What are you doing with your propeller?
Jorge P
Posts: 385
Hi all, I know some people have some good projects out there and I am just curiouse as what you are doing with your props, and what kind of hardware you are doing it with.
I am not doing to much with mine at the moment, I have the following hardware aside from various components like the capacitors or resiters and such:
not to mention a bunch of components that come with the various 200 in one electronics kits that Radio Shack has sold throughout the years, and all the PC electronics I scrapped throughout roughly 16 years.
My overall goal is to make a 4 wheeled robot using the 2-axis joysticks and trancievers as the controller, it is turning out to be similar to an RC car/truck but about 3 feet long by about 2 feet wide using a waggon about the size of the red Flyers. I am using an automotive window moter as the drive and steering mechanism. Once it is finaly working (which needs some welding) I am going to try to impliment the GPS module and a shop vac to see If I can get it to clean up my floor. But due to the carpeting where I work with all this, I notice there is alot of static that builds up on the vac hose when it is running so I have to prevent that somehow. After I get a majority of this actualy working, I want to impliment a cell module and a few cameras for sterio vision and object detection. I think it will require several propellers as there are alot of motors, I am also using automotive batteries. So I have invested alot of money into this project mainly because I chose to use all new automotive equipment. I have most Parts I will need, but I am on a tighter budget now and still need a few more power window motors. Untill then I am just playing around with some projects I see posted here on the forums.
So far I realy like the prop mainly because the programs you guys have written for use with TV display look awesome on my 52 inch projection TV. I am trying to configure my PPDB to act as a hydra but I dont have the Hydra schematic to wire it. I am currently configuring the PPDB as a Demo Board and it is taking about 19 feet of wire total (without the leds on the VGA line, added it would be about 5 more feet). I am giving the addon card 12 inches of wire so I can use the breadboard. All wiring is routed to the back or around the back side of the PPDB giving some slack to all connections.
I am interested in the hydra but figured I could do the same thing with the PPDB which is quite a chore, I am debating if I should offer some stuff for a trade in with someone for a hydra if anyone is interested, but I want to hold off on that for now.
If anyone has any projects/schematics/software that haven't been posted yet please post them, along with variouse components required.
I am also looking for a Parallax Parts Library for Advanced PCB, I cant use the eagle lib nor can I find a way to import it. I have the Data sheets for most of the components Parallax sells and can make a new lib lib again(my last one was destroyed in a system crash), If I do make it again, I will post it here for review of its accuracy. I hope to have the lib contain all the parts/products that are sold by Parallax, so it should be a nice lib when I get arund to placing the components in.
As for programming: I first started programming in QB45 way back in the dos/windows 3.1 days, which led me to VB6 and now VB.net and C#. I regret learning those languages to start with since it seams more difficult to learn low level languages, however the BS2 helped me learn allot about micros and I just recently (within the past year) jumped into the propeller. I understand the program structure of spin and can write simple porgrams, but trying to delve through some of the modules like reading the VGA module is helping me understand a little more about the VGA capabilities of the prop. I have yet to get the propeller book that was just released a few months ago, so I think that might help a bit with the propeller manual. I have alot of docs in PDF but I still dont think it is the same as having the actual books in hard copy.
So to sum it up, All my projects that require hardware I dont have are all on hold due to lack of financing for them so I am just hanging aroud here playing with various projects I see here in the forums. Right now, I am going to finish wiring my PPDB to act like a demo board to try a few projects I have seen using it, which may or may not be required, but it just gives me something to do till I can work on my own projects again.
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http://WhatsAvailable.org Software and Gadgets for Windows 7.
I am not doing to much with mine at the moment, I have the following hardware aside from various components like the capacitors or resiters and such:
- PEK (Propeller Education Kit) I purchased this after playing with the BS2 for about a year
- PPDB (Propeller Professional Development Board) I got this instead of buying the seperate PS2 modules and other items that are built on board when I saw it as a daily deal.
- 2 props
- 2 433Mhz trancievers
- A PMB 648
- 2 2-Axis joysticks
- A SD-Card addapter kit
- All the components that come with the Basic Stamp Discovery Kit
- Several various IC's
not to mention a bunch of components that come with the various 200 in one electronics kits that Radio Shack has sold throughout the years, and all the PC electronics I scrapped throughout roughly 16 years.
My overall goal is to make a 4 wheeled robot using the 2-axis joysticks and trancievers as the controller, it is turning out to be similar to an RC car/truck but about 3 feet long by about 2 feet wide using a waggon about the size of the red Flyers. I am using an automotive window moter as the drive and steering mechanism. Once it is finaly working (which needs some welding) I am going to try to impliment the GPS module and a shop vac to see If I can get it to clean up my floor. But due to the carpeting where I work with all this, I notice there is alot of static that builds up on the vac hose when it is running so I have to prevent that somehow. After I get a majority of this actualy working, I want to impliment a cell module and a few cameras for sterio vision and object detection. I think it will require several propellers as there are alot of motors, I am also using automotive batteries. So I have invested alot of money into this project mainly because I chose to use all new automotive equipment. I have most Parts I will need, but I am on a tighter budget now and still need a few more power window motors. Untill then I am just playing around with some projects I see posted here on the forums.
