What is the smallest Propeller Project Board?

ryman · 2013-01-18 09:02

What is the smallest Propeller Project Board? Looking to build a project in a small box.

Thanks
-=Ryan

Oldbitcollector (Jeff) · 2013-01-18 09:12

These two are pretty small...

http://propellerpowered.com/shop/?page_id=1431

http://propellerpowered.com/shop/?page_id=1438

Jeff

WBA Consulting · 2013-01-18 10:31

There are a few out there.

1) The Prop1 Module that Jeff mentioned
2) Propstick USB from Parallax
3) My M44D40+ module and PowerTwig combo. (module can be DIP or SMT)
4) Take a Prop Proto board and cut out the center. There is a thread somewhere on the forums about that but see the attached pic.
5) Parallax Propeller Backpack
6) See this thread with the same question

How small do you need? The Propeller Platform USB (replaced by the Propeller DNA) can fit in a Polycase VM-36 handheld case quite nicely as shown on this thread.

Don't be afraid to brew your own. I did for my metronome project here.

LoopyByteloose · 2013-01-19 00:42

Schmartboards has a small one. And then there is the Stamp form factor that is a 40pin DIP.

http://www.schmartboard.com/index.asp?page=products_parallax

Cluso99 · 2013-01-19 02:08

My CpuBlade is 1"x1". see www.clusos.com/home

BTW Would have been better to ask on the prop forum

frank freedman · 2013-01-19 08:06

Or get a piece of perfboard with room enough for what you want to do and clone the ckt from the prop ed kit and build on that. Or take the same perfboard and make it just big enough to allow you to clone the PEK circuit with enough room for a N<33 pin sip header to plug into either a breadboard or your project. Fast, cheap, easy.

Frank

W9GFO · 2013-01-19 10:20

SparkFun has a new Propeller board that is pretty small;

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11525

No decoupling caps though...

David Betz · 2013-01-19 17:47

ryman wrote: »

What is the smallest Propeller Project Board? Looking to build a project in a small box.

Thanks
-=Ryan

Steve (jazzed) has a module he calls the SpinSocket that has flash memory as well as an EEPROM.

It's discussed here: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/129713-Introducing-the-SpinSocket(tm)-Concept

max72 · 2013-01-20 09:07

I posted a couple of propeller platform clones, with diptrace files.
The latest is barebone (only 3.3 regulator, uses USB power as 5V supply) but is a perfect fit for itead, and so extremely cheap:
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/145389-Another-smaller-propeller-platform-clone

Massimo

Microcontrolled · 2013-01-20 14:28

I use WBA's M44D40+ module, it's my personal favorite, but there are other great modules out there I've never tried.

MacTuxLin · 2013-01-20 18:27

There are just so many to choose from but ultimately, it depends on your specific requirements. If you have only a few components to add & space is a real constrains, probably the Prop1 module extended might be a closer choice.

shimniok · 2013-01-22 07:57

@W9GFO - WBA's M44D40+ has bypass caps and is smaller than SFE's, much better design, and is surely one of the smallest DIP boards. Likewise my eeZee Propeller has bypass caps, crystal, transistor reset for DTR, FTDI or Prop Plug, etc., but isn't smallest.

@Cluso99's is quite small and well thought out.

tonyp12 · 2013-01-22 08:14

My Lilly board is pretty small.
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/138457-PropLilly-worlds-smallest-Demoboard?highlight=smallest+demo+board
Though I have not had time to write a virtual com port for the non-ftdi ic yet.

WBA Consulting · 2013-01-22 09:37

FYI, what I consider one of the advantages of my M44D40+ module is that it has the exact same pinout as the DIP40 Propeller chip.

jazzed · 2013-01-22 12:01

Here is what SpinSocket Flash has to offer.

Board size 1.6 square inches
DIP32 package usable with bread-boards
P9 to P25 Propeller pins free + Serial In/Output P31/P30
P0 to P8 pins can be used with Flash disabled
PropPlug compatible
Stackable and PCB mountable
4.5VDC to 10VDC input power
4MB onboard Flash +64KB EEPROM
80MHz operation
Decoupling Caps on the bottom
4 each 16 pin stackable headers
$35 each ASP - discount available to forum members

Price may vary. 30 PCBs available. Lead time about a week. USA shipping only. California customers pay sales tax. PayPal only.

attachment.php?attachmentid=98788&d=1358883277

attachment.php?attachmentid=98788&d=1358883277

attachment.php?attachmentid=98791&d=1358883757

rickfluck · 2013-01-23 10:19

We at Controlled Capture Systems have been developing a small module that is based on the Parallel Propeller and is controlled by an Android application that we call AndroiDAQ DEMO. The module was designed for education, development, and prototyping. The Android software and Spin firmware are open source. The module is called AndroiDAQ and you can read more information about it at: http://www.controlcapture.com/androiddaqmod. It was designed for breadboard prototyping and its board dimensions are: 3.00" X 1.300", with a pin spacing of: 1.100" X 0.100". Drop me a line if you would like to know more about the module.

