Help with prop decision

richaj45

I am wondering if anyone has used the ZX line of micro-controllers, link below.
http://www.zbasic.net/Microcontrollers/ZX-24x-Microcontroller/p-87.html

The reason i ask is i am hesitating on starting up using the prop because i am thinking a Basic language micro-controller, like the ZX, would be easier to come up to speed with.

However, as i read the amazing thinks that are being done with the Prop, i think whatever learning curve it takes will
be worth it in the end.

Can anyone chime in and give me an ideas as to your experience coming up to speed on the Prop as compared to a
Basic language micro.

cheers,
rich

ElectricAye

richaj45 said...
... i am hesitating on starting up using the prop because i am thinking a Basic language micro-controller...

Rich,

if you're just starting out, you might consider starting with the Basic Stamp. There are a number of great educationally-oriented kits available from Parallax. For comparisons, see: www.parallax.com/tabid/234/Default.aspx

Notice that you can even download their manuals as pdfs for free and take a look at how they walk you through what you need to know.

Once you get the hang of Stamps, then it's easy to move into the world of the Propeller. Of course, some people believe you can jump right into the Propeller without any problem, but if you're afraid to take too big of a leap all at once, then start with the Basic Stamp. It's all very easy and fun and people on the forums are very helpful so long as you do your homework and take things step by step.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Cluso99

There is PropBasic and other basic variants for the prop.

Alternately, you can use ZiCog or the other variants that emulate old Z80 computers and run CPM, MBasic, etc. See the ZiCog, TriBlade, RamBlade, DracBlade threads.

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Links to other interesting threads:

· Home of the MultiBladeProps: TriBlade,·RamBlade,·SixBlade, website
· Single Board Computer:·3 Propeller ICs·and a·TriBladeProp board (ZiCog Z80 Emulator)
· Prop Tools under Development or Completed (Index)
· Emulators: CPUs Z80 etc; Micros Altair etc;· Terminals·VT100 etc; (Index) ZiCog (Z80) , MoCog (6809)·
· Prop OS: SphinxOS·, PropDos , PropCmd··· Search the Propeller forums·(uses advanced Google search)
My cruising website is: ·www.bluemagic.biz·· MultiBlade Props: www.cluso.bluemagic.biz

potatohead

What kinds of things do you want to do?

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richaj45

I would like to set it up to parse a command string from a terminal and then execute different actions.
Like tune a DDS chip to a value, set a dac to a value, get some data from SPI or I2C or I2S.
The next step is standalone controllers for weather station, and data logging and when a terminal is hooked up and it get a commnad dumps the data already formatted.
Last is simple, autonomous robotics.

Those are the kind of things and i want to use the same Processor for all of it. I do not want to migrate after i invest in the learning curve.

Maybe idealistic but that's what i am thinking.

rich

Gadgetman

If you want do do robotics, then the Prop should be just right...

You an dedicate separate COGs for inputs, one or more to do PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) for running steppers or other types of motors without expensive dedicated controllers, just a driver IC.
IN fact, I can't think of a single MCU that's better suited...

Should be good for a weatherstation, too.

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Mike Green

There's already a variety of software to do things like parsing commands from a keyboard or serial terminal. The Object Exchange has a string parser and FemtoBasic essentially does that in the context of parsing and executing Basic programs on the Propeller. You can hook up a Propeller to a PS/2 keyboard and TV or VGA display with minimal parts (a few resistors and connectors) and use that as a stand-alone simple Basic computer. FemtoBasic has statements to let you directly manipulate the I/O pins, so you could do your first couple of tasks immediately and pretty simply. There are other versions of FemtoBasic that use an attached PC as the display if that's what you want.

The standalone controllers and robotics tasks would need to be done using either Spin, PropBasic, or C depending on what you're comfortable with. I'd recommend Spin (and some Prop assembly language eventually), but the others are viable choices.

Invent-O-Doc

I see what you are trying to do; it looks like you want to do some pretty basic microcontroller things but feel that traditional computer things like string parsing are hard to do. The ZBasic and similar 'full-basic' microcontroller have a nice microsoft basic-like command set with lots of good string manipulation tools. I have tried some of these like ZBasic and Coridium Armmite controllers and can say, especially with the armmite, that they ARE easier to use. The problem with these is the very high per unit cost and really limited support for those platforms.

When I want to do something, i often find an object or code on one of these parallax forums. Here is my run-down:

ZBasic microcontrollers - lots of power, full basic language, large programs, interrupts - limited support and miniscule community - high cost

Coridium microcontrollers - large program sizes, nice full featured basic interpreter with on-chip development environmetn - 3.3V, limited support (They do have nice development boards) - high cost

Basic Stamp - pretty basic basic, high cost - lots of support, hardware, books and program samples, nice development boards

SX microcontroller - Nice to use with SX/B, a bit harder than basic stamps to use, tricky variables, interrupts - really cheap - end-of-life but big supply still left

Propeller - super powerful, cheap, video capability, lots of support and large object library, object oriented, multiprocessing eases tasks. SPIN doesn't natively support strings (but does support arrays) though there are a couple good SPIN-based string libraries out there.

Of course, there are PICAXE, Arduino (C like) and full-dev ARM/ATMEL set ups too.

Personally, I started with Stamps, then went to coridium (played with ZBasic too), like the coridium because it was like using an 8-bit computer, then when to SX and SX/B because it was a lot cheaper and finally am trying things on the prop and love the COGs and multiprocessing.

If I were you, I'd give the Prop and one of the string libraries in OBEX a try. Let us know what you end up trying!

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Tom Talbot
New Market, MD, USA

Invent-O-Doc

Rich, one of the new books on propeller SPIN has a nice large program example with a command-line interpreter that is similar to the project you are trying to build. The project uses the prop for display, sound and a few other things over a serial line but the code for the command line parser is right there in the code that goes along with the book. It is worth checking out.

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Tom Talbot
New Market, MD, USA