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Who of you guys are going to buy a real P2? — Parallax Forums

Who of you guys are going to buy a real P2?

Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
edited 2018-05-10 01:13 in Propeller 2
Since there are only a couple of people (Chip, Peter, myself, and perhaps Brian) actively testing out the P2 FPGA code now, who is actually going to buy and test/use a real P2?

If I have missed anyone currently testing a P2, let me know here :)
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Comments

  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    I'm sure I'll buy a few. What we want to know though is who will buy 10k or more.
  • ke4pjwke4pjw Posts: 1,155
    I will be buying a few. Lots of low latency bandwidth for das blinkinlights.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    I'll get a few to play with
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    Mike Green wrote: »
    I'll get a few to play with

    Same here.
  • ersmithersmith Posts: 6,053
    Cluso99 wrote: »
    Since there are only a couple of people (Chip, Peter, myself, and perhaps Brian) actively testing out the P2 FPGA code now, who is actually going to buy and test/use a real P2?

    If I have missed anyone currently testing a P2, let me know here :)

    I may. Now that the instruction set has finally settled down (I hope!) I've started updating fastspin for the P2. The version on github (3.7.2-beta) is developed enough to run some benchmarks and compile the RiscV and ZPU emulators again. Once the PASM2 parser is able to pass all of the tests that come with p2asm (Dave Hein's another one actively working on P2, his tools are great!) then I'll probably post a binary.
  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    I will buy and use P2's in my hobby stuff (often in place of P1's I am using now). Nothing major.

    I have been testing the last couple iterations of the FPGA, mostly just messing with the included demos (like modding some of the display ones to use some of the pixel mixing instructions), and playing P2 Invaders from ozpropdev.
    I'll probably be getting more involved with using the FPGA image once Chip gets back on working on the Spin2/PASM2 compiler stuff, and gives me updates to start getting OpenSpin2 going. Assuming that's still wanted.
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    I hope to acquire a real P2 some day. Will I test it? Probably. Will I use it for some practical application? Maybe. Will I write code for it just for fun? Most definitely.
  • Bob Lawrence (VE1RLL)Bob Lawrence (VE1RLL) Posts: 1,720
    I will purchase some :)
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    Probably not. There's nothing I need a microcontroller for that the P1 can't handle. I suppose, if the P2 had asynchronous PLL outputs not tied to the system clock, I might have been enthusiastic about some possible RF apps. But since all outputs are synchronous, that seems a rather remote possibility. Frankly, the P2 lost me at interrupts.

    -Phil
  • apcountrymanapcountryman Posts: 33
    Maybe. It all depends on the tools.
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    Roy Eltham wrote: »
    I will buy and use P2's in my hobby stuff (often in place of P1's I am using now). Nothing major.

    I have been testing the last couple iterations of the FPGA, mostly just messing with the included demos (like modding some of the display ones to use some of the pixel mixing instructions), and playing P2 Invaders from ozpropdev.
    I'll probably be getting more involved with using the FPGA image once Chip gets back on working on the Spin2/PASM2 compiler stuff, and gives me updates to start getting OpenSpin2 going. Assuming that's still wanted.
    Yes Pleae Roy. We will be needing those extras.
    Pnut is ok for testing out P2, but I am hoping for something a lot better for real work ;)

    BTW you only make the 5th actually testing/using the FPGA code :(
  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    Sign me up for some P2 Protoboards.

  • rjo__rjo__ Posts: 2,114
    Interrupts? I have to use interrupts?

    I have been slaving away at this FPGA stuff and NOW you tell me I need interrupts!!!!!

    1 Cog can handle two PropCams without interrupts... who knows how many more if I had just
    paid more attention.

    I have no plans to buy any P2 chips... I need a module to get me going, one with 4 P2's would be handy.




  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    rjo__ wrote: »
    Interrupts? I have to use interrupts?

    I have been slaving away at this FPGA stuff and NOW you tell me I need interrupts!!!!!

