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Platform Module ideas — Parallax Forums

Platform Module ideas

Nick McClickNick McClick Posts: 1,003
edited 2009-08-28 17:48 in Propeller 1
Right now, I have 3 Modules -
1 - Propeller
2 - Protoboard
3 - LCD UI

I'm looking for ideas on additional modules. Here are the ideas I have so far,

Motor control module
Hi-res LCD + controls
TV / Audio module
MIDI Shield module
Battery Pack module
mini music keyboard module (like a mini piano)
Input module (tons of buttons, sliders, controller port)
GPS module
Ethernet module
XBee Module / Wireless module
Arduino Shield-to-Module adapter
PICAxe module
Arduino module


Two questions
1 - Any other modules you'd like to see? Have any better ideas (It's okay if the idea requires some surface mount, I can do some pre-assembly)

2 - Which 2 modules (Including any suggestions) would you like the most?

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Comments

  • Harrison.Harrison. Posts: 484
    edited 2009-08-27 21:37
    Somebody said...
    1 - Any other modules you'd like to see? Have any better ideas (It's okay if the idea requires some surface mount, I can do some pre-assembly)
    - A SD card / storage module would probably be useful. Just having a SD slot would be a waste of space, so maybe put a bunch of extra pads on it (like a protoboard + SD card).
    - A VGA output module.
    Somebody said...
    2 - Which 2 modules (Including any suggestions) would you like the most?
    - The ethernet module (enc28j60 + SD on one module would be awesome)
    - Hi-res LCD (color)
  • TrapperBobTrapperBob Posts: 142
    edited 2009-08-27 21:51
    Question 1:
    How about the following:
    1. General purpose analog input module
    2. CAN interface module
    3. RS-485 interface module

    Question 2:
    1. Ethernet module w/ SD card
    2. RS-485 module
    ·
  • CounterRotatingPropsCounterRotatingProps Posts: 1,132
    edited 2009-08-27 22:12
    Nick,

    Q1:
    ditto trapperbob's suggestions - and add an I2C module, which would compliment the suggestion below.
    Also a mini keyboard would be cool (See OBC's threads on the TKB150P)

    Q2:
    - Battery Pack module
    - Input module (tons of buttons, sliders, controller port)

    ^ maybe even make that thing modular - modules of buttons, sliders, etc... so you could make them daisy chain in building blocks. May be in banks of 4 each, that would keep them inexpensive and usable alone. But if you wanted to build something bigger, you could splice them side by side, or over/under - and end up with something that looked as complex as a multi-track recording console. So sliders AND digital pots would be cool. I'm uncertain how the boards would be laid out, but the button/slider/knob to side edges and top edges would need to be 1/2 the distance of the on-board button, etc. This way, say three boards of buttons @4 each would = 12 buttons - but they'd all look perfectly spaced. The board to board connector (one of which would be the terminator, the other the MC interface) should be on the backside of the board so you could tuck the controls tight to the panel. (or side, but you'd have to allow for over/under layout so they wouldn't conflict.)

    The daisy chaining of those 2 connectors could be done with that proposed I2C module. This would keep the connector cost low - and would make the addressing highly programmable.

    Some of the things you could do with this: animatronics control board, stage light controller, model railroad control panel, Mars lander controller (oh, that's for the Prop IV [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    This actually might be a very attractive set of lego-like control modules.

    - H

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    Post Edited (CounterRotatingProps) : 8/27/2009 10:17:30 PM GMT
  • schillschill Posts: 741
    edited 2009-08-27 22:30
    A "problem" I see with this approach is that you may end up needing a lot of modules stacked on top of each other for a specific project if each module is limited to a single functionality - like an SD card interface. Some capabilities will certainly fill up the entire board but others may only take a little bit of it. You may end up stacking a bunch of boards with a lot of left over prototyping space.

    I do like the module approach but this is something to consider.

    One thing that I was thinking about as I started assembling my modules was that it would probably make sense to have a board which supports plugging in boards compatible with SpinStudio (www.ucontroller.com). A prototyper module that has a bunch of places for headers compatible with those boards would be useful. You can already do this to some extent with the prototyper board but I don't think the arrangement of the pads is spread out enough.

    I was thinking something like two rows of 3 headers each running along the length of the board. You could then connect spinstudio modules sticking out either side (of course, this would need to be the top board of your stack).

    I would not connect the headers to any specific i/o pins on the board but rather allow the user to connect the specific ones required - similar to the way the prototyper board works now.

    This way, you could have complex modules stacked on your platform board but have a top module with additional connectors for things like video, servos, etc. that don't require much additional hardware beyond what the propeller already supplies.
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,198
    edited 2009-08-27 23:17
    For my November N&V "SpinZone" column I'm doing a DMX IO module for the Propeller Platform. It has DMX in and out connectors, a 9-position address switch, an LED, and three high current outputs that switch Vin. The "input" project will be an 3-channel DMX fixture for one of those super-bright RGB LED modules (could also control small, 12v lamps).

    Of course, the board can be reprogrammed to transmit DMX as well. One could create a simple program that "talks" to the board via the programming port and provides channel data that is transmitted as a DMX packet.
  • CounterRotatingPropsCounterRotatingProps Posts: 1,132
    edited 2009-08-27 23:29
    > For my November N&V "SpinZone" column I'm doing a DMX IO module for the Propeller Platform.

    Jon, this is very cool --- many years ago, I worked on analog light controllers and learned to have a lot of respect for the humble triac. [noparse]:)[/noparse] Recently, I've (re)read your SX dimmer work with great interest. And lately I've been looking into off-the-shelf DMX dimmer packs and controllers - they are pretty reasonable, price-wise. But nothing beats rolling your own! Looking forward to the article - thanks.

    @Shill - yes, maybe a good reason to allow the boards to be interconnected with ribbon/shielded cables, as opposed to stackable. Stacking is cheaper but constrains the layout. Maybe there's a way to do both - Like folks often do here with header pins or connectors soldered to cables?

    - Howard

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  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,198
    edited 2009-08-28 01:03
    Just so I don't confuse anyone, the output from my November project will be DC -- PWM'd, of course, to provide dimming. At some point I will move the Propeller onto my 8-channel dimmer board for AC lighting control using Vixen or DMX.
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2009-08-28 03:17
    FYI: Parallax have recently released a VGA & 2 PS2 pcb to SIL

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    Links to other interesting threads:

    · Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBladeProp, RamBlade, TwinBlade,·SixBlade, website
    · 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) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)
    · Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
    My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBladeProp is: www.bluemagic.biz/cluso.htm
  • TreeLabTreeLab Posts: 138
    edited 2009-08-28 16:55
    Nick : I am always surprised by the lack of quality DAC interfaces used in the embedded/microcontroller world. A 30-60 kHz 12-16 bit DAC would be very useful for many interfacing projects in my lab. I have my eye on some bipolar 4-channel devices from AnalogDevices [noparse][[/noparse]AD5724/AD5734/AD5754] that can be ganged to have larger number of outputs for no more Prop pin usage. They don't come cheaply though.

    This on one board, comparable quality ADCs on another ... that would be an impressive lab interface.

    Anyone else need DACs better that that available with the RC method?

    Cheers!
    Paul Rowntree
  • Brandon C.Brandon C. Posts: 106
    edited 2009-08-28 17:48
    I would suggest an array of touch sensitive buttons. I saw a topic a while ago for making an LED into a button, and there's code available for using capacitors as touch sensitive buttons.


    Brandon C.

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