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Programming a propeller with a propeller? — Parallax Forums

Programming a propeller with a propeller?

tstanfordtstanford Posts: 5
edited 2014-04-27 22:02 in Propeller 1
I am 90% sure I saw this somewhere, and now that I need it I cannot find it or remember where I saw it. Been through everything on the object exchange. What I'm wondering is if anyone has written an object to program a propeller without having to socket the eeprom in and out of the target board?

Comments

  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2014-04-27 14:49
    Is this what you're thinking of?
  • tstanfordtstanford Posts: 5
    edited 2014-04-27 14:59
    Duane Degn wrote: »
    Is this what you're thinking of?

    ......

    I knew that it would be the place I looked for the last hour and some... Thank you very much Duane.
  • infoinfo Posts: 31
    edited 2014-04-27 15:01
    I'm new to propeller, but today electronics is SMT surface mounted. There are no sockets and DIP chips anymore. It is programmed "in circuit". The propeller is programmed through serial port pins 30,31 by default bootloader firmware stored in the propeller ROM. You need to download "Propeller Tool" on Parallax website. You will also need some hardware to connect PC to the propeller's serial port. Buy the "PropPlug" for 15 bucks. Comes with USB cable and it is the easiest PC to Propeller hookup to use.

    If your board is not a standard setup, you would have to solder some wires to TX, RX, /RES, and GND (Vss). The PropPlug has label on, so you can't mix up the connections.
  • tstanfordtstanford Posts: 5
    edited 2014-04-27 15:02
    Double post. Is there a way to use that to load it to eeprom as well?

    @info :

    This is for a project for a class at my school. We've been using propellers for the last 2 semesters :). I'm just about to etch my final board and assemble, code besides this is basically done. I was just looking for a more interesting way to load the program, as the board I own is just a quickstart and is all SMT. The professional dev board from parallax has a socketed eeprom, and thats what we were going to do initially. But i'd like to add another option if there isn't a $150 board nearby without implementing a prop plug or SMT FTDI chip. I know I could use RS232 but modern laptops don't have a serial port. I know they make adapters. If this is kind of a pointless endeavor, I do apologize though. I've learned so much this semester doing this, and was just trying to squeeze a bit more :).
  • ElectrodudeElectrodude Posts: 1,658
    edited 2014-04-27 15:05
    info wrote: »
    today electronics is SMT surface mounted. There are no sockets and DIP chips anymore.

    Then what do you call this and this? Parallax has always been committed to providing for hobbyists who don't have the equipment for SMT and use DIPs instead (or for professionals who like prototyping things on breadboards, which need DIPs).
  • tstanfordtstanford Posts: 5
    edited 2014-04-27 15:09
    I do appreciate the information, even if I did already know it ;).
  • msrobotsmsrobots Posts: 3,709
    edited 2014-04-27 15:10
    yes.

    The PropellerLoader.spin can load to RAM as well as program to eeprom like the propellertool does.
    The problem is the size of the eeprom file. you can not include it in the PropellerLoader.spin like the example does.

    Mike G. has as example in his spinneret code where he changed the PropellerLoader.spin to load a file from sd-card and program that. This will get you thru the size restriction.

    Enjoy!

    Mike
  • infoinfo Posts: 31
    edited 2014-04-27 15:20
    I know Parallax still has DIP chips in stock, but most manufacturers don't make, or will stop making DIP or any other socketed styles. If the chip is not available in DIP, you can still use little adapter circuit boards that convert SOIC, TSOP, or whatever the tiny footprints are to SIP pins soldered as DIP chip you can plug into DIP socket. Yes, there are ways, but the ZIF eprom programmers we used will soon be in museum of clever inventions.
  • tstanfordtstanford Posts: 5
    edited 2014-04-27 15:32
    Slightly offtopic, but I just aquired a DATAIO UniSite XPI with 8 ZIF sockets on it, and the zif dip socket. No idea what to use it for. Also got an eprom erasing cabinet. Thinking of making a 74 series based computer, and using some eproms for holding ascii characters or something..
  • cavelambcavelamb Posts: 720
    edited 2014-04-27 21:20
    info wrote: »
    I know Parallax still has DIP chips in stock, but most manufacturers don't make, or will stop making DIP or any other socketed styles. If the chip is not available in DIP, you can still use little adapter circuit boards that convert SOIC, TSOP, or whatever the tiny footprints are to SIP pins soldered as DIP chip you can plug into DIP socket. Yes, there are ways, but the ZIF eprom programmers we used will soon be in museum of clever inventions.

    I just bought one of those antique ZIF eprom (plus a bunch of other stuff) programmer, for the byte-wide DIP capability.

    Don't burn your Confederate money yet, info.
  • Peter JakackiPeter Jakacki Posts: 10,193
    edited 2014-04-27 22:02
    Absolute easiest way is to directly load the EEPROM via I2C which means you can load the whole or part of the 32k and beyond. If you hold the target Prop in reset then you have free access to the target's EEPROM after which you can just release the reset line. I use this technique for field programming Props too, it's quick and reliable.
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