Programming a BS2 Using a Propeller

MacGeek117

Hello all!

Been helping my parents clean out some old cruft from their basement, and came across something that I had completely forgotten about: a BASIC Stamp 2 module in great condition!

I moved on from the BS2 to the SX and Propeller long ago, but may have a project that could still use the BS2 as possibly a co-processor or I/O controller.
Did some cursory searching for an answer, but couldn't come up with anything: Is it possible (and/or practical...) to program a vanilla BS2 (#BS2-IC) using a Propeller?
Perhaps save a tokenized file (or several) to an SD card, load it from there?

Look forward to learning from the masters here!

Chris Savage

It is possible, but you have to understand the programming protocol for the BS2 as well as how to read the object files created by the BASIC Stamp Editor.

I wrote a program to identify and program a BASIC Stamp module from a BS2p years ago. I can't seem to find the full version on my work PC here, but I did locate an early beta that seems to have all the routines to identify the BASIC Stamp Model. This was built around a jig with a ZIF socket that you would plug the BASIC Stamp Module into and then it would identify it and load the test code and perform a test on the module like shown here: http://savagecircuits.com/index.php/projects/basic-stamp-projects/35-basic-stamp-module-tester

Chris Savage

It is possible, but you have to understand the programming protocol for the BS2 as well as how to read the object files created by the BASIC Stamp Editor.

I wrote a program to identify and program a BASIC Stamp module from a BS2p years ago. I can't seem to find the full version on my work PC here, but I did locate an early beta that seems to have all the routines to identify the BASIC Stamp Model. This was built around a jig with a ZIF socket that you would plug the BASIC Stamp Module into and then it would identify it and load the test code and perform a test on the module like shown here: http://savagecircuits.com/index.php/projects/basic-stamp-projects/35-basic-stamp-module-tester

WBA Consulting

You may also want to check out Tracy Allen's "Stache Programmer": http://emesystems.com/stache.htm

Tracy Allen

Try here,
http://emesystems.com/BS2clone.htm
That describes the protocol and also how to make one Stamp program another. It should be easy to duplicate on a Propeller.

The Stache field programmer in Andrew's link is an sx20 chip programmed to execute both sides of the protocol, one to emulate a Stamp to receive a program, single or multi-slot, and one to emulate a PC to burn that program into a second Stamp.

WBA Consulting

Tracy, thanks for posting that link. I was trying to get to the BS2Clone page from this page: http://www.emesystems.com/stache_tech_dat.htm but the link on that page about the programming algorithm goes to a bum page of http://www.emesystems.com/BS2misc.htm#Clone

bte2

WBA Consulting wrote: »

You may also want to check out Tracy Allen's "Stache Programmer": http://emesystems.com/stache.htm

I have one of those! :-)

MacGeek117

Thanks guys!
Tracy's link is exactly what I need, am it looks to be more simply than I thought.