Propeller breadboard development platform

Ragtop

Purpose: To create a platform that brings out all 28 general purpose IOs pins of a propeller alongside a breadboard with some common components (buttons, pots, leds, etc) available by jumper wire.

[video=youtube_share;y7uAm31UnZ0]

I am looking for ideas of other components that I might should consider adding.

shimniok

buzzer, ADC, vga/ntsc ...

Ttailspin

Have a look at this board if you haven't allready, it has alot of ideas on what can be added to your box...

I really like lighting the clear breadboard idea.
You could splash light around inside the box with tinfoil and/or mirrors, and that would make it glow evenly.
Or maybe think about some smaller LEDs, and just light the ground rail with green and hot with red?

I have had this same type of project in mind for quite awhile, I have the project box allready slated for this...

I look forward to seeing more of what you come up with...


-Tommy

Ragtop

I decided to not just cut the height of the box down, but to cut it at an angle to make viewing easier. The cut not the greatest, but might be able to fix up with putty in places.

This gives me alot of room on the back side if I want to add mouse/keyboard/moniter connectors in the future.

Wow. The parallax board has everything but the kitchen sink. I am thinking dip switches now, but can't decide on leaving space for a lcd screen or the 7 segment displays.

Oldbitcollector (Jeff)

Find a dead LCD monitor from one of your local techshops. They are only worth about $6. for recycling, so you should be able to get one cheap or free. There is a really nice back-light diffuser you could cut down to breadboard size which would make your LED look great. You might have to modify the box a little more, but it sounds like you are already on that page.

OBC

RDL2004

This is a very good project, I've been thinking about doing something similar. You'll probably use an LCD a lot more than 7 segment LEDs (the PPDB uses 16 segment), though 7 segment LEDs are really nice for a lot of things. I have one of the older PDBs made for the Basic Stamps and I've never used the DIP switches.

Ragtop

Dropped in the breadboard by creating a frame out of stirring sticks that I had gotten for another project. Needs a bit of paint and filler, but not bad.

Looking at adding buttons in a up/down/left/right fashion. Those are going to be some fun holes to cut.

Humanoido

Great project! I never saw a clear solderless breadboard before - it opens up lots of possibilities. Does underside lighting vastly improve hole/wiring visibility? Is it possible to monitor the condition of the hole springs? The development board project I used first was a Parallax PEK kit, which includes the switches, LEDs and other components. The next development board, and the one I use now, has multiple Propeller chips, switches, LEDs and crystals. You can simply melt holes in the cabinet with the proper sized tip on a soldering iron. It sure beats messy drilling and it's faster and easier. It requires a well ventilated area and don't breathe the smoke.

Ragtop

Lighting the clear breadboard may be more interesting in theory then practice. The idea was that the breadboard was going to glow only to indicate that it was powered up, so in most cases wiring would take place without illumination from the board. And to see the illumination would require a reduction in overhead light which is what I would prefer while wiring.

Still going to go with it (trying to find a source for a laptop diffuser), but thinking the effect will be more cool then practical. Thought about an EL panel but with inverter it would cost as much as I am putting into the whole box.

Ragtop

I little farther long (very little). I meant to end the video saying that this project is probably going to go
on longer then a minimal electrical ( no programming either) project should as I am trying to think out the
layout more then I usually do.

The video is eh....but does include my new project bench area.

[video=youtube_share;GF7wQ0ouccg]

Ragtop

Still no prop on the Propeller breadboard development platform, but I could not resist playing with it anyway with the breadboard, RGB led, and buzzer powered on. Learned from the experience that I DO
have to have something underneath the breadboard after I removed the sticky pad because all the metal clips just want to push out. Either a diffuser or plexiglass.....I wonder what semi-transparent plexiglass would do light wise.

[video=youtube_share;JJaY_n8K5Ss]

Ragtop

With a little rigging I got the breadboard to glow green with four 10mm leds. Kinda hard to see when the overhead light is on though.

Ttailspin

Thats it!, thats the look, very cool Ragtop..:thumb::thumb:
Now quickly delete that picture, or else everyone is gonna want to do this, and the price of the clear breadboards is going thru the roof...

If you could ever scrape up enough money to buy some of those three color LED's, that would be top of the line...

Good stuff.


-Tommy

Ragtop

I remembered that I had this garage sale find, a translucent clock cube that had leds inside that made it glow. So I cut it into panels that I hot glued to the bottom of the breadboard.

Ragtop

It finally gets a prop. Testing to make sure all the pins are wired up and in order with leds but only could gather up 24 leds.

[video=youtube_share;-qEQgXg3USc]