PropSTICK: A Propeller mini-dev board. Updated docs (4/29) have been posted.
Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)
Posts: 23,514
Hi All,
Attached are some photos of a prototype PCB I call the "PropStick". It's designed to fill the one-month or so gap between availability of the 40-pin DIP Propeller chip and the Propeller development board. My plan, if there's sufficient interest, is to provide a bare board, the vinyl Propeller label, and a parts list with assembly instructions. I've selected parts that can all be obtained from one source (Mouser); and everything is through-hole, so there's no tricky SMD soldering involved. Once populated, the board includes a 5MHz crystal, EEPROM with 4.7K pullups, 3.3V regulator and filter caps, reset button, RS232 connector, and transistor level-shifting circuitry for RxIN, RxOUT, and DTR (RESET). The DTR line is capacitively-coupled.
My target price for the bare board (masked and screened) with vinyl self-adhesive Propeller label is $29, including First Class domestic postage, with maybe a lower "two-fer" price, although this could change depending on the board quotes I get. The other parts can be gotten from Mouser for about $12, plus shipping. I selected Mouser because they don't have a minimum and their prices — for these items at least — ran less than what DigiKey was charging.
I won't be able to provide any phone or email tech support at those prices, but I'm more than happy to keep an eye on the forum and help out whenever I can. Happily, the protoytpe worked right out of the chute, and it's simple enough that I don't anticipate any big technical issues. One caveat though: Since it's designed to work with a solderless breadboard, don't expect to do any super high-speed stuff with the port pins. For that you'll have to do your own custom board or wait for the Parallax dev kit.
Until then, let me know if there's any interest in this thing. If I get enough positive responses, I'll have some made and figure out how to handle the sales — probably through PayPal, maybe via eBay.
Cheers!
Phil
Update: Parallax will be carrying the PropSTICK in kit form. See my announcement later in this thread...
Update: The PropSTICK assembley and test docs have been uploaded. See my later post in this thread...
Update 2006 Apr 29: A new version of the docs has been posted. See my later post in this thread...
Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 4/30/2006 6:53:53 AM GMT
Attached are some photos of a prototype PCB I call the "PropStick". It's designed to fill the one-month or so gap between availability of the 40-pin DIP Propeller chip and the Propeller development board. My plan, if there's sufficient interest, is to provide a bare board, the vinyl Propeller label, and a parts list with assembly instructions. I've selected parts that can all be obtained from one source (Mouser); and everything is through-hole, so there's no tricky SMD soldering involved. Once populated, the board includes a 5MHz crystal, EEPROM with 4.7K pullups, 3.3V regulator and filter caps, reset button, RS232 connector, and transistor level-shifting circuitry for RxIN, RxOUT, and DTR (RESET). The DTR line is capacitively-coupled.
My target price for the bare board (masked and screened) with vinyl self-adhesive Propeller label is $29, including First Class domestic postage, with maybe a lower "two-fer" price, although this could change depending on the board quotes I get. The other parts can be gotten from Mouser for about $12, plus shipping. I selected Mouser because they don't have a minimum and their prices — for these items at least — ran less than what DigiKey was charging.
I won't be able to provide any phone or email tech support at those prices, but I'm more than happy to keep an eye on the forum and help out whenever I can. Happily, the protoytpe worked right out of the chute, and it's simple enough that I don't anticipate any big technical issues. One caveat though: Since it's designed to work with a solderless breadboard, don't expect to do any super high-speed stuff with the port pins. For that you'll have to do your own custom board or wait for the Parallax dev kit.
Until then, let me know if there's any interest in this thing. If I get enough positive responses, I'll have some made and figure out how to handle the sales — probably through PayPal, maybe via eBay.
Cheers!
Phil
Update: Parallax will be carrying the PropSTICK in kit form. See my announcement later in this thread...
Update: The PropSTICK assembley and test docs have been uploaded. See my later post in this thread...
Update 2006 Apr 29: A new version of the docs has been posted. See my later post in this thread...
Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 4/30/2006 6:53:53 AM GMT
Comments
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MRC
kind of reminds me of the BS1-usb in shape and BS2 oem in breadboardability!
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Who says you have to have knowledge to use it?
I've killed a fly with my bare mind.
I could use at least one.
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"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)
······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
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Had you considered a chip + board combo package? With something as small and light in weight as this, shipping becomes a concern for some of us, and I'd guess a chip plus a board would travel for the same freight rate, although I've no idea of the weight of either.
The only point to this is, why pay two shipping bills, if one can get away with only one! The perceived "discount" comes from the lowered (single) shipping cost, and you might be able to recover a bit of your own personal, unrecovered costs, buying the chips in "bulk" from Parallax. Just a thought.