    1 Cog can handle two PropCams without interrupts... who knows how many more if I had just
    paid more attention.

    I have no plans to buy any P2 chips... I need a module to get me going, one with 4 P2's would be handy.
    No-one said you must use interrupts. Neither Peter nor I currently do in the potential ROM code (SD/TAQOZ/Debugger). Chip does in the Serial though.
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    I want one, and have a plan for it. I have been less active during this stage largely due to the need for the last things to be noise free as possible.

    Have FPGA up, and some code written. More to come, when I'm past this tough travel time.
  • msrobotsmsrobots Posts: 3,709
    I am in the same boat with rjo__ and have to wait for clusso99 to build a tetraP2 board...

    Next best would be something to plug into the breadboard of my PPDB to have some things to play with.

    Enjoy

    Mike
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Of course I'll be buying a handful of P2 ASAP. Who would not be itching to try it out. Looking forward to OpenSpin2 and GCC. Gotta play with the ZPU and RISC V. Might even think about resurrecting the ZiCog Z80 emulator for it, but free time for such things is thin now a days.

    After that no doubt I will acquire them in a trickle. I'm hardly a big customer for any chips.

    Speaking of limited time. I'm going to need an idiots guide to P2 assembler programming. Something that restricts itself to the 20 odd normally needed, simple, instructions, and has no confusion over weird instructions, execution modes and so on. You know, the 10% of features that gets one 90% of the bang.

    It's not that I'm not keen, it's just that I'm likely to be allocating mental effort and time to many other things.

    Patiently waiting for Chipmas...

  • ErNaErNa Posts: 1,752
    I will create all my future products using P2 and successors! If the chips will be available in the EU.
  • maccamacca Posts: 780
    I'll buy one or two someday, however as an hobbyst, the package choice is limiting so I have to wait for a development or breakout board to be available, and hope that can be purchased from an international seller at a reasonable price.

    What do with it then, I have a lot of ideas, and mostly depends on what will be available and the software tools.
  • MicksterMickster Posts: 2,693
    Anyone interested in multi-axis TRUE CNC control should be all over this device.
    I am still not aware of any other single chip that can handle many channels of high-frequency quadrature encoder input.
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    Since there are only a couple of people (Chip, Peter, myself, and perhaps Brian) actively testing out the P2 FPGA code now, who is actually going to buy and test/use a real P2?
    Sign me up for some P2 Protoboards.

    The P2 chips by themselves will most likely be too much trouble for me, but if Parallax starts selling P2 Protoboards, depending on the price, I will most likely use them for all future endeavors.

  • ersmithersmith Posts: 6,053
    Cluso99 wrote: »
    Roy Eltham wrote: »
    I have been testing the last couple iterations of the FPGA, mostly just messing with the included demos (like modding some of the display ones to use some of the pixel mixing instructions), and playing P2 Invaders from ozpropdev.
    I'll probably be getting more involved with using the FPGA image once Chip gets back on working on the Spin2/PASM2 compiler stuff, and gives me updates to start getting OpenSpin2 going. Assuming that's still wanted.
    Yes Pleae Roy. We will be needing those extras.
    Pnut is ok for testing out P2, but I am hoping for something a lot better for real work ;)

    BTW you only make the 5th actually testing/using the FPGA code :(

    Sorry, I should have been more clear: I have actually been using the FPGA myself too, for the fastspin work and the emulators.

    fastspin for P2 is still beta, but it's usable -- the P2 versions of the ZPU and RiscV emulators were both written using it. Granted, those are mostly PASM2, only the debug interface is in Spin, but it's usable for at least some things.

    Eric
  • The_MasterThe_Master Posts: 200
    Mickster wrote: »
    Anyone interested in multi-axis TRUE CNC control should be all over this device.

    P2 will be good for:

    CNC
    DSP
    EFI
    UAV
    IOT
    PID
    SBC
    XXX

  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    idbruce wrote: »
    Since there are only a couple of people (Chip, Peter, myself, and perhaps Brian) actively testing out the P2 FPGA code now, who is actually going to buy and test/use a real P2?
    Sign me up for some P2 Protoboards.

    The P2 chips by themselves will most likely be too much trouble for me, but if Parallax starts selling P2 Protoboards, depending on the price, I will most likely use them for all future endeavors.
    I should have said that too. I will probably only buy P2 chips soldered to boards. I'm hoping for a FLIP-like module from Parallax.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    idbruce wrote: »
    Since there are only a couple of people (Chip, Peter, myself, and perhaps Brian) actively testing out the P2 FPGA code now, who is actually going to buy and test/use a real P2?
    Sign me up for some P2 Protoboards.

    The P2 chips by themselves will most likely be too much trouble for me, but if Parallax starts selling P2 Protoboards, depending on the price, I will most likely use them for all future endeavors.

    Same here, at least initially.
  • ersmithersmith Posts: 6,053
    Heater. wrote: »
    Of course I'll be buying a handful of P2 ASAP. Who would not be itching to try it out. Looking forward to OpenSpin2 and GCC. Gotta play with the ZPU and RISC V. Might even think about resurrecting the ZiCog Z80 emulator for it, but free time for such things is thin now a days.
    The JIT version of the RiscV emulator will run on your DE0, I think -- it only requires 1 COG and 32K, and can be configured (via a #define at the top) to not use the CORDIC for multiply and define. The ZPU and "traditional" RiscV emulators need 2 cogs, alas (one to run the debug loop and one to emulate).
    Speaking of limited time. I'm going to need an idiots guide to P2 assembler programming. Something that restricts itself to the 20 odd normally needed, simple, instructions, and has no confusion over weird instructions, execution modes and so on. You know, the 10% of features that gets one 90% of the bang.

    It's not that I'm not keen, it's just that I'm likely to be allocating mental effort and time to many other things.
    I hear you -- P2 is pretty darn complicated. Basically you can get by pretty well using the P1 subset of the P2 for assembly programming. For me the main P2 extras are hubexec (so no LMM needed) and the ptra/ptrb autoincrement/autodecrement. Oh, and if you are working on an emulator XBYTE is sweet -- ZiCog should be able to fly on P2.

    Eric
  • DavidZemonDavidZemon Posts: 2,973
    I'll buy at least one dev board so that I can try and make a version of PropWare that works on P2.
  • John AbshierJohn Abshier Posts: 1,116
    I won't buy a P2 chip but will buy a few P2 boards to play with.

    John Abshier
  • wmosscropwmosscrop Posts: 409
    macca wrote: »
    I'll buy one or two someday, however as an hobbyst, the package choice is limiting so I have to wait for a development or breakout board to be available, and hope that can be purchased from an international seller at a reasonable price.

    What do with it then, I have a lot of ideas, and mostly depends on what will be available and the software tools.

    Same for me, as a hobbyist, especially regarding development/breakout board costs.

    From the start, the P1 was attractive to me because:
    * It had a low initial investment (in the chip and supporting components). I knew I would let the magic smoke out sooner or later. $8 a pop isn't bad. But a $80 board that I can't fix myself (SMT) I'm not going to use. The FLiP module is nice, at a nice price, but came along too late after I made an investment in several quickstarts (RS closeouts at $8 each, how could I resist?).
    * It was breadboard friendly. I'm not opposed to shields/quickstarts but again if you damage just one component on the board it's usually worthless.
    * It had the ongoing support of both the company AND a knowledgeable and friendly forum. Parallax has stood behind its products (even when it was my fault that it failed). And a big thank you to all of you forum members who have helped me over the years.
    * There were free development tools AND useful documentation that didn't assume I was already an expert at electronics and/or microcontrollers.

    I'm confident that the latter two items will be in place.

    Hopefully the first two items will also be there. I mentioned the FLiP module. Something like this would be nice for general exploration, especially because of its on-board power supplies and connectivity (USB), along with breadboard compatibility, and (relatively) small size. And now that I'm an expert in how NOT to wire up power connections... :)

    Of course, I have no idea what Parallax has in the pipeline.

    Walter



  • ctwardellctwardell Posts: 1,716
    I will likely buy a couple development boards just to play around.
    I still really just want a P1 with more I/O and maybe better support for SPI devices (not needing to bit bang serial in).

    I haven't messed with any images on my nano in something like two years, so a lot has changed.

    I won't know until I dive in again, but it seems like too much simplicity has been lost for casual usage.

    C.W.
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