Could use some direction

iainnitro

Greetings: I have been interested in the Propeller for a little over two years now and finally bought the 130-32305 Educational kit to get started with the Propeller Processor. The reason for my choosing this kit was budget concerns. Now I need to figure out what I need to acquire to get a setup working for programming the chip and etc. I could not find a USB kit for a breadboard (at Parallax) and I am not sure what I need in this realm. I want to build a good setup to "play" with the processor and I am considering that I will be on LInux for my OS (or MacOS X) most of the time, though I am able to use an older P4 and might have access to WinXP for software.

I am a Amatuer Radio Operator (KD0JXP) and have a few ideas for using the Propeller... but mainly, I am seeking to do elementary stuff (like blinking LEDs and running a Serial LCD display) for the time being.

Any help on what I need to get this kit working is appreciated. Sorry for the newbie-ishness of this post, but I am new to embedded design in any event -- and you have to start someplace :-)

Hope someone can help! Thanks. Mike

T Chap

Welcome to the Propeller world Mike. I am not sure what you mean by USB kit for breadboard. But, if you are looking for board you can drop onto a breadboard, the USB Prop Stick does the job. As far as programming, Brad's BST is OSX based and is used my a lot of people. I think it may be found under the Propeller product page. With a breadboard and a Prop Stick you will be blinking LED's within minutes.

g3cwi

The Quickstart is good for getting a quick start into the World of Propellorising. Also look at the sticky threads at the top of the forum for lots of resources.

Good luck.

Richard
G3CWI

Post edit: The Prop Stick seems surprisingly costly compared to the Quickstart board.

Beau Schwabe

Hello iainnitro , and welcome to the forum.

Using the kit that you referenced, you can use a USB plug to talk to the Propeller through a USB connection ... http://www.parallax.com/StoreSearchResults/tabid/768/List/0/SortField/4/ProductID/398/Default.aspx?txtSearch=USB+Propeller

There are free software downloads here for various platforms located here ... http://www.parallax.com/ProductInfo/Microcontrollers/PropellerGeneralInformation/PropellerMediaPage/tabid/832/Default.aspx

Personally I have a native Linux boot machine running VMware to run windows, but that's just my preference. I think others have been successful running Wine, or BST directly.

StefanL38

Any kind of breadboard will do. http://www.reichelt.de/bilder/web/artikel/X400/STECKBOARD_2K1V_02.jpg

I recommend putting the propeller and the EEPROM-chip into sockets with turned contacts that are mechanical robust before plugging them into a breadboard.
something like this http://www.reichelt.de/?ACTION=13;PIC=1;ARTID=8223;WIDTH=150;HEIGHT=150;SID=11T4cJLX8AAAIAAB@D6eo6ab35e29aeb020e43edc060fbf84a951

those ones have mechanical weak contacts (like the chips themselves)
http://www.reichelt.de/?ACTION=13;PIC=1;ARTID=8220;WIDTH=150;HEIGHT=150;SID=11T4cJLX8AAAIAAB@D6eo6ab35e29aeb020e43edc060fbf84a951

I would add current-limiting resistors of 150 Ohm to each Propeller-IO-pin. Prop-IO_pin----150 Ohm

---

LED or whatever device using 3.3V

If you make a shortcut accidently between an IO-pin to Vss or ground or between two IO-pins one
at 3.3V the other at 0.0V the resistor will limit the current to 20 mA which is a save value. I made several boards like this and they are working fine.

For programming you need some kind of USB-to-serial-adapter with the serial-side at voltage-level 3.3V.
prop-plug http://www.parallax.com/StoreSearchResults/tabid/768/List/0/SortField/4/ProductID/398/Default.aspx?txtSearch=usb+to+serial

If the serial LCD is a 5V device you have to insert a current-limiting resistor too. But as you have a propeller-chip with 32-IO-pins in hands.
coding your own LCD-driver or using one from the http://obex.parallax.com/ that can be connected to a non-serial LCD will save you 10 bucks
(for the serial to LCD-controller-logic) http://www.sparkfun.com/products/255

http://obex.parallax.com/objects/search/?csrfmiddlewaretoken=5883f1b68a6c4bfe594b9af640a11029&q=44780
best regards
Stefan

prof_braino

Hi ! Welcome!

Are you saying you did not get a prop plug, and this is the USB kit for bread board?
If you don't have prop plug, or USB, you make the serial port interface circuit.
http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/prod/prop/SerialtoPropeller.pdf

Options are - Make a serial interface; buy a USB to serial "prop plug"

Or you can get a prop Quickstart board, that is an easy way to get going.

iainnitro

Thank-you all for the input. I have ordered both the EEPROM and the Prop Plug. All I will need now is to find an header for the prop plug for the breadboard. It looks like now all I have to do is follow the manual on the hookups!

Thanks for the help so far and indeed, I am sure we will be seeing more of me in this forum :-)

Have a good day all!