A much faster Basic Stamp
Capt. Quirk
Posts: 872
Is it possible to use the eeprom from the PropII, combined with an SX48@50mhz, and Pbasic 2.5. Or an improved Pbasic 2.6 version that may even include interrupts?
Create a new BS3 line comprising of this new proposed version and the Spin Stamp.
The Interrupts idea is purely a marketing idea, it may not be necessary, but there is a perceived need for interrupts. The BS3 idea is also a marketing idea, to separate these two from whatever baggage people attribute to the BS2 line.
Given it's been 15 years since the BS2 was released, The time is right for a BS3!
Bill M.
Another possibility for the proposed BS3, is a C++ Stamp
Create a new BS3 line comprising of this new proposed version and the Spin Stamp.
The Interrupts idea is purely a marketing idea, it may not be necessary, but there is a perceived need for interrupts. The BS3 idea is also a marketing idea, to separate these two from whatever baggage people attribute to the BS2 line.
Given it's been 15 years since the BS2 was released, The time is right for a BS3!
Bill M.
Another possibility for the proposed BS3, is a C++ Stamp
Comments
A 32 bit, 8 core Basic Stamp 3 would be awesome!
Rich H
-Phil
Rich H
The Spin Stamp works pretty well. 12Blocks is a great programming system for beginners that's usable with the Spin Stamp. PropBasic is pretty good, still having stuff added to it and it's free. FemtoBasic also works. With Cluso99's 1-pin keyboard and display drivers, you'd only need to use 2 I/O pins to support a PS/2 keyboard and a B&W TV display for the programming console.
I'm not sure whether it would be better to try to produce a compiler for Stamp Basic that would produce either Spin source code or Spin byte codes vs. a Spin byte code interpreter for the Propeller. The first has the advantage of not needing any Parallax proprietary information while the latter is probably simpler. Parallax doesn't have the resources to do either, particularly with the need to produce a new Spin interpreter and compiler for the Prop II coming up.
The obvious downside would be the possible depletion of their SX chips sooner than what was projected. But if there was an eeprom available that allowed 50,000 + Pbas instructions/sec. A change like this would warrant a new name like BS3. This would make a dent on overcoming the idea Stamps are too slow, and still provide the utility Pbasic provides.
Sadly, people are more concerned with speed over utility, or perceived Horsepower vs. Great Torque. No matter what we purchase, we make a decision about Horsepower vs. Price. Keep the BS2, upgrade the BS2P.
You can also find PBASIC commands in the OBEX, if you must work with PBASIC. Plus, the speed of a Propeller chip configured as a BASIC Stamp 3, with new features, and less cost, will upgrade previous stamps. A SpinStamp will fit one of the existing Stamp boards. What is your application?
1) Connect the output transistor in the SOUT circuitry to the +5V supply rather than Vdd. This would provide an SIN to +5V logic voltage range for SOUT which, with an idle SIN input level at -5V, would at least give the same RS232 compatibility as the Stamps.
2) Substitute a 64K EEPROM for the 32K EEPROM now included. This would allow the use of a loader on SIN / SOUT like that used by the Propeller Backpack rather than needing a PropClip.
3) Add a +5V output to the area set aside for the PropClip and use some other type of compact connector (5-pin: I/O 30, I/O 31, /Reset, Gnd, +5V). This would allow an external adapter board to be developed that could provide a standard PropPlug interface or a 1-pin keyboard and TV display interface complete with necessary resistors and connectors.
An alternative would be to extend the length of the module by 2mm so some other kind of connector could be used. With extra pins, perhaps some other I/O pins could be brought off the module for special uses.
I'm not sure what to do about the logic voltage range difference. A 220 Ohm series resistor on the I/O pins would provide some protection against connecting to a 5V signal level and there's a precedence in the Homework Board. Unfortunately, a 1K or 2.2K resistor is what is needed, but that wouldn't work for outputs where more than a mA or so of drive is needed. There's no room available for logic level translators and those have their own problems. The resistors could be put on a revised BOE and would make the BOE be similar to the Homework Board as far as a Stamp is concerned.
One would be a Prop 2 with 5 volt tolerant IOs (hopefully that's a feature) and a reduced bond out package so it fits in the Stamp form factor. The question then is when will this happen.
The other alternative is to look to other micro-controllers. The PIC is eminantly popular, but single sourced. The 8051 is getting long in the tooth design wise and the number of vendors supporting it are decreasing. Both these have pretty reasonable versions less than 50 cents in reasonable quantities. Next is the AVR which is wildly popular in the Arduino community, but it is also single sourced. What difference does single sourcing make, well about 2 years ago it was rumored that MicroChip was going to buy Atmel. What happens then, the thinking was then MicroChip would be selling PIC flavors, MIPs versions of PIC, ARM derivatives from Atmel and AVR. Looking at the volumes the AVR is low man on that totum pole, and could easily go away or get spun out into a different company. The last alternative is the ARM, which has a wide range of variants from 50 cent parts going into 100Ks of coffee makers to ARM9/11 going into cell phones and everything in between. It also has a host of licensees, so lots of competition at all levels that keeps the prices down.
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?t=92127
It has a MAX3232 and adjusts the rest logic so that the regular serial connection for programming the Stamp will Program the Propeller instead. Each I/O pin has a spot for a small resistor (or solder bridge) so in some cases it can drop in place of an existing BS2p40 Stamp.
The design is done and I can get boards made up any time if there was interest.
Robert