How does Propeller compare to Z8 processor (18.4 mhz)
redheadedrod
Posts: 78
I recently purchased a couple of PC's left over by a now out of business developer.
These PC's were intended to be used as a security and monitoring system for Tour buses but the developer ran out of money before he could finish the project and went bankrupt.
These PC's have a Mini-ITX sized PC motherboard using VIA CPUs being powered by an OPUS power supply. They have an 8 port camera board in them, 20 gig HD and running WIn XP.
To better control the power supply the developer is using a Z80 based board that is controlling the OPUS PS by manipulating the ignition in connection with opto isolated relays on another board.
I am currently looking at purchasing the rest of the PC's to strip them and re purpose the components. Selling any components I don't use. He has a total of 9 of them.
I am trying to evaluate these Z80 boards that came with these units. I am curious how they stack up to a Propeller. They use a 18.4mhz 8 bit z80 processor which on its own doesn't sound like it should even begin to compare to the power of a Propeller to me. They have 64k of flash rom and 4k of ram. They can be programmed in C with the compiled program being uploaded via a serial cable. The development environment apparently only runs in Win XP.
These Z80 boards can be found at this site:
http://www.etteam.com/product/07A11.html
(I had to use google translate to read the page.)
The hardware included on these boards are nice but I am thinking I could duplicate them on a Propeller board pretty easily. I am trying to decide if I want to try using these Z80 boards or just dump them. The site shows them as still available so they are apparently still being sold and somewhat supported.
I would appreciate some feedback on these before I waste any time with them if they make absolutely no sense for me to use over a propeller. Benefits of them are that I am getting them for almost free.. But I will want to use whatever I do in an automotive environment to control things and they will need to be networked to each other as well as potentially ARM based boards and/or a PC.
I will likely be using atleast one Propeller regardless in my project. Think of Knight rider and you get an idea what I am doing to my truck...
(i5 Based PC is being installed in my truck in the next 2 weeks with a 10" touch screen. Have GPS, TPMS, Backup sensors, ODB II, full time internet, HD radio, plus more planned. to be fully integrated into the vehicles CANBUS system to control all systems Plan to use ARM based processor boards to do much of the work but will also be using Propeller type boards to do much of the interfacing and control. Could potentially use these Z80 boards but no sense if the Propeller is much more powerful.)
Rodney
These PC's were intended to be used as a security and monitoring system for Tour buses but the developer ran out of money before he could finish the project and went bankrupt.
These PC's have a Mini-ITX sized PC motherboard using VIA CPUs being powered by an OPUS power supply. They have an 8 port camera board in them, 20 gig HD and running WIn XP.
To better control the power supply the developer is using a Z80 based board that is controlling the OPUS PS by manipulating the ignition in connection with opto isolated relays on another board.
I am currently looking at purchasing the rest of the PC's to strip them and re purpose the components. Selling any components I don't use. He has a total of 9 of them.
I am trying to evaluate these Z80 boards that came with these units. I am curious how they stack up to a Propeller. They use a 18.4mhz 8 bit z80 processor which on its own doesn't sound like it should even begin to compare to the power of a Propeller to me. They have 64k of flash rom and 4k of ram. They can be programmed in C with the compiled program being uploaded via a serial cable. The development environment apparently only runs in Win XP.
These Z80 boards can be found at this site:
http://www.etteam.com/product/07A11.html
(I had to use google translate to read the page.)
The hardware included on these boards are nice but I am thinking I could duplicate them on a Propeller board pretty easily. I am trying to decide if I want to try using these Z80 boards or just dump them. The site shows them as still available so they are apparently still being sold and somewhat supported.
I would appreciate some feedback on these before I waste any time with them if they make absolutely no sense for me to use over a propeller. Benefits of them are that I am getting them for almost free.. But I will want to use whatever I do in an automotive environment to control things and they will need to be networked to each other as well as potentially ARM based boards and/or a PC.
I will likely be using atleast one Propeller regardless in my project. Think of Knight rider and you get an idea what I am doing to my truck...
(i5 Based PC is being installed in my truck in the next 2 weeks with a 10" touch screen. Have GPS, TPMS, Backup sensors, ODB II, full time internet, HD radio, plus more planned. to be fully integrated into the vehicles CANBUS system to control all systems Plan to use ARM based processor boards to do much of the work but will also be using Propeller type boards to do much of the interfacing and control. Could potentially use these Z80 boards but no sense if the Propeller is much more powerful.)
