SBC

SK8 4 U

Hi All!

This is directed mainly to the administrator...

I have been using the BSII for about a year now, and have become rather adapt at using and programing the thing.· I have learned a lot using the various books and devices from Parallax, and would recomend the company to anyone without reservation.· However, I am in need of more computing power than the tiny PIC can really muster, and would love to see a full blown CPU based Single Board Computer offered by Parallax...There are scores of companies out there that make PC/104, EPIC and EBX computers, as well as Eurocard and mil-spec devices.· However, these companies like to sell in batches of 100, offer only minimal support, and well, their products are meant for microwave ovens and FA-18 jets...I need something that would have a set of developement tools, (just like the BSII products), and that were made available by a quality company that cared about the small developer and experimenter like myself.·

Thank you very much

Codecat (aka Joe)

SPENCE

Hi joe.

Suggest you consider the http://www.emacinc.com primer with the 8085.

I use 2 of these and they are very good. 32k of eprom and 32k or ram possible on board. 4.5 x 6.0 inches pack a whalop.
Basic c forth or assembler(machine language) with keyboard and display on board.

All system buss is accessable and it also includes a simple a to d and d to a facility. I have been using these for about 10 years.......

73
spence
k4kep

kb2hap

Alot of people sell sbc's(in single quantities). They just dont have the excellent product support and reference material that Parallax has.

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DTQ

Paul Baker

Parallax recently mentioned they have no plans to create a SBC in the near future. The development cost of such a system is prohibitive, and condering the deluge of SBCs already on the market, they would be entering an already well populated market. What exactly are the features you are looking for? whats the specs of the PICs you are use to? Have you contempted using an SX? It is a much faster derivative of the older PIC processors and as such should be fairly easy to transition to. All of them are capable of 50MIPS operation, there are some rated for 75MIPS operation, and with a bit of cooling measures can be clocked at 100MIPS. Is this powerful enough for what you had in mind?

Paul Baker

An alternative is Parallax Cyclone FastPack which is an Altera FPGA for $200, this permits you to basically construct your own microprocessor core, and permits you to perform mutiple tasks in parallel, but I have a feeling this is overkill for what you are looking for, plus it is an unsupported Parallax product.

SK8 4 U

Hi all!

Thanks for the ideals...I am using a BS2 (basic green) for three areas of interest...home automation, weather monitoring and robotics. The first two things work great...the robotic applications are a little more dicey though...as far as controlling the robot they are fine, and sensory input is excelent as well, however I need much more mathematical power in order to process the inputs the way I want and to send commands to the controller to controll the robots movement in new terrain. Even with the FPU coprocessor, there is not enough math umph. I do not know anything at all about using the Gate Arrays, and stand in awe of their potential. I have not found much info on them at the usual places, (bookstore) and fear that they would be a real bear to program. Maybe if Parallax would come up with an educational package like with the BS2, it would be the answer...that is how I learned to use the BS2 with their BOE and the various books. I still experiment with it on a daily basis! I am sorry to hear that they are not contemplating a SBC, though I understand the business rational behind such a decision, though.

I must say, Parallax is one excelent bunch of folks!

All the best,

Joe

KenM

Codecat said...
Hi all!
·however I need much more mathematical power

Joe, have you looked at emesystems.com ?
http://www.emesystems.com/BS2index.htm#math

Paul Baker

FPGAs are pretty formidable I agree, expecially since it requires learning a whole other type of programming environment (VHDL or Verilog) which are parralel in nature (as opposed to the serial nature of microcontrollers).

SK8 4 U

Hey Spence,

Does the e-mac unit interface with a PC? I quickly visited their web site and will spend a proper amount of time there tonite...I think that this would be a move in the right direction, particularly if I can write code on my notebook and then compile and download to the SBC. I am very lucky in my employment situation...I can sit and write code all day long, (or read a book or whatever) and get paid well for it. (Don't ask...can't tell)

Thanks for the tip!

Joe (codecat)
KB0TXC

Jon Williams

Sounds like you've got ample time and resources to create your own SBC!

