With the SX end near... where to next?

MyYz400

I purchased the SX programming kit a while back, and only really played with it briefly. I've done simple things, more like test projects (beginning the learning curve). But with the SX life ending here soon, that begs the question....Where to next? I looked over what Parallax has to offer and this is what is see/feel about the other products. (using my non-existent familiarity of micro controllers.)

Basic Stamp - Nice, easy, just a little to limited for some things (hint the "basic" in the name)
Propeller - Nice, high power device, how-ever I'm afraid the "Multi-cogs" could potentially give me head-aches
Javelin - Good easy device, seams like it could be the Basic's brother...but.... Java? I dont know the first thing about java. I've done a bit of C and VB stuff, but never java.

So Propeller might be the way to go. But the multi cog thing just terrifies me. I only really need to run one script at a time, so dealing with the added complexity of dealing with multi processors seems difficult and useless for my applications. Anyone have any pro/cons or suggestions to help me decide?

Post Edited (MyYz400) : 11/16/2009 8:36:58 PM GMT

Mike Green

Java is not that hard to learn and may be something useful to learn in general

The Propeller may have 8 cogs, but you don't have to use them all. One cog is pretty fast all by itself. A lot of the usage of multiple cogs is transparent to the user / programmer. They're usually used for specific I/O drivers like for a PS/2 keyboard or TV/VGA display or for high speed serial I/O or a multi-servo controller. The I/O driver (object) takes care of managing the extra cog(s) for you. As far as you're concerned, you're just working with a single cog and there's nothing special you have to do.

MyYz400

See i'm not a CS or EE by no stretch of the imagination, how-ever I do have some understanding of it, but just lack the hands on interaction with these kind of devices. I have many projects that could use a Micro Controller, and it would be nice to be able to do so without burning myself out right from the beginning.

So would it make sense to get a "PropStick" and begin playing about with that thing? As of right now the SX seems a bit over my head, but I'm sure with a little bit of experimenting I'm sure I could do most of the basic functions I would need. Would you say the propeller is harder to learn that the SX? or could you almost call them comparable when it comes to learning curves.

Mike Green

The Propeller and the SX are quite different, but similar in difficulty. The Propeller has a variety of programming tools while the SX has essentially its assembler and SX/B. There is a Propeller SX/B-like compiler in the works and 12-Blocks is another tool for beginners that lets you do graphical programming and both produce Spin which you can modify if you want or need to.

Bill Chennault

MyYz400--

It looks like there are a lot of SX28AC/SS-G chips in·stock. If you can use those, then there are probably more SX chips available than you would use in several lifetimes.

Although I am not an expert, I really love the SX chip and continue to use it. I realize that it will eventually DIE, but by then I am sure something else will come along that will satisfy my requirements. I am even interested in the Propeller, despite its vast differences from the SX. The Propeller is far faster. The only things it lacks are BASIC, which is being developed, and interrupts, which are pretty much unnecessary due to the multiple processors.

For amatuers, the SX is dirt cheap. I will continue to buy it. If I am eventually stranded either by owning several or by the lack of support, then what I am out? A few bucks?

Good luck in whatever you decide!

--Bill

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