The forum is a great place to learn and get started in. I'm not one of the "experts" on here by any means, but there are lots of people who have helped me along the way, and I'm sure would be glad to help you, too!
  • AleAle Posts: 2,363
    edited 2009-01-05 08:27
    Welcome to the wooooorld of propelleeeer smile.gif (I love futurama).
    Have fun with the prop. I'd recommend you get aquinted with the development tools and with the different debuggers around and with our great propeller wiki @ propeller.wikispaces.org.
  • BaggersBaggers Posts: 3,019
    edited 2009-01-05 09:51
    Welcome RubrChicken, I'm sure you'll really enjoy the chip, and the forum, this is THE nicest forum I've ever been on, with some of the best friendliest most helpful people on. [noparse]:D[/noparse]
    have fun! I know you will [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    http://www.propgfx.co.uk/forum/·home of the PropGFX Lite

    ·
  • science_geekscience_geek Posts: 247
    edited 2009-01-05 13:45
    Baggers said...
    ·this is THE nicest forum I've ever been on, with some of the best friendliest most helpful people on. [noparse]:D[/noparse]



    got that right, and welcome, if you need help drop us a post, even if it is seemingly a stupid question, we all have had some of those
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2009-01-05 14:27
    Hi RubrChicken!

    Welcome to the Propeller.. be sure and keep us up dated on your progress!

    OBC

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    New to the Propeller?

    Check out: Protoboard Introduction , Propeller Cookbook 1.4 & Software Index
    Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
    Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
  • rjo_rjo_ Posts: 1,825
    edited 2009-01-06 05:54
    RubrChicken

    Welcome aboard... you will never be bored again... and you will never make a better choice.

    If you are looking for a really fun project that has lots of uses... look into using infra-red to drive your bot around... not the most general or common solution... but as a way of getting into the prop and getting something working right out of the box with some really great objects and tutorials you can't beat the infra-red stuff. It is fun and very instructive...and you can use either a TV remote or generate the signals with a Prop.

    The accelerometer is spectacular... but you have to temperature compensate it to get reliable results in the direct measurements and in the first derivatives.

    I personally think that the accelerometer is so sensitive to temperature that it could be used as a very good thermometer...but I haven't actually proved the point... maybe you will[noparse]:)[/noparse]

    You would think that the Ping is a no-brainer... it isn't. Leave that go until you have some good experience with your Prop.

    You didn't mention GPS... that means that you are more interested in having your car go fast than knowing exactly where it is... this indicates that you are probably too young to have driving children... you are one lucky rubrchicken... enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

    Rich
  • RubrChickenRubrChicken Posts: 39
    edited 2009-01-06 06:17
    @rjo_ Actually, I have yet to drive myself...but when I do, it'll be a nitrous injected 1984 toyota tercel, with a prop onboard! I didn't mention GPS because Ken told me to get what I have working, then worry about the fancy stuff. I actually have the temperature sensor he used in his "noob project". I just got my ping working with my stamp, programmed in pbasic. It backs up if you get closer to 10cm, it's a scardey robot. I have a few of those three lead I'd sensors lying around, and probably some I'd LEDs. I keep thinking about freqout and pulsein... I've gotta start on spin.

    @everyone I don't really know spin yet, I have learned a little of:java, c++, perl, pbasic, logo :-(, and some web stuff (which doesn't count) I've been reading my way through the 438 pages of manual that come with the prop, I'm not very far into programming it yet.
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2009-01-06 06:32
    Relax, have fun and enjoy!

    Glad you made it here.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Propeller Wiki: Share the coolness!
    Chat in real time with other Propellerheads on IRC #propeller @ freenode.net
    Safety Tip: Life is as good as YOU think it is!
  • rjo_rjo_ Posts: 1,825
    edited 2009-01-06 07:06
    RubrChicken,

    Trust me, you will learn Spin just by looking at the objects that support your devices...

    PASM... propeller assembly is not so simple and is really worthy of serious study...

