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Just to make sure if this is feasible — Parallax Forums

Just to make sure if this is feasible

psavolaipsavolai Posts: 21
edited 2006-06-18 10:00 in Propeller 1
Hi,

I stumbled onto propeller pages last weekend and·fell immediately in love with it.
I am a pic developer using CCS C and was looking for a simple way to control VGA display.
Needless to say how nice the propeller seemed to me.

So I decided to order two chips immediately...
First I tried Parallax web shop ,·and the two chips cost like 50·$ and the postage 50 $.
I felt that·50$ was just too much for sending two chips over·, so I decided· to look for
local dealer and luckily found one from Sweden (I live in Finland) that agreed to send the chips
and charge only 4 Euros for it.


anyways,
The app that I'd like to use Propeller for·needs to :

1. Get some strings from PC/MAC over USB (use USB2SER type of adapter)
2. Store received strings in memory (use a separate I2C memory chip ?)
3.·Show texts on vga display (seems doable after reading the forum)
4. Read some switches (totally doable)
5. Remember all the received datas after powerdown (I2C memory chip keeping its contents ?)

Is this feasible on propeller or do I have to implement steps 1,2,4,5 with PIC and use propeller
only as the video driver chip ?


regards,

petri.
·

Comments

  • parskoparsko Posts: 501
    edited 2006-06-13 11:18
    Sir, I have used Antratek in Lelystad, Netherlands. They have been super nice to be even though I have been a knucklehead to them (not intentionally, of course).

    -Parsko
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2006-06-13 12:33
    If you write a comment in the order, asking Parallax to send the chips using USPS instead of the usual carrier, they will do it for you.(And update the cost accordingly)

    And yes, it all sounds perfectly doable.

    How much data do you need to transfer and display?
    And will the Propeller need to change them?

    You may want to look at SD-cards and the FAT driver posted in another topic in this forum.
    (it's currently 'read only')

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Don't visit my new website...
  • psavolaipsavolai Posts: 21
    edited 2006-06-14 13:05
    thanks Gadgetman,

    This device is supposed to become a "teleprompter" for rock musicians.

    (memory and eyesight are not what they used to be ...)

    So it should basically hold lyrics for about 20 songs at a time.

    Most lyrics fit easily under 1K so I could be using even the onboard 32K memory

    If I only knew how to write to it so that it wouldn't be lost on next reboot.



    I looked the FAT thing and it looks pretty nice to me, but in this application we'd propably get by with ordinary I2C memory chip.

    btw, I received the chips today ´, so it took only 3 days. Good job Sweden.



    petri.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2006-06-15 20:28
    Won't you need more than just the lyrics?

    Timing data and such?

    Anyway, as the data isn't likely to grow completely out of hand, you could make a small print with a connector like the one for the 'APPmod' connectors used on BS2 programing boards, and on the print you can stick an I2C EEPROM. Stick labels on the other side, with the playlist, and even a decrepit, old headbanger should be able to figure it out.(Use a connector that can't be plugged in the wrong way, just to be certain...)

    You still need a way to transfer the data to the EEPROM(s), but a simple 'loader' program which receives the data trough a serial link and dumps it to the EEPROM shouldn't be too difficult.

    BTW: Which shop did you use?
    (I'm in Norway, and the supplier I usually use for my Parallax goodies, elfa.se , doesn't have it listed, yet)

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Don't visit my new website...
  • psavolaipsavolai Posts: 21
    edited 2006-06-17 09:25
    It's really easy to remember music (timing, chords,..) it's the lyrics that most of us have problems with.
    There are actually a few rock musicians (who do not want their names published) who will be using this device.
    If you are interested in what music I do, check out:
    http://www.petrisavolainen.com/

    ----
    I was surprised how easy it was to get the chip working.
    Now I'll just write the code for the app.

    I got the chip from www.lawicel-shop.se/shop/
    The guys were really nice and they accept PayPal.
    The shipping cost only about 4 euros and it took 3 days from ordering
    to get the goods carried to my own mailbox. ... good job.

    They didn't sell USB2SER, so I built the Serial Port programmer onto veroboard.
    It took about 2 hours and it works really nice.
    (maybe I should post the vero design , just in case someone else is interested as well)

    petri.
  • tperkinstperkins Posts: 98
    edited 2006-06-17 11:24
    It's a bit off topic--forum Gods please indulge me--but since Nightwish is looking for a singer, and Amy Lee of Evanescence doesn't have, well, musicians.

    What would you think of them getting together for an album?

    Yours, Tom Perkins
  • psavolaipsavolai Posts: 21
    edited 2006-06-18 10:00
    I think that this "unholy marriage" would really work extremely well.
    Why not. From where I'm standing it looks like a win-win.
    Everyone would get loads of money.

    Then again I'm not a fan of either one, so what do I know.

    petri.
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