Getting back into it
charleyshf
Posts: 165
Hello,
Boy it's been a long time since I was around here [noparse]:)[/noparse]
A few years ago I had gotten to a point where I just didn't have time anymore to mess around with robotics (lots of travel involved with my old job), and up to that·point I had quite a few things going on with robotics projects in general, I had been running Basic stamps(just about every one Parallax sells) for years, as well as PIC'S and the Basic Atom Pros, making my own controller boards,·a few·boe-bots, other platforms, I even built a DIY CNC mill which still works great(used mostly for making my own robotics bases). Recently however I became unemployed and now I find myself with allot·of time on my hands and I would like to basically pickup where I had left off.
After digging out all my tools, soldering equipment, smd rework station, and all sorts of robotics/electronics goodies, I started messing around with my boe-bot again,··downloaded the most recent "robotics with the boe-bot" manual and I even went through a bunch of notes I had taken. At first I was thinking that I had forgotten quite a bit since I had last done this, but then some things started coming back to me.
Most of the things I did related to robotics were mobile platforms that did various things, from a robot that avoided hitting walls to ones that followed each other around.
Some things I have been wondering about:
I am going to go with the Propeller chips, from what·I have been reading this chip looks like it's the perfect next step for me being that I always programmed in some form of basic, and it does some pretty amazing things. I was reading the sticky at the beginning of the forum and I was looking at getting the Propeller Education kit - 40 pin DIP version,·but then looked on-line at Fry's and it looks like they are selling the same kit for $30.00 less, same parallax part number #32305, I am wondering if it just doesn't come with the book (it doesn't say)?
Another thing I was looking at was the Parallax USB Oscilloscope & the understanding signals course, the question I have is that I read that there is a Propeller based one coming out, should I wait for the new one (PropScope)? I have had no prior experience with Oscilloscopes.
Viewport software - this looks like a must have tool for the Propeller, and at some point I think it would be a very handy tool for my projects.
I'd appreciate any advice / input
Thank You
·
Boy it's been a long time since I was around here [noparse]:)[/noparse]
A few years ago I had gotten to a point where I just didn't have time anymore to mess around with robotics (lots of travel involved with my old job), and up to that·point I had quite a few things going on with robotics projects in general, I had been running Basic stamps(just about every one Parallax sells) for years, as well as PIC'S and the Basic Atom Pros, making my own controller boards,·a few·boe-bots, other platforms, I even built a DIY CNC mill which still works great(used mostly for making my own robotics bases). Recently however I became unemployed and now I find myself with allot·of time on my hands and I would like to basically pickup where I had left off.
After digging out all my tools, soldering equipment, smd rework station, and all sorts of robotics/electronics goodies, I started messing around with my boe-bot again,··downloaded the most recent "robotics with the boe-bot" manual and I even went through a bunch of notes I had taken. At first I was thinking that I had forgotten quite a bit since I had last done this, but then some things started coming back to me.
Most of the things I did related to robotics were mobile platforms that did various things, from a robot that avoided hitting walls to ones that followed each other around.
Some things I have been wondering about:
I am going to go with the Propeller chips, from what·I have been reading this chip looks like it's the perfect next step for me being that I always programmed in some form of basic, and it does some pretty amazing things. I was reading the sticky at the beginning of the forum and I was looking at getting the Propeller Education kit - 40 pin DIP version,·but then looked on-line at Fry's and it looks like they are selling the same kit for $30.00 less, same parallax part number #32305, I am wondering if it just doesn't come with the book (it doesn't say)?
Another thing I was looking at was the Parallax USB Oscilloscope & the understanding signals course, the question I have is that I read that there is a Propeller based one coming out, should I wait for the new one (PropScope)? I have had no prior experience with Oscilloscopes.
Viewport software - this looks like a must have tool for the Propeller, and at some point I think it would be a very handy tool for my projects.
I'd appreciate any advice / input
Thank You
·
Comments
The Propeller is indeed pretty amazing.
