Does this propeller board already exist?

I need a "finished product" looking propeller board with the following requirements in order of priority. Does it exist?
1) Small overall footprint, IE: 3" square or smaller
2) Inexpensive
3) 12v input (AKA, it's own 12vin/5vout/3.3vout power supply)
4) Circuit apart from the propeller can easily fit onto a 4x8 grid of proto board so prototyping area is not mandatory, but would be nice.
5) At least 8 IO pins accessible
6) Speed is not important
7) 32k eeprom is plenty
8) SMT part usage is preferred to keep overall height (product thickness) down.
Some notes so you can get a better idea of what I am looking for:
I am taking a serious look at the miniprop board, but that would introduce material sourcing into this project which I am trying to avoid. However, the board itself would be perfect for my project. If the project develops follow on units, it would be an ideal starting point because I would only need to make a few tweaks to the design to work for my complete circuit.
The schmartboard and GadgetGangster PPSD are nice layouts, but the $40 price tags limit the rest of the project.
The protoboard and GadgetGangster PP would do, but are larger than desired.
thanks for any input.
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
WBA-TH1M Sensirion SHT11 Module
My Prop projects: Reverse Geo-Cache Box, Custom Metronome, Micro Plunge Logger
1) Small overall footprint, IE: 3" square or smaller
2) Inexpensive
3) 12v input (AKA, it's own 12vin/5vout/3.3vout power supply)
4) Circuit apart from the propeller can easily fit onto a 4x8 grid of proto board so prototyping area is not mandatory, but would be nice.
5) At least 8 IO pins accessible
6) Speed is not important
7) 32k eeprom is plenty
8) SMT part usage is preferred to keep overall height (product thickness) down.
Some notes so you can get a better idea of what I am looking for:
I am taking a serious look at the miniprop board, but that would introduce material sourcing into this project which I am trying to avoid. However, the board itself would be perfect for my project. If the project develops follow on units, it would be an ideal starting point because I would only need to make a few tweaks to the design to work for my complete circuit.
The schmartboard and GadgetGangster PPSD are nice layouts, but the $40 price tags limit the rest of the project.
The protoboard and GadgetGangster PP would do, but are larger than desired.
thanks for any input.
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
WBA-TH1M Sensirion SHT11 Module
My Prop projects: Reverse Geo-Cache Box, Custom Metronome, Micro Plunge Logger
Comments
Prop - $8
Eeprom - $1
Vregs - $3
passives - $1
headers - $2
dc jack - $1
misc - $1
pcb - $5
$22
now add the cost of acquiring the components, designing PCB, actual sales volume etc - $40 is actually cheap
Order 10,000 pieces, it could be significantly cheaper [noparse]:)[/noparse]
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www.mikronauts.com E-mail: mikronauts _at_ gmail _dot_ com
My products: Morpheus / Mem+ / PropCade / FlexMem / VMCOG / Propteus / Proteus / SerPlug
and 6.250MHz Crystals to run Propellers at 100MHz & 5.0" OEM TFT VGA LCD modules
Las - Large model assembler Largos - upcoming nano operating system
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Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
Ok so $22*3 = $66.
Now consider similar conclusions for the end product. $66*3 + value add * 3 = minimum $198.
This is a great argument for never using anyone else's boards in the end product unless in volume, made in China, and/or with a good partnership [noparse]:)[/noparse]
Of course if your customers don't mind sticker shock, are too ignorant to know better, or somehow believe that better things are more expensive (Mercedes Marketing), that's ok (without good conscious).
Cheers [noparse]:)[/noparse]
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May the road rise to meet you; may the sun shine on your back.
May you create something useful, even if it's just a hack.
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Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
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May the road rise to meet you; may the sun shine on your back.
May you create something useful, even if it's just a hack.
Now I know that for low volume products, you don't make much at 4xCOGS.
