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Wiring the backpack — Parallax Forums

Wiring the backpack

Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,185
edited 2014-03-11 22:50 in General Discussion
Hello!
According to the documentation that I've downloaded concerning the device the connectors on it provide these functions:
Three-pin one matches the extension cables, which are a part of (wait for it) #800-00041-RT, and the four pin one matches the Prop Plug which is:
#32201.

And there is the daughterboard connector on it.

To that end I've read the documentation from end to end, and now studied the programming examples.

To wit, to wire it to communicate with a host, I need to attach one extension cable to the three-pin end and match the colors, on both the BOE and it.

To the plug end I need to insert an ordinary "1/8 jack who is connected to a phono connector for my display arrangement.

Did I summarize everything appropriately or did I leave something out?

Oh and the connector for the Prop Plug is typically used by it for the user to communicate with the Prop during the points in time when its necessary to upload new programming to it, or freshen the firmware it uses.

Now then.....

Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-03-06 20:46
    Buck,

    You've got it mostly right. The 1/8" jack is a stereo jack, so you will need a stereo plug or adapter to make the proper connection.

    -Phil
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,185
    edited 2014-03-06 21:08
    Buck,

    You've got it mostly right. The 1/8" jack is a stereo jack, so you will need a stereo plug or adapter to make the proper connection.

    -Phil

    Hello!
    Interesting. Okay. This is the text that suggested an ordinary 1/8" jack, "RadioShack #274-897You can also use a monaural cable with a 1/8” phone plug at one end and an RCA plug at the other end."

    The connector shown is also one, a monaural one, or single channel connector.

    Because of the Pi here, and of course my A/V gear I have miles of phono cables here. It's still an interesting issue.

    Later today I'm going to visit our favorite store and examine both gadgets.

    The one that WBA Consulting sold me arrived today, and that's why I've asked the questions. The backpack design is an interesting one and a good one also.

    Backstory, that's the member who offered to sell me one, after reading my discussions with you of teasing a PAB in to becoming one while I study the methods of presenting video via the Prop.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-03-06 21:18
    If you're outputting only video, a monaural plug or adapter will be just fine. It will short the other channel, but with no output there, it doesn't matter.

    -Phil
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,185
    edited 2014-03-07 09:44
    If you're outputting only video, a monaural plug or adapter will be just fine. It will short the other channel, but with no output there, it doesn't matter.

    -Phil

    Hello!
    Okay next question:
    Daughterboard pinout shows (top row) Vdd A7 A5 A3 A1 blank pin
    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (bottom row) Gnd A6 A4 A2 A0 5v


    Since the Prop is a 3.3V device, is it safe to presume that the Vdd line is outputting 3.3v for the attachable PropCam? And 5v for everything else then?

    Since blank boards are available, my original idea was to use one to hold the driver board and display that I'm using. That one is as it happens:
    http://www.adafruit.com/products/910 since that small one is about the same size as the boards which both the blank one is, and of course the PropBackpack certainly is.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-03-07 10:28

    Since the Prop is a 3.3V device, is it safe to presume that the Vdd line is outputting 3.3v for the attachable PropCam? And 5v for everything else then?

    VDD is 3.3V, the output from the regulator. Everything on the board is using 3.3Volts. 5 volts is the input to the regulator. From J2 and available on J3.

    Yes, the PropCam uses 3.3 volts.
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,185
    edited 2014-03-07 23:11
    If you're outputting only video, a monaural plug or adapter will be just fine. It will short the other channel, but with no output there, it doesn't matter.

    -Phil

    And I've just ran the two examples for the device. I am very impressed. Very impressed indeed. They took off like a <insert favorite problem solver> chasing a <favorite problem> would.

    Now to start applying them to do everything else.
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,185
    edited 2014-03-08 15:05
    And I've just ran the two examples for the device. I am very impressed. Very impressed indeed. They took off like a <insert favorite problem solver> chasing a <favorite problem> would.

    Now to start applying them to do everything else.


    Okay, an update, I've run the examples on the small screen that I cited earlier, the Adafruit 910 one. My one problem now is text size. They displayed text that looked okay on a big screen, but poor on a small one.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2014-03-08 15:55
    Check page 5 of the documentation, Buck. You can change the text size by changing the screen size with the SCRSIZ command.

    -Phil
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,185
    edited 2014-03-11 22:50
    Check page 5 of the documentation, Buck. You can change the text size by changing the screen size with the SCRSIZ command.

    -Phil

    Hello!
    Working my way through an example as well:

    SEROUT io, baud, [DEFWIN, 1, 20, 2, 7, 9, USEWIN, 1, CHGCLR, 12]
    SEROUT io, baud, [DEFCLR, 12, $AD, $0C]
    FOR W0 = 1000 TO 1050
    SEROUT io, baud, [" ", DEC W0, CR]
    PAUSE 700
    NEXT
    


    That blurb comes from my screentest1 job. So far it does what I'd expect it to do. The whole business comes from page 7 of the documentation. Presumably as with the 2X16 Serial LCD Display, to display a variable, all I do is insert it into the box where your example has the W0 one, I would imagine. And I believe I can take hints for doing that, managing the data to be displayed as well from my efforts for working with the display. If you're curious I can supply my examples. -_-
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