So far I realy like the prop mainly because the programs you guys have written for use with TV display look awesome on my 52 inch projection TV. I am trying to configure my PPDB to act as a hydra but I dont have the Hydra schematic to wire it. I am currently configuring the PPDB as a Demo Board and it is taking about 19 feet of wire total (without the leds on the VGA line, added it would be about 5 more feet). I am giving the addon card 12 inches of wire so I can use the breadboard. All wiring is routed to the back or around the back side of the PPDB giving some slack to all connections.
I am interested in the hydra but figured I could do the same thing with the PPDB which is quite a chore, I am debating if I should offer some stuff for a trade in with someone for a hydra if anyone is interested, but I want to hold off on that for now.
If anyone has any projects/schematics/software that haven't been posted yet please post them, along with variouse components required.
I am also looking for a Parallax Parts Library for Advanced PCB, I cant use the eagle lib nor can I find a way to import it. I have the Data sheets for most of the components Parallax sells and can make a new lib lib again(my last one was destroyed in a system crash), If I do make it again, I will post it here for review of its accuracy. I hope to have the lib contain all the parts/products that are sold by Parallax, so it should be a nice lib when I get arund to placing the components in.
As for programming: I first started programming in QB45 way back in the dos/windows 3.1 days, which led me to VB6 and now VB.net and C#. I regret learning those languages to start with since it seams more difficult to learn low level languages, however the BS2 helped me learn allot about micros and I just recently (within the past year) jumped into the propeller. I understand the program structure of spin and can write simple porgrams, but trying to delve through some of the modules like reading the VGA module is helping me understand a little more about the VGA capabilities of the prop. I have yet to get the propeller book that was just released a few months ago, so I think that might help a bit with the propeller manual. I have alot of docs in PDF but I still dont think it is the same as having the actual books in hard copy.
So to sum it up, All my projects that require hardware I dont have are all on hold due to lack of financing for them so I am just hanging aroud here playing with various projects I see here in the forums. Right now, I am going to finish wiring my PPDB to act like a demo board to try a few projects I have seen using it, which may or may not be required, but it just gives me something to do till I can work on my own projects again.
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http://WhatsAvailable.org Software and Gadgets for Windows 7.
Comments
uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=pcb&cm_sp=Homepage-uk-_-DesignSpark-_-Primary-Banner
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Leon Heller
Amateur radio callsign: G1HSM
I am working on an educational tool. It is to be a Jupiter ACE type system (except Propeller and not Z80 or what ever the original used). That is, a standalone, self contained, FORTH based embedded development environment. The goal is to allow the same Jupiter ACE (type) FORTH running on a e.g demo board host can also run on a e.g. proto board target embedded in the target device e.g. a robot. The system is intended to not need a PC after the kernel is loaded. The target audience is elementary school kids (its for my kid's robotics club). The goal is to use open source software and off the shelf hardware, must cost less than a new Wii game. I chose FORTH for similar reasons to what you mentioned.
I am working in conjunction with the guy who writes PropForth. So far we have the FORTH kernel and some documentation, PropForth 3.2 as of this writing. VGA is started, soon PropForth on a demo board plus a monitor and keyboard will be the 'Jupiter ACE'-ish host. I hope to post a Jupiter ACE object in the OBEX at some point soon.
We are working on:
- Refining PropForth so it is the minimum necessary yet as close to the ANSI standard as feasible.
- Development/Diagnostic extensions - We seem to be heading in the direction of Open Bios / Open Firmware just before it calls linux, so it can support the functionality of ls, rm, command line history editing, etc; but I'm still learning about all this. Development extensions to be an option.
- Calling SPIN objects from forth.
- Calling Forth from spin.
- Access to target via serial
- Access to target via ethernet
- SD support (option if hardware is present)
- a virtual memory scheme to efficiently support external ram (option if hardware is present)
We are working everything except the SD and virtual memory, which we haven't needed yet. We could certainly use more hands and eyes!
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There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't
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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
The Html Terminal is like a Web Browser but will use Compact-Html-DTD.
Bill's VMCOG is a good project. I'm looking forward to the next version too.
I'm now working primarily with Ubuntu 10.4 and BST/C and test with WindowsXP if necessary.
Cheers,
--Steve
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Propeller Pages: Propeller JVM
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=921524
but it's not one Propeller but several connected together.
Audacious.
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For me, the past is not over yet.
How many Cluso-"Blades" do you think will be needed?
Cheers,
--Steve
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Propeller Pages: Propeller JVM
I originally thought I was going to be knocking up some simple electronic gadgets with a Prop or two. Then I get side tracked into obscure programming projects in response to the self inflicted challenge of "The Prop looks like it might only just be able to do that, can we really do it?"
