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Some fairly low-brow questions about the upcoming Spinneret Web Server — Parallax Forums

Some fairly low-brow questions about the upcoming Spinneret Web Server

ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
edited 2010-06-18 18:10 in Propeller 1
Okay, I know it hasn't yet been released, but I was wondering if somebody could tell me some basics about what the Spinneret Web Server might be able to do - and not do.

I apologize if these seem like really stupid questions but... oh well.... blush.gif

Will the Spinneret allow me to monitor and/or operate a Propeller-based project via the internet? If so, how many pins are required for the Prop to talk to the Spinneret? or approximately how many pins would be free to hook up sensors, etc.? Could sensor data be displayed on a web page using whatever is built into the Spinneret or does that take other additional doo-hickeys and software.

Will I be able to just plug the Spinneret into my Comcast connection and go at it, or will other gizmos or subscription services be required?

Any other info would be fun to know, too.

thanks,
Mark
smile.gif

Comments

  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2010-06-16 18:16
    Hi Mark,
    I'll try my best to answer your questions based on the information availible.

    The Spinneret should allow you to monitor and operate a Propeller based project over the internet. The Spinneret has a Propeller already on the board, if you were to use this Propeller to control a project there would be 4 general purpose I/O (labeled AUX0-AUX3 in the schematic) plus 2 additional pins which support serial communications (RX and TX), these are availible through the 12 pin connector J2.

    If you are in need of more I/O you could easily interface another Propeller to the Spinneret through these pins, this option would of course provide more I/O and computational resources for your project.

    There shouldnt be any issues with connecting the Spinneret to your Comcast connection, but if you have a router in your path to share your connection (also some cable modems have routers built into them) you may need to permit incomming connections to be forwarded to the Spinneret. This is done in the router's configuration menus under port forwarding (alternatively you can place the Spinneret in the router's DMZ if it supports this which will effectively pass all connections through to the spinneret as if the router wasn't there at all).

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    Paul Baker
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2010-06-16 18:44
    Paul Baker said...
    Hi Mark,
    I'll try my best to answer your questions based on the information availible...The Spinneret should allow you to monitor and operate a Propeller based project over the internet. ....

    Hey Paul, this is great news. I saw the schematic that was posted and all the listings of UDP, DHCP, etc. capability but, stupid me, I don't know anything about that stuff so I couldn't tell what was possible with it. blush.gif

    Thanks for putting it into English for me. smile.gif

    And if anyone feels like adding suggestions on what's possible with the Spinneret, I'd also love to hear about it... but in non-acronymic language, please, if possible. For example, does anyone have plans for making a web-based remotely controlled telescope? or a fish feeder? or a home monitoring system? or...???

    thanks,
    Mark
    smile.gif

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    Watching the world pass me by, one photon at a time.
  • eod_punkeod_punk Posts: 146
    edited 2010-06-16 20:47
    How will the spinneret compare to the PINK? Specifically will it have the same type of on board variables for passing information back and forth from the prop to the server? I'm using the PINK right now for a project I'm playing with so I'm anxious to see some more details.

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    There is no problem that can't be solved with a suitable amount of explosives!

    EOD Memorial
  • Timothy D. SwieterTimothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613
    edited 2010-06-16 22:54
    Hi guys - thanks for asking the questions and posting feedback on the Spinneret Web Server (SWS). I'm working on the software for the project, so feel free to ask questions and post your suggestions.

    Paul nailed the answers for the ElectricAye. Eod_punk, I haven't used PINK, but I have read it's manual and information available on the net. One of our goals in the development of the SWS is to make something that is as powerful or more powerful than PINK - something that shows off the power of the Propeller. I'm just now turning my attention to the overall architecture and figuring out how the software will fit together. Since this project will be very for community feedback and involvement I anticipate that in time the SWS may supersede the PINK's capabilities. So.....yes there will be an ability to host variables on the SWS and interface with them with the web pages hosted by the SWS.

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    Timothy D. Swieter, P.E.
    www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" 16:9 LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT, PropNET, PolkaDOT-51
    www.tdswieter.com
  • eod_punkeod_punk Posts: 146
    edited 2010-06-17 03:21
    There is a object in OBEX for the PINK that is fairly simply but might help figuring out what it can do.

    Any idea how much memory will be available for web pages and files? The PINK has 256kb.
    Will it support php? Currently for the PINK we have to put the PHP files on a different server and link to them.

    And thanks for answering!

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    There is no problem that can't be solved with a suitable amount of explosives!

    EOD Memorial
  • Timothy D. SwieterTimothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613
    edited 2010-06-17 22:58
    Of course the Propeller has no where the on-board ram as the PINK, so we need another solution than storing file in RAM or EEPROM. Enter the SD card. I am anticipating that the web server will be able to pull files off of the SD card. And of course with Kye's new SD card object, we can now sort those files into folders so the SD card can be well organized. I'm thinking along the lines of a folder named "html" or "web" and you dump your .htm or .html files in there along with images, css files, java, etc.

    PHP is a server side processing engine. I know how to write some PHP, but I don't know much about the underlaying functioning of it. At the moment creating such an item isn't on the list for the Spinneret Web Server. Perhaps I am baiting someone and they will prove me wrong, but I am not sure if the Prop has enough power/memory to handle a PHP implementation. That doesn't mean we can't have a Propeller based server side processing of its own - heck you will have the basics of one already with being able to include Prop variables and feedback.

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    Timothy D. Swieter, P.E.
    www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" 16:9 LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT, PropNET, PolkaDOT-51
    www.tdswieter.com
  • Timothy D. SwieterTimothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613
    edited 2010-06-17 23:51
    I realize I didn't complete my full thought on web page and file space. Perhaps you got my point....the point is the space is only limited by the SD card and the SD card object. That is, the system could use 1GB or 2GB or 4 GB......etc uSD cards. I'd hope that is enough room - at least for the present time.

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    Timothy D. Swieter, P.E.
    www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" 16:9 LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT, PropNET, PolkaDOT-51
    www.tdswieter.com
  • eod_punkeod_punk Posts: 146
    edited 2010-06-18 13:43
    The SD card is a great idea especially with being able to do folders now, I know I have filled the PINK without much effort. It will be nice to be able to host all image files that are needed on the spinneret to help page load times. Sometimes the lag of fetching images off site for a project that is only being accessed within my home lan gets annoying.

    Has there been any discussion, that you know of, on a target price range for the Spinneret? I hope it will be less then the PINK.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    There is no problem that can't be solved with a suitable amount of explosives!

    EOD Memorial
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2010-06-18 14:20
    eod_punk said...
    ....
    Has there been any discussion, that you know of, on a target price range for the Spinneret? I hope it will be less then the PINK.

    A few months ago they talked about a target price of around $50. I'm not sure that's still the case, though. See the following:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=875702
  • eod_punkeod_punk Posts: 146
    edited 2010-06-18 18:10
    I think $50 is quite reasonable, I hope they are able to pull it off. The PINK at $130 is a bit much for what it is able to do.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    There is no problem that can't be solved with a suitable amount of explosives!

    EOD Memorial
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