Rodney
Comments
(Mostly because it's a 8bit CPU that has a few 16bit operations. The narrow bus really hurts in number crunching)
That ain't no Z80!
It's a Z8 Encore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilog_Z8
A completely different and much more interesting beast...
I notice that the Z8 Encore boards are priced at 1250TB, which is around US$38.63 with today's exchange rates.
I still am trying to track down some programming support for this board. There is supposed to be a C compliler for it. But again, I am curious how it would work against the Propeller. Sounds like if it is performing like a Z80 then if I took all of the boards together (I will have 9 if I buy the other machines.) will pretty much equal the processing power of one Propeller. Although I thought the Propeller is limited to 32k due to the built in Basic Interpreter?
Thanks!
Again, doesn't mean I wouldn't use the Propeller for some functions as well but just curious if these boards are worth considering for interfacing or a Propeller would be a better beast. Still thinking a propeller is better but just not sure.
(Plus the propeller can have external storage added easily which I don't see as possible with these other boards.)
Rodney
While the Z8 ENCORE was a nice quirky beast in it's yesteryear it just doesn't even begin to compare to the Prop. There is no doubt that the Prop is better, way better, of that I'm sure. The Z8 is not only 8 bits but it was a very constrained bit-bashing microcontroller anyway. Why oh why are you wasting time with junk that's better off being melted down and recycled? Play with it sure, use it instead of a Prop? No way.
BTW, go back to your first post and under ADVANCED EDIT change the subject to "compare to Z8 processor" because the only thing that the Z8 and Z80 have in common is the manufacturer and the first two letters, everything else is different.
The Spin Interpreter can only access 32KB RAM, but it can start separate code in the COG cores.
It is generally limited to 32KB main HUB SRAM, but can be coerced into using more by loading COG RAM separately via loader contortions.
The Z-8 isn't really a processor for hobbyists, it's been around forever and is really aimed at low end consumer apps. While the Z-80 has had a new lease on life thanks to speeding it up to 75Mhz and being able to address 16MB, built in 10/100 ethernet, etc. For a ambitious hobbyist it's certainly a chip to consider and using the Prop for video and keyboard. Add to it a port of CPM and you could have a nice stand alone system.
That depends on how well documented they are, and how easy it is to get more.
(ignoring the Z8 core detail)
You may decide to use just the power sections, and wire the drivers to a Prop ?
Micros-on-Boards are surprisingly cheap and plentiful these days, and you can usually buy more of these as needed..
A good example is the $4 Cypress offerings for PSoC4xx
I think I may have outlined my full project else where but As I have hinted at I am developing a long term project for my truck as a demonstration of my abilities and to learn more stuff that hopefully will be applicable in the "real world". While the degree I am working on is in Programming with a Minor in computer security I have always been interested in accessing hardware.
Because I am looking to interface into virtually all of the systems in my truck and add a few new ones I expect to use 3 different levels of computers... High powered PC (Mostly for Media access and Convenience/Entertainment when the truck is running), ultra low powered ARM boards (Similar to Beagle Boards etc..) and low end processors such as Propeller.
The PC will be setup to be the main "brain" and interface to the rest of the system. Running Win 7 Pro
The ARM boards will be the workhorses of the system. They will monitor everything and take the load off the PC. They will run Linux
The lower end processors such as Propellers will be used to perform any direct interfacing I will be doing. If it means reading a sensor, (Hopefully) communicating with the CANBUS, or anything else I need them to do. (Compose the majority of a fully integrated alarm system.)
When I say I want to build a Knight Rider type vehicle I want to develop the technology on my own to do as much as I can. Would be really cool if I could make it drive its self too but i think that will take more knowledge and resources than what I have available to me at this time. So when evaluating the potential use of these boards as opposed to a Propeller for some functions hopefully this makes better sense...
The more you guys respond the more I am leaning towards Propeller only and just selling these boards. Although if I use C with these boards and C with propellers that might make my life more bearable. I will be using C# or C++ with the Linux and WIndows programs I need to write. Since my truck will have WiFi and full time 3g/4gLTE access I will likely be building an Android application to access my truck remotely as well.
Rodney