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www.mikronauts.com E-mail: mikronauts _at_ gmail _dot_ com
My products: Morpheus / Mem+ / PropCade / FlexMem / VMCOG / Propteus / Proteus / SerPlug
and 6.250MHz Crystals to run Propellers at 100MHz & 5.0" OEM TFT VGA LCD modules
Las - Large model assembler Largos - upcoming nano operating system
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Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
http://www.schmartboard.com/index.asp?page=products_dev&id=205
dgately
You'll still need to add some components to that, including the Propeller, eeprom and crystal. Which are going to add $10 or so.
Bill
If you have to go to say digikey to buy it, in small quantity, you are probably looking at:
$15+s/h for the SchmartBoard (cute little board!)
$20+s/h for the rest of the components from Digikey... might be $25+s/h
Might as well save on one s/h and get it from Parallax!
The picture changes if he wants 1000 sets...
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www.mikronauts.com E-mail: mikronauts _at_ gmail _dot_ com
My products: Morpheus / Mem+ / PropCade / FlexMem / VMCOG / Propteus / Proteus / SerPlug
and 6.250MHz Crystals to run Propellers at 100MHz & 5.0" OEM TFT VGA LCD modules
Las - Large model assembler Largos - upcoming nano operating system
For the discussion on costing, here's my breakdown for a single unit:
Order Schmartboard PCB $15+$9.50 ship+tax; ~$28
Pick up Prop, TSSOP EEPROM, and Crystal from Parallax, plus tax: ~$12
Total cost: $40
Since the Schmartboard kit from Parallax is $39.99 and it ALSO includes SMT parts for most TH locations, I can just pick up the kit from Parallax for about $3 more (tax) and have a lower overall profile. Depending on how this project evolves, the Schmartboard kit from Parallax becomes even a better choice, since the price is only $31 for 20+ and I can pick them up.
I am still thinking about my own board design however, because yet again, I am looking for a small, low-cost, prop PCB that can be used to throw something together, but not be a perfboard hackjob. (see the metronome in my signature for example)
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
WBA-TH1M Sensirion SHT11 Module
My Prop projects: Reverse Geo-Cache Box, Custom Metronome, Micro Plunge Logger
http://www.wulfden.org/TheShoppe/prop/prc.shtml
It looks pretty interesting. I ended up buying the serial LCD kit from a competitor, but I may still buy that propeller board.
Another one to throw in the pot. The Prop Servo Controller. What you say?!? A nice small footprint Propeller board, with 16 I/O, onboard EEPROM, XTAL, USB, 3.3 Regulator, and voltage translators too! Add a 5 volt regulator on the servo power terminal, jumper 5V to Vext, feed it 12 volts and your good to go! No assembly!
I have used these little gems a few times in a non servo controller mode. Add your code and they are no longer a servo controller, but a nice little 16 pin General Purpose Microcontroller board.
Jim
Post Edited (hover1) : 5/26/2010 2:08:01 AM GMT
NOTE to Parallax Marketing: Can you add more categories to the Propeller Servo Controller USB?
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
WBA-TH1M Sensirion SHT11 Module
My Prop projects: Reverse Geo-Cache Box, Custom Metronome, Micro Plunge Logger
This page: Product Info·>·Accessories·>·Motor Control Chart
still shows the old, discontinued Serial and USB controllers. They should be replaced by the new one.
It also should be included in: Store·>·Microcontrollers·>·Propeller Development Boards
Jim
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Lots of propeller based products in stock at affordable prices.
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
WBA-TH1M Sensirion SHT11 Module
My Prop projects: Reverse Geo-Cache Box, Custom Metronome, Micro Plunge Logger
Thank you for bringing this thread to my attention Andrew, and to everyone else as well with the suggestions... and that old·motor controller page.
I'll see about getting together with one of our friendly tech-peeps and hash out some corrections.
If there are ever threads that I need to see, I'd love to get a PM or some type of notification so that I might lend some help for marketing or web reasons.
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