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Propeller 2 Users: Get Started Here! — Parallax Forums

Propeller 2 Users: Get Started Here!

Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,395
edited 2022-08-14 13:53 in Propeller 2

Get Started with the Propeller 2! This thread is the complete getting started resources, as designed by the community. Please reply and post your additions/changes/improvements and I (or another moderator) will continue to modify this first post.

These forums are a very valuable resource and are community managed and supported. The backgrounds include many engineers, hobbyists, and educators who also participated in the development of Propeller 2. When you ask questions, the P2 community will likely provide a detailed answer. Please thank them for their support along the way!

Ken Gracey, CEO
Parallax Inc.
kgracey@parallax.com
(916) 625-3010 Direct line

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Comments

  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,395

    Place holder

  • ersmithersmith Posts: 6,068

    The flexprop thread for updates would be:
    https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/170730/flexprop-a-complete-programming-system-for-p2-and-p1#latest

  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,395

    Got it, @ersmith.

    Ken

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

    Thanks for this, Ken! I'm very late to the party, and this entry ramp onto the P2 expressway will help me to catch up.

    -Phil

  • RamonRamon Posts: 484

    Hello, I want to get started with Propeller Tool but can not !

    Propeller Tool 2.5.2 doesn't recognize Retroblade2 board. This seems a SW bug in Propeller Tool.

    Command 'Run > Identify hardware (F7)' reports 'No Propeller found on any serial port. Scanned COM4.'

    Hardware and serial driver (CP2102) are correctly working. The Propeller Serial Terminal (inside Propeller Tool) is able to connect and transfer data (tested at 9600 and 115200 bauds). Flexprop/loadp2 do not have any problem to compile code and load into p2.

    Thank you!

  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069

    @Ramon,
    Jeff is working on it.
    Just to make sure we are talking about the same problem, do you have an SD card plugged in, and if so, is it formatted FAT32 and does not have either boot files "_BOOT_P2.BIX" or "_BOOT_P2.BIY" in the root directory.
    I presume you are using the CP2102 and have the transistor link enabled as per the diagram on the RetroBlade2 thread?

  • RamonRamon Posts: 484

    Yes, I have the SD card plugged in, and transistor reset jumper is in "Q" position (close to pin 04).

    Wait, I have just removed the SD card and it now works!

    Why this happens? Flexprop/loadp2 can compile with the SD card plugged in.

    Thank you so much !!

  • evanhevanh Posts: 16,022
    edited 2021-03-13 05:14

    If the SD has a valid boot file then that takes precedence. Same happens for loadp2. This has stopped me using SD cards because I like to try lots of combinations in quick fire.

  • ManAtWorkManAtWork Posts: 2,178

    @"Ken Gracey" said:
    Get Started with the Propeller 2! ...

    • Documentation - Spin2 Programming Guide, PASM Documentation, Datasheet

    I've just noticed that a real datasheet is still missing. What happened to Sams (sjgallagher2) work?

  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,395

    @ManAtWork said:

    @"Ken Gracey" said:
    Get Started with the Propeller 2! ...

    • Documentation - Spin2 Programming Guide, PASM Documentation, Datasheet

    I've just noticed that a real datasheet is still missing. What happened to Sams (sjgallagher2) work?

    Sam's work and others has been brought into our own process. Every Wednesday, our team meets at 8:00 am Pacific to further the datasheet and Propeller 2 manual along their critical paths. Chip has defined the test procedures for electrical characteristics, Jeff and Stephanie have developed the process for iterative releases, and we should show some results soon. My request of the team has been to make frequent releases and involve the community in a perpetual feedback cycle.

    Two weeks ago I was told we'd see some early results about now.

    Ken Gracey

  • RamonRamon Posts: 484

    Please, help!

    I cannot find the ROM BOOT process documentation.
    Some information bits dispersed over the forum here and there, but no link on :

    https://www.parallax.com/propeller-2/documentation/

    How is the BOOT process? Default register (Program counter) state after reset?
    Interrupt vectors initialization, how to RESET?, or how to HALT the MCU?. How user code can be uploaded/executed ...

    ... The kind of things that a new MCU usually explains in the very first chapter.

    There is a comment (last paragraph: by David Betz, 2018-12-24) that suggest that there was once a document. Where to find it?

    (sorry for markdown mess, tried many times, but I was not able to frame all the following text into 'CODE')

    >

    P2 BOOT: https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/162298/prop2-fpga-files-updated-2-june-2018-final-version-32i/p141


    if "> Prop_Chk 0 0 0 0" then print "Prop_Ver G" (and then does it HALTS? How to go into TAQOZ or MONITOR?)

    if ">" ESC then GOTO TAQOZ ' from TAQOZ, if Ctrl-D then GOTO ROM MONITOR

    if "> " Ctr-D then GOTO ROM MONITOR ' From MONITOR, if ESC CR then GOTO TAQOZ

    >

                               '  https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/170772/revisions
                           '    A = rev A silicon
                           '    B..F = various FPGA boards
                           '    G = rev B silicon

    P2 ROM MONITOR: https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/170638/p2-rom-monitor-debugger-rev-1-rev-2-silicon#latest

    xxxxxx : xx xx xx xx ... <cr>  DOWNLOAD:  to   cog/lut/hub {addr1} following {byte(s)}
xxxxxx - [xxxxxx] [L] <cr>     MEM LIST:  from cog/lut/hub {addr1} to < {addr2}  L=longs
xxxxxx G <cr>                  GOTO:      to   cog/lut/hub {addr1}
Q <cr>                         QUIT:      Quit Rom Monitor and return to the User Program
                                             {addr} is on the stack
Lfilename.xxx<cr>              LOAD:      Load file from SD   (8.3 filename)
                                             returns "=" on success, "!" on failure
Rfilename.xxx<cr>              RUN:       Run  file from SD   (8.3 filename)
                                             returns "!" on failure
<esc><cr>                      TAQOZ:     goto TAQOZ
<cr>                                      will repeat last MEM LIST command

    P2 chip reset : HUBSET ##$1000_0000 ' what is the HEX OPCODE? Propeller tool doesn't recognize this instruction

    P2 chip halt : ??????

    P2 RAM binary upload : (ozpropdev python implementation)

    https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/comment/1444372/#Comment_1444372

    sp1.write(b'> Prop_Txt 0 0 0 0 ')
sp1.write(b64encode(bytes(buff1)))
sp1.write(b'~')  #run code

    https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/comment/1459047/#Comment_1459047

    "I just read the documentation and the "~" character that the Python loader
uses to end the program loading command bypasses checksum validation. You
can also end the command with "?" which will result in a "." response if
the load was success and the program started and "T" if the checksum
failed. So it seems you can get a positive ACK. I withdraw my comment."

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

    I've finally got a project in mind that's worthy of the P2. But please bear with me. It's gonna take some time, along with some rather exotic hardware.

    Hint: it involves optics.

    -Phil

  • evanhevanh Posts: 16,022

    Boot precess is at the end of the hardware doc. Parts of it are in Verilog. Ah, looking at it now, I see someone has messed it up a little by inserting the whole assembly table verbatim in the middle.

    Halt!? Not really one, as the architecture is not of a CPU type. Switching off the clock would do it ... hard-reset needed to recover though. :D There is of course low power options.

    Why wouldn't Proptool not be able to do a reset? HUBSET is used for many things, the reset function is just another number.

  • evanhevanh Posts: 16,022

  • SuracSurac Posts: 176
    edited 2021-04-09 16:40

    Is the Google Document "Parallax Propeller 2 Documentation v35 - Rev B/C Silicon" still maintained?
    Suggestions and changes are not getting approved or dismissed for a long time now.

  • VonSzarvasVonSzarvas Posts: 3,484

    I've just cleaned up some of the suggestions, but others will remain for a while as they are considered.

    If you have any particular questions please start a thread in the Propeller 2 category and we'll be sure to help if we can.
    If there's anything the community cannot answer quickly, I'll send a note for the question to be raised at the next P2 Zoom meeting so the right person can help directly.

  • Jeff MartinJeff Martin Posts: 760

    @Surac Thanks for bringing this up. In addition to @VonSzarvas's suggestions, for something short/quick/direct to write, please continue to comment on the v35 - Rev B/C Silicon document as we've left it active for this purpose.

  • ScroungreScroungre Posts: 161

    Personally, I think it should be locked. I may have accidentally made suggestions that I didn't mean to. For now, I dumped the dox to PDF, and use them as my reference. S.

  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697

    @Scroungre said:
    Personally, I think it should be locked. I may have accidentally made suggestions that I didn't mean to. For now, I dumped the dox to PDF, and use them as my reference. S.

    I agree, this info should be locked. I will be using it if my P2D2 ever gets here.

  • SuracSurac Posts: 176

    Locking the data means no more bug fixes. There are still so many parts that need more clarity.
    I myself think about writing my own p2 programmers manual because there are so many p1 legacy things that need to be explained and some things are just wrong

  • JakeDJakeD Posts: 1

    Mac OS X / SimpleIDE
    I am new to Propeller and trying to run it on a new Mac. The SimpleIDE example builds OK but it always fails on download, saying:
    "Opening file welcome.elf"
    "ERROR: Download failed -1"

    I have also tried PropellerIDE which seems to choke on the build.

    Can anyone advise how to get started on a Mac? I can run OS X or OS 11. Thanks, John

  • evanhevanh Posts: 16,022
    edited 2021-07-04 05:51

    Bad topic to ask questions in. Better to start a fresh topic.

    Quick answer: I think SimpleIDE and PropellerIDE only support Propeller 1, not Propeller 2.

  • lozinskilozinski Posts: 76

    Thank you for that great list of links.
    Lots more to read!

    I was taking a look at the taqoz documenation.
    There is a github repository, Peter's dropbox, and the Google Docs pages.
    There is duplication.
    I am not sure which are the official ones on which to submit edits.
    There is also no index into all of the different content.
    Thank you.
    Chris

  • bob_g4bbybob_g4bby Posts: 440
    edited 2021-07-05 16:35

    Chris,

    Yes, the Taqoz information isn't that tidy.
    Take a look at these two papers - the links in them are quite useful - as well as the content hopefully:-

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/18xYTNLDq2bTbcepN93p9n0ytnncQ3dFioFkmdD6k2_8/edit#
    https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/173302/taqoz-reloaded-v2-8-word-glossary/p1
    Peter Jakacki, the author of Taqoz is currently absent from the forum, we don't know if he will return at the moment.

    I'm a big fan of forth on the P1 and P2, so thought it was well worthwhile doing this documentation - it was a very good learning exercise.

    Regards, Bob

  • lozinskilozinski Posts: 76

    Thank you for those links. I updated the lexicon:

    Taqoz a Forth interpreter included in 2K of ROM. Peter Jakacki’s introduction.. Peter’s Dropbox. Using Taqoz Forth. Taqoz glossary.

    The google docs include the links, they just did not copy paste.

    And thank you for writing all of that. I will read every line.

  • Christof Eb.Christof Eb. Posts: 1,213

    Hi Parallax,
    the work on the P2 Hardware Manual, which should be a "central document" seems to be stalled. There are still parts missing, which is a pity, because this reduces the usability of this nice hardware.

    So I wanted to make a suggestion for the time being:
    Instead of completing the P2 Hardware Manual in its perfect way, could you just bring is some links into this document, where to find the information, for example:
    "
    Streamers
    For detailed information about streamers see page 29 of Parallax Propeller 2 Documentation v35 - Rev B/C Silicon.
    "

    The idea would be to make it more easy for your customers NOW to find relevant information.

  • HydraHackerHydraHacker Posts: 77
    edited 2023-06-01 15:39

    Hello Everyone,
    I just got my p2 Eval board rev C and I have one question, does the p57 led always stay on?

    Edit:
    I have run a few of my programs that do things with the p2 leds and the LEDs on the board are working correctly.

    HydraHacker

  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,155
    edited 2023-06-01 19:59

    The LEDs on P56 and P57 of the Eval board are active low, so if you've done nothing to the pin it could float low and cause the buffer chip to turn on the LED. You can do a really simple test to ensure the LEDs are working

    pub main()

  pinhigh(56)
  pinlow(57)

  repeat
    waitms(250)
    pintoggle(56 addpins 1)
  • HydraHackerHydraHacker Posts: 77
    edited 2023-06-01 16:30

    Thanks JonnyMac,
    Your program is working great

    HydraHacker

  • jrullanjrullan Posts: 168

    @"Ken Gracey" could you make the sticky at the Propeller2 Forum point to https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/173000/propeller-2-users-get-started-here instead of https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/173000/propeller-2-users-get-started-here#latest ?

    For a novice user, coming to get official information it is disconcerting to be taken to the end of the thread instead of the original post where all relevant links are.

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