I can modify the silk screen next time we run the boards. I could mark the pin numbers that attach to each circuit. Someone yesterday said that they always find themselves counting pins. Of course, the schematic does the best job of conveying what's where.
The PS/2 sockets do have a grounded connection for the metal barrel of the plug. This hasn't yet been a problem, though.
If you look at the picture (attached), you can see a nice·turret post for attaching scope ground clips. It's very close to the propeller chip, too, so you can see unmuddled pin transitions on a fast scope.
Nice! Any chance of a visible pin 1 marking on the QFP? Perhaps even (as deep luxury) a pin number on the corner pins?
I know it's probably too late, but I've got to ask...
Similarly, if the shells of the PS/2 connectors aren't grounded (are they? Hidden / implicit grounds are evil...) is there any chance of a couple of ground test points, to solder a bit of tinned copper wire between, to glomp 'scope grounds onto? I see a fair few hours playing with this board, and a handy ground is sooo nice [noparse]:)[/noparse]
You got it!·That's what the microphone is for: real-time processing. Speech recognition is perhaps the ultimate application. This is going to require some smart algorithms with minimal data sets. This kind of programming is really fun.
BTW, Spin executes ~80K instructions per second. Assembly language is going to be how you really get this thing going (20 MIPS).
KenLem said...
microphone interface, eh? Lot's of interesting things one could do with a that!
I've written a very simple speech recognition engine for low end embedded MCU's that I might want to port. Right now, it just recognizes "yes" and "no".
It's in C right now so it would probably be best to write it in spin first.
>I can modify the silk screen next time we run the boards.
That'd be most kind - even if it's just removing 3 of those arrows..., but numbering the corner pins would be super - and might reduce the number of people new to QFP counting round the wrong way...
TP1 didn't show up on the schematic - your turret will do very nicely - cheers! It's nice to meet a board so engineer-friendly [noparse]:)[/noparse]
(I was imagining metal-clad PS/2 sockets - hence my pondering if I could use them as handy scope grounds. Plastic ones are rather less tempting for that...)
Other vendors begrudge such info as proprietary and think it will get them more sales. Usually it does the opposite.
Right.· There are two ways for a company to protect it's investment in Intellectual Property:· They can keep the information about it secret and frustrate the customers, expectually in a market such as robotics and microcontrollers where we are very curious experimenters.· Or the company can be completely open and keep moving forward by improving its products and adding value so that it stays ahead of the competition.
Parallax is a shining example of the second kind of company!!!!· It is a breath of fresh air these days!
Chip Gracey (Parallax) said...
The more of this entrenched pig-headedness·we see in the world, the more we realize that Parallax must be the opposite. It needs to be open and foster a sense of equity and belonging with·its customers. I don't feel that we are competing with other companies nearly so much as we are competing against this dark·mindset which is repulsive to the human spirit. In a way, it seems we can't loose. And if we do lose, we've fought the good fight.
Chip, let me point something out:
Wed 5/10 at 3:55am, SteveW said...
Any chance of a visible pin 1 marking on the QFP? Perhaps even (as deep luxury) a pin number on the corner pins?
I know it's probably too late, but I've got to ask
Then, 8 hours and 10 minutes later:
Wed 5/10 at 12:05pm, Chip Gracey (Parallax) said...
I can modify the silk screen next time we run the boards. I could mark the pin numbers that attach to each circuit. Someone yesterday said that they always find themselves counting pins.
Chip, with customer support like that, there is no way you will lose!· Thank you.
For the extra $20, you get a printed manual and a CR-ROM. This stuff is downloadable for free, also.
Eric Smith said...
What's the difference between the $129 demo board and the $149 start kit? I'm just wondering whether to wait an extra month for the latter.
Yes, it can cost that much to print; but you get full color, no waiting, and you save the shipping weight of a text.
I also have to pay a copy shop another $5 to put a cover on my printout.· Of course, the ink may run if it gets wet.
Nonetheless, the Parallax 'package deals' seem to always assure that you feel you got more than a piece by piece purchase.
Keep in mind that by the time you buy and get this DEMO BOARD, the book will have been revised and more complete.
AND, I suspect the IDE will be officially V1.0, not the current V0.95
I want to give these as gifts to local people and having them go and fetch the documents and IDE is not an effective introduction to Parallax. For the people here, it is daunting enough that it is all in English.
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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
We should have the new Propeller Demo Boards ready to ship today. If anyone's interested, you can order them from Parallax. If you're interested, I would go ahead and get one now without waiting for the printed manual to be done. It makes playing with the Propeller really easy.
Chip Gracey (Parallax) said...
We should have the new Propeller Demo Boards ready to ship today. If anyone's interested, you can order them from Parallax. If you're interested, I would go ahead and get one now without waiting for the printed manual to be done. It makes playing with the Propeller really easy.
Thanks Chip - I'm ready to order one as soon as the ordering page is enabled....
Just a small comment on CHips's statements about the company's policies of hard/software being open.
A company creates things called Phidegts. Nifty and cool little thinggies. I was thinking they could be used in conjunction with the BS2 series of micros. I sent 2 very polite emails, asking for some detials, and was told outright: "No. You have to use our driver." -> ie, they didn't want to give out the details of how to access their products out side of the driver they provided.
Parallex has been at the top of the list in customer satasfaction, service, price...
Nope, not one complaint here... Actually, 100% praise...