The Propeller Education Kit (PEK) is a good way to begin
If you can wait for the Propeller-based USB Oscilloscope, do so. It'll function as a logic analyzer as well and uses a version of Viewport.
Browse through the Propeller Object Exchange. Consider downloading DongleBasic for your PEK. It'll let you "play" with the PEK using your PC as a terminal, but compiling and running Basic programs on the Propeller that can manipulate the I/O pins, counters, etc.
Funnily enough I was in the same boat when I discovered the Prop. Recently "rationalized" and facing a lot of free time with the prospect of ever diminishing pocket money.
Happily I discovered that my local electronics distributor could sell me a couple of DIP Props so I soon had a home made Prop Demo Board style circuit up and running. Using the transistor programming schematic shown in the manual and a regular USB to serial adapter rather than a PropPlug or such.
I know nothing about Stamps and such but have previously tinkered with PICs and AVRs. I can't imagine ever going back. The Prop has such a unique, simple and captivating architecture.
I'm sure Spin is a breeze if you can handle BASIC. For more umpf it has to be PASM but that is one of the simplest assembly languages to use I have ever come across.
So, never mind ViewPort and Oscilloscopes, for now any way, just dive in there.
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For me, the past is not over yet.
Hanno
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Download a free trial of ViewPort- the premier visual debugger for the Propeller
Includes full debugger, simulated instruments, fuzzy logic, and OpenCV for computer vision. Now a Parallax Product!
It looks like the PE Kit I have, so I think it is a great deal.
I'd wait for the new one as it will be far more capable than the current non-Propeller based one.
Viewport is a "MUST BUY" - even before you get the new USB scope it will give you logic analyzer capability and much more (including a Spin debugger).
I used it to help debug my Morpheus design.
Propalyzer and various other debuggers are also great.
Hope this helps!
Bill
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Please use mikronauts _at_ gmail _dot_ com to contact me off-forum, my PM is almost totally full
Morpheus & Mem+dual Prop SBC w/ 512KB kit $119.95, 2MB memory IO board kit $89.95, both kits $189.95
www.mikronauts.com - my site 6.250MHz custom Crystals for running Propellers at 100MHz
Las - Large model assembler for the Propeller Largos - a feature full nano operating system for the Propeller
I spent the better part of this afternoon getting my "old lab" back up and running. I went ahead and ordered the PEK kit and after seeing that the 40 pin DIP version of the propeller was hard to get, I also ordered a couple·of them·as well.
I am definately going to wait for the new Propeller-based USB Oscilloscope to be released.
Hopefully in a couple·of days I am going to get my order in·and start working with the·Propeller.·I also came across a few different Propeller based boards, The Propeller Platform and another one, Spin Studio, both look very promising, I like the idea of "add on cards".
Hanno - That was an excellent review of Viewport! I also read the article you did in Circuit Cellar, watched the videos on the viewport site, and was looking at the dancebot, and I was just wondering, where were you when I was trying to get a vision based robot going·years ago
Again, thank you everyone for responding to my questions.
I'm a big fan of SpinStudio. (Full disclosure, I'm collaborating with Brian to bring the "IODreamkit" to market...) Thanks, I've had a lot of fun with the Propeller! More Propeller reading material coming out soon- a whole books worth!
Yes, my head of hair also suffered greatly building the vision guided dancebot. The Propeller and cheap black/white cameras I bought from 123electronics haven't let me down- although I really abused them. But everything else has caused me endless grief- but the reward is here now- great to keep hearing from people using my work. I initially used the tlc5540 to sample the camera at 20Msps, but that since it's a 5V chip, the clock input would just barely work if driven from the Prop. It would work well enough that it passed my first tests- but it took me ages to figure out what was happening when it didn't work. Basically, whenever the pixel's value went through the 128..127 transition, the ADC chip would "reset" for a while.... The ADC08100 doesn't have this problem- and even better, it supports clockrates up to 100msps! That's what Brian is using in the IODreamkit...