Years later I still don't have finished gadget to show for it.
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For me, the past is not over yet.
Ultimately I want to be able to do self-contained Prop systems implementing ethernet, SD, video+keyboard (+touchscreen?) user interface, and some real time controls via prop pins or IIC/SPI expanders. I've determined that 32K simply isn't going to cut it so I've been looking at expansion schemes, and while I'm keeping an eye out for Bill's VMCOG I have been laying the groundwork for something completely different.
Fetching code from the EEPROM is dog slow but there are big advantages to running code straight out of EE. The pins are standard and you don't need to use paging, and your timing is actually more reliable (if slow) since you don't have to worry about page thrashing. I'm aiming at a set of 4 Atmel 1 MHz EEPROMs for 512 kbytes of object code space, which will be read-only at runtime. The combination development system and language will natively support copying code into Hub RAM overlay areas where it will run much faster if necessary, starting the other 7 cogs while reclaiming the RAM used to do so, and possibly supporting faster alternate operation out of Bill's FlexMem. All natively.
While I only anticipate clearing 40,000-50,000 instructions a second from the EE, there are lots of things for which this is quite adequate and the necessary hardware upgrade is cheap and simple on any existing platform that has a socketed EEPROM.
I started off looking at Forth for the target language but quickly realized that Forth as it's normally used isn't quite what I want, so I am calling the hybrid language Windmill. It will use a M-stack and R-stack and a lot of Forth primitives, but it won't be self contained. It will support a lot of compile time memory management for variable allocation and such, and it will support forward references. It should be fairly straightforward to translate most obex objects since we can accommodate all the usual mechanisms for communication with PASM code. There will be both a permanent overlay for code which must run fast (a bit faster than Spin, in fact), and a swappable overlay area including both data and code.
Perhaps the coolest part of what I'm planning is that Windmill will be self-extending like Forth; instead of a compiler, Windmill applications will be built by a much simpler program I am calling a generator. The generator implements many of the same primitives as the runtime kernal, and the actual compiler will be written in Windmill in much the same way the Forth word compiler is written in Forth, but there will be special compile-time only words for making passes through the source code and writing the results, and of course special runtime-only words for doing propeller I/O, starting cogs, etc. And it will be possible to create many words (such as the entire string handling library) that can be used both at compile and run time.
And of course, with the generator being relatively simple I would anticipate that one could write a generator in Windmill to make it self-compiling. But that would undoubtably require more read/write storage, possibly an SD card or extra RAM, making it require a non minimal system.
Anyway, I currently have an interpreter cog that compiles but isn't debugged (mainly to make sure I could get everything to fit in a cog) and I'm currently laying out the primitives that will be available to the compile and run code streams. (Or at least I am doing that when I'm not pulled off of it to do more pressing stuff, like fix peoples' broken scale systems LOL.)
So my plan is to get this working within the next year or so, and convince my corporate masters to let me MIT it so others can use and improve it (since it won't actually be a product of ours, but a development tool).
As for what I am doing with the prop. I am developing control systems for a company. I am sure I have 50 or more propellers laying around and a dozen or so BASIC stamps (used them before I discovered the Propeller, and now they are collecting much dust). I'd hate to post a photo of my desk/work area, because there isn't much desk visible, its covered in breadboards and a few problematic PCBs, and loads of spare parts, tools, and wire.
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April, 2008: when I discovered the answers to all my micro-computational-botherations!
Some of my objects:
MCP3X0X ADC Driver - Programmable Schmitt inputs, frequency reading, and more!
Simple Propeller-based Database - Making life easier and more readable for all your EEPROM storage needs.
String Manipulation Library - Don't allow strings to be the bane of the Propeller, bend them to your will!
Fast Inter-Propeller Comm - Fast communication between two propellers (1.37MB/s @100MHz)!
An elderly neighbour told me that there is a Sherman tank buried in the field opposite my house. Legend has it that it broke down during practice landings prior to D-Day and it was easier to dig a hole and bury it than move it/fix it - leaving it visible wasn't an option. There is a burned-out Cromwell tank [noparse][[/noparse]above ground] not far away, so it is possible.
My reasoning is that anything that big would have to deflect the earth's magnetic field, so I am going to try to find it...
By walking in lines across the field and logging magnetometer/GPS data I hope I can use either interpolated GPS data (or the change in walking direction) to build up a magnetic 'scan' of the field.
It probably won't work, but it could be fun finding out!
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Hugh - the thinking woman's Geoffrey Pyke.
Hopefully I'll develop some serial or SPI interface with Chip's graphic object and a WAV player object. I then can expand various microcontrollers with video and sound. I also have Rayman's PSM which I would like to do the same thing with.
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Will work for Propeller parts!
Attached is the latest version of the board...
Chris
Finding a Sherman tank! This is the coolest thing I've heard all day! My wife would never let me NEAR a prop (or any other tech for that matter) if she thought I might end up with a tank!
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There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don't