Spinneret: First Impressions

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

I received a preview sample of the Spinneret today, which I wanted to test with a couple daughterboards to verify the Spinneret's daughterboard interface. So far, so good. Here's a photo of the Spinneret with a prototype XBRF-DB plugged in:



It worked fine, and I was able to commmunicate between the Prop and a USB XBee adapter, using this program:

CON

  _clkmode      = xtal1 + pll16x
  _xinfreq      = 5_000_000

OBJ

  sio   : "FullDuplexSerial"

PUB start | c, f


  sio.start(26, 27, 0, 9600)
  repeat
    sio.tx(sio.rx)

Some observations:

1. The Spinneret board looks very nice and has a clean layout.

2. The board came without any screws or standoffs for a daughterboard. These should be included, since they're not provided with the daughterbaords. (Both the MoBoStamp-pe and Propeller Backpack include this hardware.)

3. The board is too wide (1.365") to fit the Parallax extrusion, which specs a 1.35" width. (To be fair, this may be because I don't have a production board. These boards are assembled in panels which have been scored. My board had been broken out of the panel, but the edges were not sanded flat, and that may account for the extra width.)

'More testing to do, but I can tell already: this is going to be a great product!

-Phil

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

I spoke with David Carrier about issues 2 and 3 above. As a result of our conversation, he is planning to add standoffs and screws to the deliverables. As to the board not fitting the extrusion, my hunch was correct. The preproduction version I have was broken out from a scored panel and lightly sanded. The production versions are cut out with a depanelizing saw, and David assures me that they slide into the extrusion just fine.

Thanks, David!

-Phil

Ken Gracey

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »

I spoke with David Carrier about issues 2 and 3 above. As a result of our conversation, he is planning to add standoffs and screws to the deliverables. As to the board not fitting the extrusion, my hunch was correct. The preproduction version I have was broken out from a scored panel and lightly sanded. The production versions are cut out with a depanelizing saw, and David assures me that they slide into the extrusion just fine.

Thanks, David!

-Phil

OK, but what about that little XBee adapter board you're showing off in the photo up top? I think we need that in our inventory lineup just for this product. I'd like them in blue, please! The holdup on these can't be as complex as the PropCam. PropCam. PropCam.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Oh, thanks, Ken, for starting the PropCAM mantra all over again! I need to find a customer who will pay for the stuff I start, not just for what I finish!

But seriously, I do have a long list of things that need finishing, and with the S2 almost put to bed, there will be time to do it. I may yet surprise you with a load of PropCAMs! (But don't tell anyone in the forum I said that.)

-Phil

Roy Eltham

PropCAM! PropCAM!

Todd Whitmer

So when are we going to see the XBRF-DB? It sure would be nice to have a clean simple plugin solution to integrating the Spinneret and the XBee.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

I've had the bare boards (modified to Parallax's specs) sitting around for weeks and just got around to populating one last week to test. ('Been busy with other stuff.) It works fine, but I need to fine-tune the LED resistors so the various color LEDs (there are four different colors now) all shine at the same relative brightness. I'm also tempted to use the two unused gates on the 74LVC buffer as one-shots, so that the LEDs for TxD and RxD shine at full brightness, even for short-duration pulses. But that would entail another board rev.

-Phil