SRLM · 2013-05-10 00:58

rickfluck wrote: »

We at Controlled Capture Systems have been developing a small module that is based on the Parallel Propeller and is controlled by an Android application that we call AndroiDAQ DEMO. The module was designed for education, development, and prototyping. The Android software and Spin firmware are open source. The module is called AndroiDAQ and you can read more information about it at: http://www.controlcapture.com/androiddaqmod. It was designed for breadboard prototyping and its board dimensions are: 3.00" X 1.300", with a pin spacing of: 1.100" X 0.100". Drop me a line if you would like to know more about the module.

Interesting. A few points:

1. The RN-41/RN-42 has a maximum SPP rate of 240kbps in slave mode. Your website says 3.0Mbps, which is maximum burst in HCI mode. Since your website is down (see below), I can't take a look at the code. I'm apriori impressed if you built the HCI stack, otherwise the top speed for SPP is 240kbps. In my tests (Propeller->RN-42->Android) I was able to saturate the Bluetooth link at about 160kbps.
2. I'm also curious how you are doing the data storage on the Android device. I suppose that will have to wait for the website to come up again, but I can speculate. I've come to the conclusion that the best model is to use a content provider to store and serve the data, and a service (unattached to an activity) to process the Bluetooth link and store it with the content provider.
3. I see for the I/O the website states "sink/source 40mA max. @ 3.3v, 5v compatible". I think the 5v compatible is a bit misleading, since you need external hardware to make it so (and from the pictures I can't see any). For inputs, you need a series resistor to reduce the current down to the 500uA allowed by the internal protection diode.

It's an interesting product, and I'm looking forward to taking a look at the open source code once the website comes back up.

ps: your website seems to be down when I try to go to new pages. I get the following error:

Fatal error: Call to a member function authorisedLevels() on a non-object in /hermes/bosoraweb174/b1488/nf.controlcapture/public_html/administrator/components/com_kunena/libraries/integration/joomla16/access.php on line 57

And your forums have the following error when I try to go to one of the subforums:

500 Internal Server Error

Fatal Error was detected!

Please contact the site owner.

SRLM · 2013-05-10 12:32

@rickfluck

Do you have a link to the code? Your website says that it is open source, but I can't seem to find it.

rickfluck · 2013-05-13 07:56

SRLM wrote: »
Interesting. A few points:

1. The RN-41/RN-42 has a maximum SPP rate of 240kbps in slave mode. Your website says 3.0Mbps, which is maximum burst in HCI mode. Since your website is down (see below), I can't take a look at the code. I'm apriori impressed if you built the HCI stack, otherwise the top speed for SPP is 240kbps. In my tests (Propeller->RN-42->Android) I was able to saturate the Bluetooth link at about 160kbps.
2. I'm also curious how you are doing the data storage on the Android device. I suppose that will have to wait for the website to come up again, but I can speculate. I've come to the conclusion that the best model is to use a content provider to store and serve the data, and a service (unattached to an activity) to process the Bluetooth link and store it with the content provider.
3. I see for the I/O the website states "sink/source 40mA max. @ 3.3v, 5v compatible". I think the 5v compatible is a bit misleading, since you need external hardware to make it so (and from the pictures I can't see any). For inputs, you need a series resistor to reduce the current down to the 500uA allowed by the internal protection diode.

It's an interesting product, and I'm looking forward to taking a look at the open source code once the website comes back up.

ps: your website seems to be down when I try to go to new pages. I get the following error:
Fatal error: Call to a member function authorisedLevels() on a non-object in /hermes/bosoraweb174/b1488/nf.controlcapture/public_html/administrator/components/com_kunena/libraries/integration/joomla16/access.php on line 57
And your forums have the following error when I try to go to one of the subforums:
500 Internal Server Error

Fatal Error was detected!

Please contact the site owner.

Thank you SRLM for your input. Comments below regarding your observations and comments

1. The specs for the RN-41/42 were taken from Microchip/Roving's data sheet. We have changed the text to correct this, thank you for pointing it out.
2. Data logging is accomplished on-board and stored in a text file on an SD card, which then can be downloaded via our Android or LabVIEW DEMO applications.
3. Yes, series resistors were used, changed text to 5-volt DC tolerant.

Not sure why the website was down at that time, maintenance perhaps; anyway, here is a link for the zip file for the Spin code used in the firmware:
https://androidaq-demo-enhancement-project.googlecode.com/files/AndroiDAQRev3.zip

The firmware is fairly simple stuff.

Thank you for your input,

Rick

Cluso99 · 2017-04-11 20:43

I should add my P8XBlade2 to this list.

Overclocked 96MHz prop, fully decoupled, onboard 3V3 regulator (5V regulated input recommended), selectable transistor reset circuit or bypass it, selectable WE to 64KB EEPROM, microSD socket.
EEPROM preloaded to boot from microSD card.
My Propeller OS available for microSD FAT16/32 formatted card, free download.
Able to use cheap (~$1.25) USB to serial CP2102 6pin instead of PROPPLUG for downloading.
Size < 0.8"x1.3" ENIG pcb.

See www.clusos.com