Recommended propeller book(s)

rwgast_logicdesign · 2012-11-16 12:09

Ok so I like having acuall books its one of the reasons I havent been picking up my Spin as quickly as I should!! Ive been browsing around the parallax store and amazon. Im wondering is anyone can give me a recommendation. Ive been looking at just maybe buying a full PE Kit (or just the book have plenty of home built prop boards, and quick starts, mostly want the kit for the breadboards and prop stick usb), but I also see Programming and Customizing the Multicore propeller and Programming the propeller with Spin Im really not sure what to buy. Im looking to get the most out of book that I can, my goal is to walk away understanding the propeller deeply and be able to start writing drivers for other chips and learning PASM. My thought is maybe buying the PE Kit book and sourcing the few components I need and then getting a hard copy of the prop manual may be best. The problem is the two no parallax books look like they have some good information in them. Id really like to build the robot with the wireless tv and all that jazz thats in the Customizing the prop book, but I dont have a gyroscope, compass, gps... it seems to me that book may be really intresting but expsensive as far as materials needed, plus im not sure if its more of a tutorial type book or a good solid read on the propeller architecture itself.

John Abshier · 2012-11-16 13:32

I don't recommend Programming the Propeller with Spin.

John Abshier

Duane Degn · 2012-11-16 13:44

The original Propeller manual had a good Spin tutorial.

I have other Prop Education links in post #3 of my index. I like JonnyMac's Spin Zone. The PEK is also helpful.

mindrobots · 2012-11-16 13:57

The Parallax manuals (all available for free electronically) are the best documentation and learning tools for getting this stuff into your head. If you study them and work through the PEK study guide, you'll probably be surprised at how much you've learned. The good solid read on the architecture comes from the Propeller Manual (that comes free with Spin!) and the forums.

Jeff Ledger (Old Bit Collector) and Nick McClanahan (GadgetGangster) also have a small ebook - see Amazon for Kindle version. It's a good read and has some fun, quick projects trying various things. It starts out pretty basic but gets into some fun stuff.

Programming and Customizing the Multicore Propeller is a more intermediate/advanced book and has lots of good information and showcases some very good projects. Of the two you mention, I'd certainly spend my money on this one and have to agree with John on the other title.

Invent-O-Doc · 2012-11-16 14:56

Don't forget about learn.parallax.com

As far as books, the first one you mention is quite good.

Clive Wakeham · 2012-11-16 15:00

Invent-O-Doc wrote: »

As far as books, the first one you mention is quite good.

I got that one as an e-book for my reader, and picked up the paperback book only last month since I like jumping pages back and forth as I read.

zappman · 2012-11-16 15:06

One of the most comprehensive propeller books is Game Programming for the Propeller-Powered HYDRA with CD for $39.99 only 2 left showing in stock.

Written by best-selling game development author Andr

rwgast_logicdesign · 2012-11-16 16:26

i acually found the prop through lamothe i w e read quite a few of his older books and did game institue classes. the first half of the hydra book seems like its about what im looking for but i have no intrest in video games anymore and very little intrest in video besides maybe an embeded display. ive worked on quake mods and game engines for like 10 years if i was coding i was writing games or tools cor making games bleghhh im pretty sure i have a pdf of the hydra manual ill look over after this turd twilight movie..

maybe the hydra manual and profogramming the multicore would be a good choice, whats wrong with programming the prop in spin it looke pretty beginner to intermediate with architecture details

Duane Degn · 2012-11-16 16:54

zappman wrote: »

One of the most comprehensive propeller books is Game Programming for the Propeller-Powered HYDRA with CD for $39.99 only 2 left showing in stock.

Written by best-selling game development author Andr

rwgast_logicdesign · 2012-11-17 00:12

You said the spin tutorial in the hard print 1.1 prop manual is pretty good, is it different than the tutorial in the 2.2 pdf??

Ok so im either going to start with the PE Kit (ive gone up to the timing chapter a while back) or the Hydra book. Looking at the hydra book it seems to start with ASM, la monthe usually writes very clear and detailed I like his books, so im trying to figure out if I should just skip the PEKit and start with the hydra book or start with the PE Kit. What do you think? Looking at the hydra book im thinking I will learn everything in that one book i would learn in the PE kit plus the two ASM pdf titles by potato head and da silva but im not sure.

Duane Degn · 2012-11-17 08:31

rwgast_logicdesign wrote: »

You said the spin tutorial in the hard print 1.1 prop manual is pretty good, is it different than the tutorial in the 2.2 pdf??

I supose I'm you? I'm not sure since I linked to the pdf of the 1.0 version of the Prop manual. Yes, it's very different.

The after 1.0 they moved the Spin tutorial out of the Prop Manual and used the PEK for the tutorial. I'd suggest either starting with the 1.0 manual or the PEK material. The "Learn.Parallax" also has good stuff by I'm not as familiar with it.

Start with Spin, you need some Spin to use PASM anyway.

Recommended propeller book(s)

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