What to buy as a newbie?
HollyMinkowski
Posts: 1,398
I have looked over the specs of the propeller and the spin and asm languages and have decided
to take the plunge so I need to buy some supplies. I'm not a beginner with programming controllers
having used asm and C on PIC and AVR...so given that what would you buy if you were just starting
out with the propeller? I'm considering the following list.
1 prop plug programmer
3 dip propeller chips
10 of the 5mh xtals (I have 10mhz xtals but the data sheet says 8mhz is max, have you guys had good luck with 10mhz xtals?)
10 32kb eeproms
ViewPort Standard
I'm going to order some kbrd and vga extension cables from China via ebay and just cut off the end and
connect directly to my test boards, this is cheaper than getting the sockets.
I have a bunch of 40pin zif sockets and I plan to use them to make moving the prop chips from board to
board easier. (40 pin zifs are 1.25 delivered from china..what a bargain)
I already have lots of standard parts like LEDs, pots, caps, diodes, resistors, transistors, optocouplers..etc so I
won't need more of them.
So, is there anything else you guys can think of that I should consider buying as a prop chip newbie???
to take the plunge so I need to buy some supplies. I'm not a beginner with programming controllers
having used asm and C on PIC and AVR...so given that what would you buy if you were just starting
out with the propeller? I'm considering the following list.
1 prop plug programmer
3 dip propeller chips
10 of the 5mh xtals (I have 10mhz xtals but the data sheet says 8mhz is max, have you guys had good luck with 10mhz xtals?)
10 32kb eeproms
ViewPort Standard
I'm going to order some kbrd and vga extension cables from China via ebay and just cut off the end and
connect directly to my test boards, this is cheaper than getting the sockets.
I have a bunch of 40pin zif sockets and I plan to use them to make moving the prop chips from board to
board easier. (40 pin zifs are 1.25 delivered from china..what a bargain)
I already have lots of standard parts like LEDs, pots, caps, diodes, resistors, transistors, optocouplers..etc so I
won't need more of them.
So, is there anything else you guys can think of that I should consider buying as a prop chip newbie???
Comments
I also reconmend checking out.
http://ucontroller.com/index_pro1.html
They also sell good starter boards.
---
As for software you can either buy view port for spin or the ICCV7 compilier for C. Take you pick.
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Nyamekye,
Loads of great looking stuff there
The C compiler is a bit expensive for the propeller, I'm used to free tools like the
gcc compiler for ARM and AVR...but I am going to try out the demo of ICC to see
if it is good enough to justify the price.
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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!
Do yourself a favour and learn the native languages for the chip. C is kinda a middle ground, its not as compact as SPIN and it's slower than PASM, plus you lose a lot of the code available in the OBEX as it's mostly in native language (the C library is getting there slowly).
SPIN is a doddle.. no really, and if you have done much asm work PASM is just as easy (and pretty quick really).
I started with the Demo board and a couple of Proto boards. I still use the demo board to hash up quick test circuits, but I just use the Proto boards for everything else. Put a big tag or ribbon around your prop plug though. Those little buggers love to hide.
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"VOOM"?!? Mate, this bird wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!
One other thing: don't hesitate to ask questions, the people on this forum are amazingly helpful.
Cheers,
Mark
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Watching the world pass me by, one photon at a time.
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My Prop Info&Apps: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm
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Quit buying all those fixed voltage regulators, and·get an Adjustable Power Supply·for your projects!· Includes an LED testing terminal!
Also consider 64KB Eeproms as the upper 32KB won't be erased every download.
Plus, 6MHz crystals add an extra zing to execution speed.
Make sure you've got 3V3 regulators !
The demo board is nice in that it runs virtually everything with no hardware effort on your part; just plug and play.
It's very nice when someone makes a new toy and you want to just try it out in ten minutes.
For me, well worth the investment.
rokicki has a good point here. Although I don't own a demo board because I'm too cheap and I thrive on chaos, I know that it might be nice to present a problem to the forum and be able to have people rapidly load the code you're having problems with and let them see for themselves via their own demo board what's going wrong. When you have things kluged together (as I do) then the pins are all different and nobody would easily be able to come to your rescue. Having a demo board might help you in the beginning as you work your way through the learning curve, I'm guessing.
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propmod_us are now in stock. propmod_1x1 arrive on 26th. Only $30
Need to upload large images or movies for use in the forum. you can do so at uploader.propmodule.com for free.
Also, as BradC suggested, start off with Spin and Pasm and the free proptool; this is how the chip was designed to be used for maximum flexibility and power. All of the other stuff has advantages but also costs, such as the cog running to support a debugger or the speed penalty for C vs. PASM.
ViewPort is powerful and fabulously graphical, definitely worth checking out.
However, to get started there is a free "Lite" debugging object availabe in the PE Kit labs sticky-thread; it uses the Parallax Serial Terminal:
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=617192
Whatever you choose, enjoy!
-Stephanie Lindsay
Editor, Parallax Inc.
See attached. You could make your own.