    GPS is really easy... you just need to know how to hook it up and where to look for the right object...the last time I looked the most useful object wasn't in the OBEX. One thing I really like is that the GPS is practically impossible to destroy.

    About the accelerometer... I got busy on other things and never actually got to the point of temperature compensating the data...One potential problem that worried me is that you actually need to compensate for the temperature of the accelerometer ... which might be related to the surrounding temperature in a nice way and might not be... so you might actually need to hook up a heat sink to the chip and measure the temperature of that using a thermocouple... I don't really know... it is just what I was thinking when I moved on to another project... but I am still very interested.

    When you get everything hooked up and the software working, you need to plot your temperature readings vs the accelerometer readings when nothing is moving... If you get a straight line or a smooth curve, then you have a reliable accelerometer set up, which will be good enough for your car... you will also have a gravity driven thermometer!!!

    You might want to make note of the barometric pressure too... if it is sensitive to temperature then it might be slightly sensitive to the barometric pressure too!!!

    Be thorough...look at various rates of change in the room temperature... make a whole bunch of different plots and if they all give you the same straight or curved line... you are in business. If not... then you need to glue your thermometer to your accelerometer... or attach a thermocouple and possibly a heat sink. You will need to reconfirm your understanding when you get your entire circuit built... because the currents traveling around and through your accelerometer might change, depending upon what else you hook up and how you are powering everything...

    Please let us know how you are doing.

    Rich

    "Every journey starts with a single step... " You are headed in the right direction.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,387
    edited 2009-01-06 07:11
    Welcome aboard RubrChicken! Your delivery is going out on Tuesday instead of today. That's because our sales and shipping were busy with paying customers, and I told them you could wait a day. You'll have it on Wednesday.

    To all, thanks for supporting our latest member, RubrChicken. This is all new for him as he noted, but he'll put our efforts to good use and and help us restore confidence in America's text-messaging, video-gaming youth. He's too young to drive the family Tercel, but he's got the ability and support to turn it into a robo-car. Considering the peer pressure from his Arduino-pushing friends I felt it was very appropriate to introduce him to the Propeller.

    Ken Gracey
    Parallax, Inc.
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2009-01-06 15:21
    @Ken,

    He'll soon understand that Arduino is for people with low expectations.. [noparse]:)[/noparse]


    OBC

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    New to the Propeller?

    Check out: Protoboard Introduction , Propeller Cookbook 1.4 & Software Index
    Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
    Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
  • RubrChickenRubrChicken Posts: 39
    edited 2009-01-06 15:39
    @OBC I really have to get my friend with one I read that...

    @rjo_ Ill hook up my 1620 (or something) and the accelerometer to the same block of copper and get temperature readings as I don't move anything.

    And apparently I'll have to wait another day... It's like torture!
  • rjo_rjo_ Posts: 1,825
    edited 2009-01-06 20:59
    How ever much you anticipate it and think that the Prop is going to be great... it is even better[noparse]:)[/noparse]
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2009-01-06 22:23
    So true.. The Propeller is one of those things that is actually better than you expect.

    OBC

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    New to the Propeller?

    Check out: Protoboard Introduction , Propeller Cookbook 1.4 & Software Index
    Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
    Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
  • PhilldapillPhilldapill Posts: 1,283
    edited 2009-01-06 23:12
    Ditto. I'm always finding a new unique use for the propeller.
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2009-01-06 23:26
    Double Ditto.

    Hey, that's a marketing slogan! "Propeller Technology from Parallax --It's always cooler than you think it is! --Always."

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Propeller Wiki: Share the coolness!
    Chat in real time with other Propellerheads on IRC #propeller @ freenode.net
    Safety Tip: Life is as good as YOU think it is!
  • RubrChickenRubrChicken Posts: 39
    edited 2009-01-07 01:01
    Hmmm... Ken, you'll have to tell your marketing people about that slogan. I guess it's another day to bother my friend with the arduino :-P
Sign In or Register to comment.