BS2SX Connection Problems

Archiver

I have just built a BS2SX with the individual OEM parts (basic stamp
interpreter, eeprom, etc) that you can get at Parallax. I have built
in on a breadboard. I plan to build it onto a permanent board. I
have checked and rechecked the connections about a hundred times and
I still can't get my PC to connect to it. I have a Basic Stamp II
board that I can connect to it just fine so I know that my software
settings are good and my cable is good. I thought it might be that
the power leads are long so I placed 0.1uf capacitor across vdd and
gnd of the interpreter chip and I still get nothing. Any ideas? I
was wondering if it was the fact that I was building it on a
breadboard. I don't know.

Archiver

Keep your ceramic rez as close to the basic interperter as possible.
Also check the serial coms level shifting circuit.If that is not
wired up right it will not communicate to the BS2. If you used a max
232 to connect to the BS2 you may need to invert the singals going to
the BS2.

I too have build my own BS2p40. I layed out and etched a single layer
PCB. It is about 2" x 2" and I used a right angle header for the lead
pins. I used .2 mm wide traces for much of the layout. I also had to
use about 25 zero ohm 0603 resistors to use as jumpers. I also used a
Micrel 5 volt regulator which is pin for pin compatible with the
linear tech part that Parallax uses but has more output current. I
can build a BS2p40 for about $30 - 1/3 that of the Parallax BS2p40.
That way I can spend more on other components for my projects like
LCD displays, enclosures, and A/D converters.

Jason


--- In basicstamps@y..., "dirt939" <stamp@d...> wrote:
> I have just built a BS2SX with the individual OEM parts (basic
stamp
> interpreter, eeprom, etc) that you can get at Parallax. I have
built
> in on a breadboard. I plan to build it onto a permanent board. I
> have checked and rechecked the connections about a hundred times
and
> I still can't get my PC to connect to it. I have a Basic Stamp II
> board that I can connect to it just fine so I know that my software
> settings are good and my cable is good. I thought it might be that
> the power leads are long so I placed 0.1uf capacitor across vdd and
> gnd of the interpreter chip and I still get nothing. Any ideas? I
> was wondering if it was the fact that I was building it on a
> breadboard. I don't know.

Archiver

Jason,

Well, I checked and rechecked my circuit. The comm level shifting
part of the circuit tested just fine (output was exactly 5v).
Everything seemed fine. I thought I would contact Parallax tech
support when on the contact page it says to put down the version of
your editor. Then the thought came to me. Maybe I should get the
latest version. So, I downloaded version 1.33 and it works great!

All this time of building and rebuilding my circuit and it was the
software all along. The older versions must not support the SX. I
don't know.

Oh, well. Works now. What a great thing is the Basic Stamp. After
working with the 68HC11 microcontroller this thing is a breeze.
Thanks for your help.

-Dustin

--- In basicstamps@y..., "jbirnsch" <jbirnsch@v...> wrote:
> Keep your ceramic rez as close to the basic interperter as
possible.
> Also check the serial coms level shifting circuit.If that is not
> wired up right it will not communicate to the BS2. If you used a
max
> 232 to connect to the BS2 you may need to invert the singals going
to
> the BS2.
>
> I too have build my own BS2p40. I layed out and etched a single
layer
> PCB. It is about 2" x 2" and I used a right angle header for the
lead
> pins. I used .2 mm wide traces for much of the layout. I also had
to
> use about 25 zero ohm 0603 resistors to use as jumpers. I also used
a
> Micrel 5 volt regulator which is pin for pin compatible with the
> linear tech part that Parallax uses but has more output current. I
> can build a BS2p40 for about $30 - 1/3 that of the Parallax BS2p40.
> That way I can spend more on other components for my projects like
> LCD displays, enclosures, and A/D converters.
>
> Jason
>
>
> --- In basicstamps@y..., "dirt939" <stamp@d...> wrote:
> > I have just built a BS2SX with the individual OEM parts (basic
> stamp
> > interpreter, eeprom, etc) that you can get at Parallax. I have
> built
> > in on a breadboard. I plan to build it onto a permanent board. I
> > have checked and rechecked the connections about a hundred times
> and
> > I still can't get my PC to connect to it. I have a Basic Stamp
II
> > board that I can connect to it just fine so I know that my
software
> > settings are good and my cable is good. I thought it might be
that
> > the power leads are long so I placed 0.1uf capacitor across vdd
and
> > gnd of the interpreter chip and I still get nothing. Any ideas?
I
> > was wondering if it was the fact that I was building it on a
> > breadboard. I don't know.