@Holly,
I really like the PEKit. Going through the labs is a great way to learn.
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Whit+
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney
Post Edited (Whit) : 5/29/2009 8:40:01 PM GMT
I think I will get a kit and also one of those demo boards as well since so many think it's a good idea.
Maybe I will wait for the daily deal to save some $ on some items though...hope they come up on sale soon
Thanks, Whit. I'll give that a try.
You can modify the PPB (Prop Proto Board) to become a PropPlug downloader (so you don't need to buy one) - I gave OBC a circuit for this and I think he has it on his website. He has a lot of interesting and cheap ideas for beginners.
Once you are up and running and realise what you can and might want to do, you can build/purchase whatever you need. Don't forget to ask on the forum if you want to do something. Chances are that someone has done something similar and can point you in the right direction (as you have seen here - and yes, we have differing opinions, so look carefully at what we are all saying and make an informed decision).
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Links to other interesting threads:
· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBladeProp, SixBladeProp, website (Multiple propeller pcbs)
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: Micros eg Altair, and Terminals eg VT100 (Index)
· Search the Propeller forums (via Google)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBladeProp is: www.bluemagic.biz/cluso.htm
Have Fun!
Adam Wiesler
·
I found it a great help while learning. It has all the LEDs Push buttons etc. already wired so you do not have to do it yourself.
Also it has a VGA, PS2 head phone clock etc. It also has the USB programming interface and the EEPROM chip and 5 MHz crystal......
so it is READY for you to use it STRAIGHT AWAY.
All the headers are labeled already so you do not need the sticker....all pins are labeled on the board.·
The beauty of it is that it does not have the I/O pins of the propeller all connected up and dedicated to the VGA etc. so if you
want to use the chip to do projects that do not need these you have all the pins available.
Nevertheless, if you want to do VGA, TV etc projects you just connect the pins of the chip to the already done for you circuitry
with a wire (no extra components needed)....
For all the reasons above I think it should be called the Propeller VERSATILE Prototyping Platform rather than the Professional Development
Board. It is good for all sorts of experimenting without having to be stuck with one layout.
·
I think it is also good for GENERAL project testing and prototyping before you commit to what you need.
·
For a person learning the propeller it enables you to quickly try different circuitry without having to wire it yourself. LEDs, Rheostats,
Dip Switches, Push Buttons etc. etc. etc…..are all available for use with just one wire link from the chips I/O pin header to the
component’s header……no wiring or getting the wrong resistor values or burning up things because you forgot the resistor etc. etc.
·
Regards
·
Samuel
·
Post Edited (SamMishal) : 5/30/2009 9:49:24 PM GMT
To echo what Cluso99 is saying, get at least 1 protoboard WITH USB. They are especially handy for hardware hacking. And using it for a propplug is a bonus.
3 the PEKit is great. I would recommend that you NOT get the USB version for this, however. You'll miss the sticker, and you don't get the experience in setting up a bare propeller.
I don't think you will need the crystals and EEPROMs right away because the above come with them, and they are removable.
If you run Linux, definitely get Brad's Spin Tool.
Holly Like you it was the video side that got me int the Prop, I was messing with M168s on ethernet with Bascom, which was flaky, and saw Ybox2. Now the AVRs are feeling neglected
Leon
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Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
Suzuki SV1000S motorcycle
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Toys are microcontroled.
Robots are microcontroled.
I am microcontrolled.
Yes, that is true, and I have everything here to build up a pretty advanced board using a few dil propellers.
I made a really nice one with a zif socket for an ATmega644p...looks great as long as you don't flip it over
and see the rats nest underneath.
I might also learn more by building myself....I'm not that good yet at the electronics and construction skills.
I don't buy circuit boards at Radio Shack, the people there seem to be mostly idiots and the stuff is too $$$.
Look on ebay for suppliers from China.
I'm also waiting for the right daily deals to come up so I can order stuff, does everything eventually show up on 'the deal' ?
Like how cheap is the Professional Development Board when it's discounted.
The Daily Deal on the Propeller Professional Development Board (if I remember correctly) is $130-ish. This is a very good deal though in my opinion. I paid the same for a blemished PPDB when they first came out.
You still need a 40 pin Prop Chip and a power supply though. Today, the Daily Deal is the USB Prop Proto Board for $29.99 - also a good deal.
I got the 40 pin PE Kit. Setting it up on the breadboard was very good for me to see how it went together (Prop, crystal, eprom, power supply, etc).
I like to wait on the daily deal myself. The PE Kit now comes with the education labs in a bound form - to catch that on a Daily Deal would be great too!
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Whit+
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney
I've noticed these daily deals come up about 1 every 6 weeks or so. The standard ProtoBoard is good
too for the price of several boards with a Prop-Plug ... I have half a dozen or so.
Off topic: Is your avatar charcoal on newsprint or 70lb+ paper? It's hard to tell. I like the bold lines.
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--Steve
Propalyzer: Propeller PC Logic Analyzer
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=788230