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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
Dallas, TX· USA

SK8 4 U

Jon

Actually, I have seriously thought about it...I have an old book titled build your own 8088 and love it, and would do so if I thought that I could do a halfway reasonable job of making the printed circuit board...but then, I probably would make it a 8086 and use a daughter board for the FPU (8087) of which I have a stash of about a fifty or so...they are hard to come by now. My design skills are not so good as my code skills though, and I would rather not have to worry about debuging hardware. I also like the old Z-80 (don't laugh...my very first computer was a timex sinclare).

My ultimate goal is once I get the spatial computation and obstical recognition problems reduced somewhat using a simple wheeled 'bot, I want to move up to one of the crust crawler's souped up hex crawlers. No THAT is a 'bot...

All the best,

Joe
KB0TXC

KenM

Sounds like a government job to me !!

Codecat said...
Hey Spence,

Does the e-mac unit interface with a PC? I quickly visited their web site and will spend a proper amount of time there tonite...I think that this would be a move in the right direction, particularly if I can write code on my notebook and then compile and download to the SBC. I am very lucky in my employment situation...I can sit and write code all day long, (or read a book or whatever) and get paid well for it. (Don't ask...can't tell)

Thanks for the tip!

Joe (codecat)
KB0TXC

SPENCE

Joe. Contact me direct.

Qrz

yes put you support on dos boot floppy and write basic assembler c ..... Look up dunfield.com c. Also they have forth support .

Db 9 interface. Can be used to talk to pc or use to talk to outside world. Full system buss accessable.

73
spence

SK8 4 U

Hi Ken...

You can't really say government job, because I didn't say that I don't ever do ANYTHING!!!!... I am not allowed to say who or what I work for, what I do or where I do it. Suffice it to say that what I do is not done in this country, and that even though I have lots of down time, that I do ocasionally have to go places and do things, and that is where I earn my living. Computers and coding are simply my hobby, and thus I will use my down time in the pursuit of that hobby.

I will be happy to yak all day long about computers, micro controllers, robots, men's free style skating, and old airplanes and skydiving, (particularly when the person I am yaking with knows more about the subject than I), but really can't for contractural and legal reasons say much more about my occupation.

All the best

Joe
KB0TXC

Paul Baker

Hey hey now, not all g-men are slackers, my job has performace quotas that need to be attained each quarter and its not an easy task, especially since the casework gets increasingly difficult, nuanced and intricate as time progresses (technology will do that). To make matters worse the last time our production was assesed for adjustment the original IBM PC was hitting the market.

KenM

Hey guys......when I referred to a g job, that was just a freindly jab.

If anybody was offended please accept my apologies.

KenM

SK8 4 U

Hi All...


Same here...I was only joking about government jobs...I have many friends in GS rated jobs, and only wish mine had the security of a GS job...My little comment was a rather poor attempt at humor, and nothing more. (That is why I put the smiley emoticon in the statement)

Ken, I took no offense whatsoever! It is almost impossible to offend me! And I also appreciated the tip on the eme systems as well.


All the best,

Joe
KB0TXC

Paul Baker

Naw, I understand the sentiment, we are one of the few agencies that is so performance based, we have none of the cival servant protections afforded the employees of other agencies. (With the exception of substance abuse policies, which I find hilarious. Falling asleep on the job is grounds for dismissal, show up stinking drunk they put you in rehab, and save your job till you get out.)

SK8 4 U

Hi All...

I took spences advice and ordered the EMAC 8085 Primer Trainer kit and the basic upgrade and heavy duty keyboard...so for 200 bucks I get a decent 8085 SBC with a RS232 port, an excelent keypad and software to communicate with my notebook, and a C compiler. Next is an assembler and maybe a forth compiler if I can find one...It also has an LED display. I am anxious to receive this and put it together and start coding.

After this, I will start to look for a slightly smaller 8085 card, without keyboard and LED display to use on a Hexcrawler. There is also (for anyone who might be looking for such a thing) an 8086 maximum mode SBC with an 8087 slot. This device (in the model that I want) cost about $400. It is sold by MTAB. I am thinking about using this for the highly mathematical computations that I have in mind for a truly autonomous 'bot.

If any one has any experiance with the·EMAC unit, please let me know! I am interested in what you think.

All the best,

Joe
KB0TXC

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Cats are the creator's method of demonstrating to mankind that man is not the supreme being.

Post Edited (Codecat) : 4/24/2005 3:23:58 AM GMT

SPENCE

Joe.
Please send direct message via qrz listing .

73
spence