(stepping off of the soap box, KK returns to his forum reading)
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Just tossing my two bits worth into the bit bucket
Thanks again Chip.
I just ordered 3 of the Propeller Demo boards and the 2.5"VGA.
I feel a little stupid for asking and then saying I would wait for the full documentation and an IDE CD.
I can put all that on a CD when the appropriate documentation and IDE are complete. Then I can make my own gift box.
I can even print out the PDF and put a plain cover on them locally. After all, I save $20USD each this way.
I see that you are offering FREE SHIPPING in the USA on orders over $200USD. Lucky guys.
K.K.
Parallax is just plain decent. I won't go into details because some people will abuse such kindness. I saw a lot of that when I worked in Macy*s customer service for a year.
I just wasted $69USD on software protection because System Mechanic and Norton Internet Security are now fighting. A NO REFUND policy, so I was told that I should have done a 30-day evaluation with two products I have used and trusted for three years. I used to have both operate side-by-side, but suffered the loss of a whole important directory because they no longer allow each other to do it's own thing. Greed creeps in everywhere.
So one of them managed to get into my 'never buy from again list.'
Sony is there for selling me a $700USD CLIE and refusing to provide repair service 6 months later because I was not in America and it was made for an American market. What happened to worldwide warrenties? This is a device you travel with and use to translate languages.
[noparse][[/noparse]forgive my soap box too. But respect for your customers rather than 'gotcha' will carry you though lean times. People will buy from people the know and admire.]
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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
Comments
The PS/2 sockets do have a grounded connection for the metal barrel of the plug. This hasn't yet been a problem, though.
If you look at the picture (attached), you can see a nice·turret post for attaching scope ground clips. It's very close to the propeller chip, too, so you can see unmuddled pin transitions on a fast scope.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chip Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
BTW, Spin executes ~80K instructions per second. Assembly language is going to be how you really get this thing going (20 MIPS).
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Chip Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
That'd be most kind - even if it's just removing 3 of those arrows..., but numbering the corner pins would be super - and might reduce the number of people new to QFP counting round the wrong way...
TP1 didn't show up on the schematic - your turret will do very nicely - cheers! It's nice to meet a board so engineer-friendly [noparse]:)[/noparse]
(I was imagining metal-clad PS/2 sockets - hence my pondering if I could use them as handy scope grounds. Plastic ones are rather less tempting for that...)
Steve
Parallax is a shining example of the second kind of company!!!!· It is a breath of fresh air these days!
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Stan Dobrowski
Then, 8 hours and 10 minutes later:
Chip, with customer support like that, there is no way you will lose!· Thank you.
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Stan Dobrowski
Thanks!
Eric
Chip Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
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Don't visit my new website...
I also have to pay a copy shop another $5 to put a cover on my printout.· Of course, the ink may run if it gets wet.
Nonetheless, the Parallax 'package deals' seem to always assure that you feel you got more than a piece by piece purchase.
Keep in mind that by the time you buy and get this DEMO BOARD, the book will have been revised and more complete.
AND, I suspect the IDE will be officially V1.0, not the current V0.95
I want to give these as gifts to local people and having them go and fetch the documents and IDE is not an effective introduction to Parallax. For the people here, it is daunting enough that it is all in English.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)
······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
Post Edited (Kramer) : 5/11/2006 5:23:36 PM GMT
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Chip Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
Thanks Chip - I'm ready to order one as soon as the ordering page is enabled....
I am ready to order one.
When the sales page is opening?
Really soon I hope.
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Chip Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
A company creates things called Phidegts. Nifty and cool little thinggies. I was thinking they could be used in conjunction with the BS2 series of micros. I sent 2 very polite emails, asking for some detials, and was told outright: "No. You have to use our driver." -> ie, they didn't want to give out the details of how to access their products out side of the driver they provided.
Parallex has been at the top of the list in customer satasfaction, service, price...
Nope, not one complaint here... Actually, 100% praise...
(stepping off of the soap box, KK returns to his forum reading)
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Just tossing my two bits worth into the bit bucket
KK
·
I just ordered 3 of the Propeller Demo boards and the 2.5"VGA.
I feel a little stupid for asking and then saying I would wait for the full documentation and an IDE CD.
I can put all that on a CD when the appropriate documentation and IDE are complete. Then I can make my own gift box.
I can even print out the PDF and put a plain cover on them locally. After all, I save $20USD each this way.
I see that you are offering FREE SHIPPING in the USA on orders over $200USD. Lucky guys.
K.K.
Parallax is just plain decent. I won't go into details because some people will abuse such kindness. I saw a lot of that when I worked in Macy*s customer service for a year.
I just wasted $69USD on software protection because System Mechanic and Norton Internet Security are now fighting. A NO REFUND policy, so I was told that I should have done a 30-day evaluation with two products I have used and trusted for three years. I used to have both operate side-by-side, but suffered the loss of a whole important directory because they no longer allow each other to do it's own thing. Greed creeps in everywhere.
So one of them managed to get into my 'never buy from again list.'
Sony is there for selling me a $700USD CLIE and refusing to provide repair service 6 months later because I was not in America and it was made for an American market. What happened to worldwide warrenties? This is a device you travel with and use to translate languages.
[noparse][[/noparse]forgive my soap box too. But respect for your customers rather than 'gotcha' will carry you though lean times. People will buy from people the know and admire.]
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
"When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.' - Walter Lippmann (1889-1974)
······································································ Warm regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan