Sub Stamp Idea

microcontrolleruser

'Ideas.We have a million of them.' That's one of our motto's here.

A learning IC device.

Programmable IC.Simple.Simple.Simple.

You enter (however.With buttons?) instructions.

It does the Light an LED and Blink an LED for starters.

NO.NO.NO to CLPDS.Too far up the evolutionary chain.

Want something just above non programmable IC's.

Osc circuit, I/O and some memory plus simple way to program.Not language per se and IDE.

Any thoughts?

David Betz

microcontrolleruser wrote: »

'Ideas.We have a million of them.' That's one of our motto's here.

A learning IC device.

Programmable IC.Simple.Simple.Simple.

You enter (however.With buttons?) instructions.

It does the Light an LED and Blink an LED for starters.

NO.NO.NO to CLPDS.Too far up the evolutionary chain.

Want something just above non programmable IC's.

Osc circuit, I/O and some memory plus simple way to program.Not language per se and IDE.

Any thoughts?

I think the Propeller Flip with BlocklyProp probably fits that requirement. No textual language, just simple graphical blocks.

microcontrolleruser

That kind of thing exists already in many forms.

A 'covered up' micro.

Logic IC's can be 'programmed' in a way. Pushing buttons. Adjusting variable resistors.

Just want to take them to the 'instructions' level without a lot of overhead.Sequential.

Mike Green

Sounds like you would like something like a PDP-8 with a push button / LED control panel like in the “old days”. A few people have built “retro” computers with lights and buttons based around a 4-bit or 8-bit ALU (arithmetic logic unit) and maybe 6-8 instructions ... an accumulator, program counter, and maybe 32 8-bit words of memory. Look on YouTube for descriptions and pictures. You could implement an emulator for either one with a Propeller Flip and learn a lot about modern computers as well.

Stick with talking about Basic Stamps. That’s the forum topic. You can stray a little in the General Discussion section, but these forums are sponsored by Parallax to support their products and the people who use them.

David Betz

microcontrolleruser wrote: »

That kind of thing exists already in many forms.

A 'covered up' micro.

Logic IC's can be 'programmed' in a way. Pushing buttons. Adjusting variable resistors.

Just want to take them to the 'instructions' level without a lot of overhead.Sequential.

So you're not looking for a "covered up micro"? Are you saying you want a device that is implemented with simple logic circuits that can run simple programs? That's going to be hard to achieve without lots of parts. That's the beauty of micro controllers. They replace lots of simpler parts.

microcontrolleruser

'Stick with talking about Basic Stamps.'

Parallax could make this and get one up on PICaxe.

A pure learning device.

A 'Sub Stamp'.Simple and direct.With no 'follow on' of there is more to it 'underneath'.

Sounds good to me.

microcontrolleruser

'That's going to be hard to achieve without lots of parts.'

It could be a micro.

Maybe the price is coming down on getting IC's made? Bring it within range of visionary hobbyists.

Just throw out complicated parts.

Let me work on it some more.

Come up with some parameters.

Jeff Haas

I think what you want may be covered by this Kickstarter campaign:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1897710270/digirule2-code-in-binary-like-its-1975

microcontrolleruser

Thank you Jeff

Something like that.

4 bit registers have fallen into place.

With 4 bit bus to move signals around on.

Thinking.Thinking.Thinking.

DigitalBob

You should try playing around with some older AT28C16 EPROMs. Just stick one on a breadboard with some address and data line dip switches and led's. This will allow you to program it in any combinational logic. So no need for older IC's kind of what we had before Altera came along with PLD's

microcontrolleruser

Thanks Bob

'AT28C16 EPROM'

I will file that away.Good idea.

Waiting to hear about 74181 Arithmetic units from our goto supplier.

Bob

DigitalBob

You can build a simple ALU out of 4 bit adders like the 74LS283. You can still buy these at Jameco

DigitalBob

The 74LS181 is also available at Jameco

microcontrolleruser

Thanks!

Do you know what 7400 memory would go with that to 'feed it'?

Or are you saying just go 'up' to the EEPROM?

Is the 'bus' just going to be wires?

No.We don't want you to lay out out the whole thing for us just point in the right direction.

DigitalBob

You can use a 74LS189 ram. Are you trying to make a simple 4 bit CPU.

microcontrolleruser

Thank you DigitalBob

The Series 4000 lessons we are doing have nothing micro like in them.

We would be happy with an adder or half adder(whatever is simpler)

if it will work with pushbutton inputs and LED outputs(have 10 of them on lab).

That is providing that is what an adder does.Add numbers.Binary is okay.

microcontrolleruser

DigitalBob

Made a mistake saying 7400 series.We are working with 4000 series.

DigitalBob

Well some of these older 7400 logic IC's are getting hard to get. If you just want to build a logic gate learning tool. Then make some logic IC's out of transistors like AND, OR, Inverter etc.
If your going to build a 4-8 bit cpu out of logic IC's it's binary in and out. So you could use a prop or basic stamp as your peripheral device like keypad to binary encoder. Or binary to BCD output display etc.
For the CPU your going to need a clock, A, B register, instruction register, ALU, program counter, MAR, step counter, control logic, output display, and bus etc.

microcontrolleruser

Thank you DigitalBob

Pulling the plug on that for now.

Will keep working on design for simple controller.

Have to sort out parameters.

Will let you know if we come up with anything worthwhile.

tonyp12

Simple as in bare metal hex code programming or simple as less than BASIC?

I want to come out with a $10, sub stamp. it got a single line lcd and a 3x4 pcb keypad.
It runs its logic code 1000/sec, so there is no language just all if-and-then's.
It does have commands for mcu-specific adc and pwm.

It will use 97cent TSSOP-28 Infineon ARM XMC1202
5V, 32K Flash, 16K Ram.
64MHz timers.

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Infineon-Technologies/XMC1202T028X0032ABXUMA1?qs=sGAEpiMZZMuoKKEcg8mMKKywyJ6nXWnohYiqUcQST76GNbhcHq9jOg==

microcontrolleruser

'Simple as in bare metal hex code programming or simple as less than BASIC?'

Assembler but without the 'stumbling blocks'.

Have it run at one oscillator speed out of the box.No configuration.

Basically no configuration or setup code.Just 'it runs'.Ready to accept program.

Then you still have to write your own code.

No macros.Send to LCD.None of that.

As far as your project.Go for it.

See if you can break it down into stages and get them done.

Good luck with it!