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Can the propeller run on 3.0 volts — Parallax Forums

Can the propeller run on 3.0 volts

dr hydradr hydra Posts: 212
edited 2015-03-23 10:05 in Propeller 1
I know the data sheet shows a min of 2.6volts...but what happens if the voltage is 2.8 to 3.0...does the propeller run or does it keep resetting? Does it cause any damage?

Comments

  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,702
    edited 2015-03-15 18:23
    It doesn't cause any damage, but it may keep resetting unless you disable the brownout detection (BOEn pin).

    If you disable brownout you can go as low as just over a volt, though various functions such as oscillators drop off on the way. See this thread
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/129731-Prop-Limbo!-how-low-(power-voltage)-can-it-go!
  • Peter JakackiPeter Jakacki Posts: 10,193
    edited 2015-03-15 18:39
    You have a knack for confusing everyone including yourself. I answered this in the other thread AFTER I found out that you were interfacing to an STM32F4 Discovery.
    You replied
    Thank you for the help...

    It looks like my best bet is to use the 5v power supply on the discovery board and add a LM2937ET 3.3 LDO to power the propeller...thanks again for the help

    So why do you start a new thread? We like to help but you aren't being very helpful yourself. Instead of asking confusing questions, just say what it is you are trying to do, add some context so we are clued in, mention any other relevant threads etc If we can go to the trouble of answering you then surely you can go to the trouble of taking a few minutes thinking about the question and providing sufficient details.

    Going back to what I said in the other post I had mentioned that the "3V" is not nicely regulated since it goes through a Schottky whose voltage drop will depend upon current, so you can expect the supply to drop below the nominal "3V" and quite possibly trip the brown-out, or at least cause problems with running at 80MHz even. Go back to using a regulator and don't treat the forum as a vending machine, we are real people.
  • Tracy AllenTracy Allen Posts: 6,664
    edited 2015-03-16 08:48
    To directly answer the question, yes, the Propeller can run on 3.0 volts. I do it all the time with a 3.0 volt regulator with very good filtering at both the input and output of the regulator so that it won't glitch down and hit the brownout point. The Prop draws a bit less current when operated at 3.0 volts, and with 3.0V instead of 3.3V it can take a Lithium cell down to a deeper level of discharge.
  • dr hydradr hydra Posts: 212
    edited 2015-03-21 06:11
    Thanks for the answers...I have one more concern...with the stm32 vdd running at around 3.0v and the propeller's 3.3v will the gpio pins on the stm32 be damaged by the propeller...if I am reading the data sheet correctly...the stm32 should be able to handle vdd>.3v max....but I am not sure I am reading the data sheet correctly, plus .3v would be cutting it close. Any help is much appreciated
  • dr hydradr hydra Posts: 212
    edited 2015-03-21 17:03
    Another thought...could or should I run a diode on the propeller pins (output) to the stm32 (inputs)...the voltage drop would be around .2 to .3 volts? Then the propeller output voltage (3.3v) in communications (spi) between the stm32 would drop to around 3.0volts...
  • abecedarianabecedarian Posts: 312
    edited 2015-03-21 18:55
    Is this the datasheet: http://www.st.com/st-web-ui/static/active/en/resource/technical/document/datasheet/DM00037051.pdf

    Table 6 lists some definitions for abbreviations used in Table 7; entries under "I/O structure" with a value of "FT" are 5v tolerant as an input. You would have to do some checks: figure out which pin name you're connecting to; determine its default state and function out of reset. Depending on those results, you may have to hold the Propeller in reset until the STM32 has started up and reconfigured any pins the Prop is connected to.

    Diodes or current-limiting resistors shouldn't be required. Driving any Prop pin shouldn't be an issue.
  • dr hydradr hydra Posts: 212
    edited 2015-03-21 19:42
    Thank you for the help

    I cannot find the default settings for the gpio pins...any ideas...once I found out the default setting...I need to make sure the gpio is set to input with no pull or pull down...correct. At that point the pin will be 5v tolerant...correct.. Or am I missing something
  • abecedarianabecedarian Posts: 312
    edited 2015-03-21 20:46
    Default settings are in Table 7 too; Table 6 gives an explanation: "Unless otherwise specified in brackets below the pin name, the pin function during and after reset is the same as the actual pin name"

    Most of the pin names are like "PA#", "PG#" and so on, so that would be the pin function after reset, but if it has something in parentheses listed also that is the function after reset. These are mostly the pins associated with JTAG / programming and debugging the STM32 so you should probably avoid them if possible.


    Depending on what you're doing, you might have a need to set an input pull-up or pull-down, or might need an external up/down in some cases. For instance, if the STM32 has a pin that the Prop switches either LOW or HIGH for something to happen, if you enable the internal pull-up or pull-down, you won't have a floating signal there that could cause a false trigger if the STM32 starts up before the Prop starts.
  • dr hydradr hydra Posts: 212
    edited 2015-03-22 08:38
    Thank you...thank you...

    This has been a big help...it looks like most pins are set floating input...which would make the ft pins 5v tolerant. Perfect...

    I am thinking the safest setup for me would be to run the gpio input float on 5v tolerant pins with an external pull down...that should give me the 5v tolerances and avoid false reads on the input pins...that should work?
  • abecedarianabecedarian Posts: 312
    edited 2015-03-22 10:07
    External pulls are safe when you don't know what is going to boot up first.

    With a multiple MCU set up, you can sequence which MCU boots up first, so maybe consider one MCU is held reset until the other boots and then that one releases the other to boot.
  • dr hydradr hydra Posts: 212
    edited 2015-03-22 12:27
    This has been very helpful...an external pull down is simple...I will go with that...however how would you hold the propeller in reset...I am not sure how that works...
  • abecedarianabecedarian Posts: 312
    edited 2015-03-22 16:35
    If I remember right, the Propeller's RST is "active low", meaning that if you pull that pin to ground, that will cause the chip to reset. So, keeping the Prop in reset, would be pull the Prop RST pin to ground with a weak pull-down, and let an STM32 GPIO provide a HIGH to that pin when the STM32 is ready for the Prop to boot up. This is why I mentioned having pull-up/downs, maybe external, could be desired.

    You can go the other way, where if the Prop thinks the STM32 is doing something wrong, it can cause the STM32 to reset too, which would basically reset the whole system.



    *to add- someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
  • dr hydradr hydra Posts: 212
    edited 2015-03-23 10:05
    I know it is overkill…but it is cheap insurance…For communications from the propeller to the stm32…I am going to run a 74lvs244 between the propeller tx (running at 3.3V) and the stm32 rx (running at 3.0v)…on the 74lvs244 the vcc will come from the discovery board 3.0v..the propeller will be powered from the discovery board 5v through a LM2937ET-3.3 V Voltage Regulator creating 3.3v. Plus I am going to run a 10K pull down resistor between the 74lvs244 and the propeller(ensuring no float)…By using the 74lvs244 I should be able to ensure that the stm32 only receives 3.0v on which ever GPIO I use…this should work…correct?
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