Hanno
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Download a free trial of ViewPort- the premier visual debugger for the Propeller
Includes full debugger, simulated instruments, fuzzy logic, and OpenCV for computer vision. Now a Parallax Product!
I was going to order the SpinStudio, but I figured I should take things one step at a time, I got my order in this afternoon(PE kit as well as 3 propeller chips(40 pin DIP). After getting the kids settled down for the night I started on the PE kit. I am really suprised that after not working on electronics projects for over 2 years, more and more things are coming back to me, guess I just needed a refresher course
I was looking for an adapter board for the ADC08100 (TSSOP to DIP) since it comes in TSSOP, and came across this one here·. I haven't found any other sources in the US(we at least not so far).
Well back to PE kit,·I figured I would be tired out by now, but I cant put this down.!!! (Lots of caffine tonight)
Now if I could only get my Propeller to help me get rid of this darn cold!!
I worked with the Basic Stamp for 3 years and got pretty good at programing it and the Boe-Bot. I had always pictured video as an un-obtainable source for display by a microcontroller. I had always been interested in keyboards and NTSC displays, so when I saw the Prop, I ordered a DIP, built a serial programmer (well, I was the programmer, it was the program loading device) and spliced a video cable to connect it to the Propeller. I had no books but the online PDF, and it took me about 2 months to learn the basics. The most rewarding part of the experiance was the "Propeller Version 1 detected on COM1" annoucement on the screen when I first connected it. The second most rewarding thing was seeing the video demo on the screen. The most dissapointing thing was when I replaced the battery in my Basic Stamp board (the power source) and the voltage jumped to a full 5V and fried the chip. I had failed to recognize it is a 3V chip. I kind of tinkered with it and examining the sample code trying to make something of it. When I recieved a Hydra kit for Christmas, I jumped into the Propeller in just 1 month. I now knew how to do full input and graphics on the Propeller (to an extent) but because of the Hydra's closed off I/O pins I didn't even know how to blink an LED! I would most likely not even know to this day exept that I posted, on this forum, the 100,002nd post. The 100,000 and 100,001 posters each won $200 towards Parallax. (offered by Ken) Jazzed, the 100,001st poster, offered to split $100 of his prize money between me and Protatohead, the 100,003rd poster. Potatohed then split his $50 between all other winners, leaving me with $62. (a supposed fortune!) I then sayed that I would put it toward a Demo Board. Ken then replied that he would just give me the Demo Board. I was crazy about it! I said that is what I wanted. He then said that he would give me a PE Kit instead if I wanted it because someone said something about it. I said I wanted the PE kit instead, but changed my mind again. He (Ken) then saw my mind toggleing between choices and said that he would send me BOTH! Ever since then, I have been creating projects with more ease then ever! I have had several working and non working projects since then. Now I am working on a Speech Recognition object for a prize of Viewport Ultimate that I could not have made without Ken's generosity and his Demo Board. This forum is filled with those who are willing to help, and you will find it satisfactory in starting with the Propeller.
What else do I have to say?
It is NOT an easy transition from the Basic stamp to the Propeller. But once you learn the functions of the Propeller, you will never go back to the Basic Stamp. Ever since I got my Hydra or at least my Demo Board and PE Kit, I have NEVER picked up my Basic Stamp. The Propeller is SOOOOO much better. Give it a try.
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Computers are microcontrolled.
Robots are microcontrolled.
I am microcontrolled.
But you·can·call me micro.
Want to·experiment with the SX or just put together a cool project?
SX Spinning light display·
One of the main reasons I wanted to start working with the prop was because from my past experience's with Parallax in general ( I used to call them quite a bit) and all the help thats avaiable in the forums, to me it's the best way to go, and so far I have been learning quite a bit about the spin language, after working with the PE kit for the past few days I decided to try to make my own "top object" using the other pre-written ones, and I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought, and it actually works!!
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