Put me down for one PropStick board in any case, and a DIP Propeller chip if you decide to go that way.
Regards,
Bruce Bates
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Let me know when and where to buy.
Could you provide schematic, B/M ?
;^)
Yours, TDP, ml, msl, & pfpp
Nice job! Please put me down for one! THX!
Andrew
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Andrew
Bit Banger? Not even close... Head Banger? In my younger days... Banger Sausage? Yes, I'll have another!!!
AuburnSky
Would be very nice if offer a kit of parts (some markup is OK)
I really appreciate the enthusiasm shown so far for this project!
Regarding shipping costs and bundling the other parts: I can certainly understand the allure of one-stop shopping. On the surface, it would seem to carry a net benefit for everyone. But since the bare board and vinyl label are flat, I can stuff them into an envelope with the invoice and docs and send them within the U.S. for 39 cents. That's how it's possible to include domestic shipping in the price. (I haven't checked postage rates to Canada, Mexico, and Europe; but if they're low enough, I might include that, too.) If I had to include the other parts, there'd be additional packaging materials, the shipping would cost more, and I'd have to charge for it. Plus, I'd also have inbound freight costs on the Mouser parts to consider, and additional labor to kit everything up. (I do this for a couple items I sell through Parallax and, believe me, kitting is a time-consuming process. It's also error-prone, so everything has to be check-weighed after the fact to catch overages and shortages.) Even though I'd get quantity pricing from Mouser by buying, say, enough for 100 kits, the additional labor and shipping expense would add up to a higher net end-user price than going
When do you think could start selling the blank pcs?
Could you provide in advance the B/M y schematic?
Will you take Credit Cards or Paypal?
Do you have a website where we can do business?
2a I still have to draw a full schematic. The layout was done from partial schematics gotten from the forum and from beta docs.
2b.The Bill of Materials is still being refined. I'm trying out some different socket strips that should arrive Monday. (The ones I used in the proto have wire-wrap posts for pins. They work fine, but it requires some effort to extract all 40 of them at once from a wireless breadboard. The ones arriving Monday have skinnier pins, but they may be too short. I just want to make sure I've selected the best parts.)
3. Yes to Paypal. I'm not set up to take credit cards, though. Correction: It looks like PayPal can handle credit card transactions for those without PayPal accounts.
4. Something will be in place for handling transactions by the time the boards arrive -- even if it's only eBay. I'll make an announcement here. Addendum: In its simplest form, all I would need is your email address, along with your state, country, and quantity. This info could be emailed to me or collected on my website. PayPal will collect the rest of the info necessary for the order.
-Phil
Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 4/15/2006 4:24:03 AM GMT
Jot me down for one.
Thanks!
Are you going to make a PropSTICK-USB that will be compatible with the Propeller Clip (female header version)?
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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
No plans at the moment. It's not clear that the Clip is going to survive as a product anyway, since it sounds like the new dev board will have USB built-in. I had thought about providing optional pads on the current layout for the USB2SER, but it didn't work as cleanly as I hoped it might, so I left them off.
If there's adequate interest in a PropSTICK-USB, I could design one for Parallax; but with the new RoHS hassles, I'm not keen on doing or contracting any more assembly myself. The PropSTICK is designed to be a transistional product, so people can get up to speed with the Propeller quickly, before Parallax's dev kit is ready.
-Phil
I think the PropSTICK is going to be popular with my pals in the Dallas Personal Robotic Group and similar clubs; it turns the Propeller into a very Stamp-like module. The label is a great idea too.
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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
Any word on what phase of your propeller introduction plan will see it's debut?
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We're working very hard to bring everything together as quickly as we can -- and we appreciate everyone's patience.· This is a very exciting product and we can't wait to have it in your hands.
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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
Alexander Pope was right-- a little knowledge can indeed be a dangerous thing.
How 'bout I just wait 'till you announce it?
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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
It's true that on·the new Propeller Demo Board, there is a USB connector with the FTDI chip on-board. This makes life a lot simpler in this application where you need a more permanent connection and there are lots of other cables attached, yanking things around.
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Chip Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
Richard Cook
University of Chicago
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Richard "Still thinks the PDP-8 was a great machine" Cook
Like your propstick, any schematic for this one?
Rob7
Rob7
Thanks. I'm in the process of modifying the design to see if I can fit a MAX3232 onto the board without making it too much bigger. There are some issues with the transistor circuit when it's used with programs like HyperTerminal that I'd like to resolve, if possible.
-Phil
Looking at your original board, I don't see how you could squeeze that _big_ chip in there, even with an extra 1/4"! But it is important (as painful as that may seem), to allow it to work full duplex with programs like, gulp, Hyperterminal.
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Tracy Allen
www.emesystems.com