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Q. about Hardware environment — Parallax Forums

Q. about Hardware environment

ReinhardReinhard Posts: 489
edited 2011-12-14 20:52 in Propeller 1
hi,

I think about an update of my demoboard or rather to buy a board for xmm performance.

What is the state of the art ?

C3 ?

Or has someone another suggestion ?

Any offer welcome.

best regards
Reinhard

Comments

  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    edited 2011-12-13 10:02
    Reinhard wrote: »
    hi,

    I think about an update of my demoboard or rather to buy a board for xmm performance.

    What is the state of the art ?

    C3 ?

    Or has someone another suggestion ?

    Any offer welcome.

    best regards
    Reinhard
    If you only need large code and your data can fit in hub memory, jazzed's SpinSocket/Flash board has very good xmmc performance (xmmc is code only in external memory). As far as I know, the C3 is currently the only board that supports both external flash and SRAM. The DracBlade and jazzed's SDRAM module for the Propeller Platform support external RAM that can be used for both code and data. It is relatively easy to make new external memory drivers. These boards were chosen mostly because they are the ones we have access to. I'm planning a RamBlade driver that I will work on once I have some of the more generic loader issues resolved and once I get my RamBlade board wired up.
  • ReinhardReinhard Posts: 489
    edited 2011-12-13 12:01
    David, thank you for the range of boards that you offer me.
    I think I make the decision for the C3, because this is available from a local distributor and I found a document therefore.

    But for first test I have another idea.
    I have a Propeller chip in a DIP40 case.
    If I connect this chip with a 64kb IIC EEPROM (eg. microchip's 24FC512) and compile the source with xmmc option,
    so I understand I have code in external memory (64kb) and data + stack in Hub Ram.

    Is this right and will this work ?

    best regards
    Reinhard
  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    edited 2011-12-13 12:09
    Reinhard wrote: »
    David, thank you for the range of boards that you offer me.
    I think I make the decision for the C3, because this is available from a local distributor and I found a document therefore.

    But for first test I have another idea.
    I have a Propeller chip in a DIP40 case.
    If I connect this chip with a 64kb IIC EEPROM (eg. microchip's 24FC512) and compile the source with xmmc option,
    so I understand I have code in external memory (64kb) and data + stack in Hub Ram.

    Is this right and will this work ?

    best regards
    Reinhard
    If you use a 64KB EEPROM you can use xmmc mode with a program size of up to around 48k. You need to use the -beeprom board setting to cause the eeprom cache driver to be used. Of course, you can also use a 128KB eeprom for even bigger programs.
  • ReinhardReinhard Posts: 489
    edited 2011-12-13 12:22
    Oh, so easy. Thank you.

    Get a E2PROM next days from electronic store ..... and C3 is maybe a xmas gift :-)))

    Reinhard
  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    edited 2011-12-13 12:51
    The C3 is a nice board. We've been using it a lot for PropGCC testing. I hope Santa brings you one! :-)
  • Martin HodgeMartin Hodge Posts: 1,246
    edited 2011-12-13 19:46
    Of course, you can also use a 128KB eeprom for even bigger programs.

    David, is there any way one could test this? I just soldered up an ASC with a 128KB EEPROM and I'd like to try a very large xmmc program.
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2011-12-13 20:18
    XMMC is the best PropGCC external memory model. The Graphics demo board type C3F with XMMC is almost as fast as LMM.

    The performance of XMMC even using EEPROM is good and the program size is great relatively speaking. With a 64KB EEPROM you get 59KB of code. With 128KB EEPROM you get up to 123KB code (tested end of October). You can't use 2x 32KB EEPROMs though - I didn't have time to make that work yet.

    So far the best XMMC performance is with SpinSocket Flash or compatible 10 pin 2x QuadSPI Flash design.
  • ReinhardReinhard Posts: 489
    edited 2011-12-14 00:28
    David, jazzed

    Found this:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?129713-Introducing-the-SpinSocket(tm)-Concept

    Thank's for the hint, it's maybe better than I²C EEPROM Device, is it available from Parallax Store ?

    regards
    Reinhard

    Edit:
    uups, have done a closer look into the thread above. See now the SpinSocket is not only a memory expander,
    rather a complete propeller powered single board computer. ( Wow)
    So I can not compare this with an I²C memory expander.

    Sorry about my lack of knowledge over all this many boards.

    Reinhard
  • jazzedjazzed Posts: 11,803
    edited 2011-12-14 20:52
    Reinhard,

    The SpinSocket Flash board is on Tubular's sampler and will probably be RHOS (my boards are not RHOS).

    If you want to DIY, it's pretty easy since DIP8 chips are available. I don't have schematic with me to post.

    The Flash interface design is very simple though: data on P0-7 pins and Clock/CS on P26/27.
    Board type to use is SSF which selects ssf_cache.dat. The flash chips are 2x Winbond W25Qxx.

    --Steve
    Reinhard wrote: »
    David, jazzed

    Found this:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?129713-Introducing-the-SpinSocket(tm)-Concept

    Thank's for the hint, it's maybe better than I²C EEPROM Device, is it available from Parallax Store ?

    regards
    Reinhard

    Edit:
    uups, have done a closer look into the thread above. See now the SpinSocket is not only a memory expander,
    rather a complete propeller powered single board computer. ( Wow)
    So I can not compare this with an I²C memory expander.

    Sorry about my lack of knowledge over all this many boards.

    Reinhard
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