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Is it possible to programme BS2 via RF? — Parallax Forums

Is it possible to programme BS2 via RF?

legendarymanlegendaryman Posts: 3
edited 2010-05-06 04:35 in BASIC Stamp
Hi everyone (1st post)

Doses anyone know if it's possible / has been able to prgramme a BS2 via an Radio frequency link?

If so, can you provide basic info or links to sites with info on :

components required eg radio modem and connection diagrams.

Any help would be much appreciated

Comments

  • electrosyselectrosys Posts: 212
    edited 2010-04-25 21:53
    Hello legenaryman, and wellcome to the Forum.

    Well,·there is a device server that enable you to connect to RS232 Serial part via 802.11b/g wireless networks or Internet·so you could make a WIFI connection to your BS2·or BOE, but programming the BS2 wirelessly...·I don't·believe if it could be done!!!

    you can look at:

    Lantronix WiBox

    Lantronix WiBox· = at ebay

    IMG_wibox2.jpg

    PS. you can search here at the·Forum·-Search-·(upper right side)·write:· Lantronix·, I know there are some who has this device, you could read the posts and ask them too.

    Post Edited (electrosys) : 4/25/2010 11:28:10 PM GMT
  • ZuddieZuddie Posts: 5
    edited 2010-04-26 01:27
    I'll answer each of your questions.

    1.) Doses anyone know if it's possible? Yes it is possible.

    2.) has been able to program a BS2 via an Radio frequency link? Don't know, but don't see why not.

    3.) If so, can you provide basic info or links to sites with info on: components required eg radio modem and connection diagrams.
    This would take a lot of research and is probably best addressed by someone who has actually done it. However, to do this, all you need is two wireless modems. But these can be expensive. So an alternative would be to build them yourself, which could be accomplished using two more BS2's and two Parallax 433 MHz RF Transceivers (Item code 27982) and a bit of programming, but not much.
  • legendarymanlegendaryman Posts: 3
    edited 2010-04-26 20:17
    Many thanks for your replies.

    I asked the questions thinking someone might have already done it, thus·saving me the time & having to·re-invent the wheel so to speak.

    Interesting ideas from both Zuddie & Electrosys.

    I will try a low cost approach using two basic stamps & two rf modem modules & post any success stories including diagrams & parts used etc.

    Thanks again
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2010-04-27 18:39
    A typical wireless or network link won't work for programming a BASIC Stamp or Propeller chip. The reason is timing. To initiate programming a very specific sequence of events has to happen on multiple pins. RF and network serial interfaces exhibit lag, rendering them non-functional. There used to be a wireless solution, however it worked by receiving the program at the source (emulating a BS2 being programmed), sending the program data to the other RF unit and then programming the BS2 at that end. Real-time just isn't possible wherever there is a possibility of latency.

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    Chris Savage

    Parallax Engineering
    ·
  • legendarymanlegendaryman Posts: 3
    edited 2010-04-27 20:27
    Hi Chris,

    Thanks for your timely response.

    I posed the same question direct to Parallax support via e-mail & the response I got was "We are working on a Wi-Fi product that might be available in December"

    Would you have any more info on the solution that you mentioned which did work?

    Also more info on the "specific sequence of events on multiple pins to initiate programming" would also be useful.

    Many thanks again for taking the time to respond to question & sharing your valueable knowledge.
  • ZootZoot Posts: 2,227
    edited 2010-04-27 22:06
    The timing is described in the specs for the Stamp Programming Protocol. See attached.

    I think the easiest and perhaps most inexpensive way to do this would be to use either an Xbee transceiver or a BlueTooth transceiver or the Parallax 433mhz transceivers and a Propeller on the "client" end. The Prop has enough memory to hold an entire tokenized 2k-16k Stamp program plus the utility itself. I would see it working like this:

    - master PC initiates comm. with remote transceiver and sends 2k-16k of tokenized Stamp instructions.

    - remote transceiver simultaneously dumps incoming transceiver buffer to Prop RAM

    - after receipt of all tokens as bytes, the Prop runs a small utility that initiates the programming sequence on the Stamp and dumps the code.

    There used to be a product, the ToothPick or something like that, which was a BlueTooth host and had a Stamp programming "emulator" that could be used to program the Stamp via wireless link. But it was maybe $100 or $120. I think with an Xbee and a Prop and some homework on the master PC side for transmitting the Stamp tokens and bit-banging the Prop to emulate the programming sequence, this could be built for < $40 for the "remote" side, and just the cost of another Xbee for the master PC side.

    Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...... smile.gif

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

    1uffakind.com/robots/povBitMapBuilder.php
    1uffakind.com/robots/resistorLadder.php

    Post Edited (Zoot) : 4/27/2010 10:43:22 PM GMT
    pdf
    pdf
    Using the PBASIC Tokenizer Libr.pdf
    485K
    pdf
    pdf
    BASIC Stamp Programming Protoco.pdf
    47K
  • UnsoundcodeUnsoundcode Posts: 1,532
    edited 2010-04-28 00:08
    Zoot said...
    - master PC initiates comm. with remote transceiver and sends 2k-16k of tokenized Stamp instructions.

    - remote transceiver simultaneously dumps incoming transceiver buffer to Prop RAM

    - after receipt of all tokens as bytes, the Prop runs a small utility that initiates the programming sequence on the Stamp and dumps the code
    I had something very similar going once but in place of the Prop was a BS2px writing tokens to a USB Datalogger·. The software I had ,·and still have·, on the PC side consisted of two Visual Basic programs (which could/should be combined ) . Program #1 took a PBasic program in object code form and parsed the tokens into a separate file . Program #2 took the token file and transmitted the program to·the Stamp .·Some of the·components were tested (successfully) through a hard wired serial connection but it never went wireless .

    Credit for the·Stamp > program > Stamp belongs to Tracy Allen and his detailed explanation on his web site http://www.emesystems.com/BS2clone.htm

    Jeff T.
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2010-05-04 17:41
    I'm sorry, I do not have any additional information on that product as I am not involved with its development. I can say that it is specialized hardware/firmware designed for this task, whereas a standard wirless or network link would not.

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    Chris Savage

    Parallax Engineering
    ·
  • TomvnTomvn Posts: 103
    edited 2010-05-06 04:35
    hi all , i did it long time ago
    my idea laptop connect by wifi and used remote desktop software to send the code by Picbasic, that simple?
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