PropSTICK questions

Harley · 2006-07-06 19:51

Ordered a PropSTICK on 30 Jun. Read they'd be filling the orders on 5 July. Am wondering if one will receive an email from Parallax re UPS shipping. (Could not find a way to check one's order on the web site. Is there?)

OK, to the questions:
1. Is the EEPROM blank or programmed?_______

2. Will documentation be provided how to program it?_______ (I've not yet located any reference to that on the site. Just the document on assembling the PropSTICK with the schematic on the last 1/2 page. I suppose the IDE is used to program it?_______)

3. Are there any demo programs available for the PropSTICK (besides mentioned at the end of the PropSTICK kit document)?_______

4. How long has the PropSTICK been available_______ I assume it is fairly new, but maybe older than the Demo board.

Thanks in advance for info on this kit.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Harley Shanko
h.a.s. designn

RinksCustoms · 2006-07-06 20:33

Prop stick comes with assy level code on it, EE is blank (that's where your imagination comes in)
There is the IDE and Syntax guide, nothing like the WAM book yet for it (that's where the "for advanced programers" comes in)
There are some threads if you go back to the prop forum and look up, there's a thread loaded with programs, the language differs from PBASIC and is much more powerful, which requires a it more knowledge on programming unfortunately
and the prop is very new, they have just come out with it this year whereas the basic series have been around since silicon chips were soft. Enjoy your prop, the specs are amazing!

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Definetly a E³ (Electronics Engineer Extrodinare!)
"I laugh in the face of imposible,... not because i know it all, ... but because I don't know well enough!"

Post Edited (RinksCustoms) : 7/6/2006 8:37:14 PM GMT

SSteve · 2006-07-06 21:27

2. Propeller documentation is here: www.parallax.com/propeller/downloads.asp. And, yes, you just use the Propeller Tool IDE the same as with the Development Board.

3. Most of the demo programs you'll find require the Propeller Demo Board (or a homemade version thereof) because they interface with keyboard, mouse, video, etc. You can hook up some LEDs and run BlinkLED.

4. The PropStick shipped a couple days before the Development Board. They were both in mid-May.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows

links:
My band's website
Our album on the iTunes Music Store

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) · 2006-07-06 21:49

3. The PropSTICK is quite easy to interface to a video monitor. An RCA connector, a short stub of wire, and three resistors is all it takes. This will allow several more demo programs to be used with it.

-Phil

Harley · 2006-07-06 23:55

From what I found, I only need the following:

1. PropSTICK
2. ac. adapter for power
3. serial cable
4. PC (my main one is an iMac, OS 9.??; not ready for Windows; maybe a newest iMac later in the year)
5. Propeller Tool (= IDE)
6. and some of the mmmm.spin examples
7. plus some discretes (ex: resistors for video, LEDs, etc) attached to I/O pins.

And I should get examples running?

If so, cooool.

If not, explain.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Harley Shanko
h.a.s. designn

Harley · 2006-07-07 00:02

Just looked in the IDE, and the Chap 3 on Programming is blank.

Is there a document floating around which in time will describe programming the Propeller?________

Just trying to get ready before the PropSTICK gets here

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Harley Shanko
h.a.s. designn

SSteve · 2006-07-07 00:54

There isn't a Mac version of the Propeller Tool. An OS9-era iMac may or may not be able to run one of the Windows emulators. I didn't want to run Virtual PC on my PowerBook so I broke my PIII Windows laptop out of mothballs. In the future when I get an Intel Mac, I'll probably run Parallels.

Chapter 4 is the reference to the Spin commands. For a temporary substitute to chapter 3, spend some time looking through past posts in this forum. Start with the "SPIN CODE EXAMPLES FOR THE BEGINNER" thread. The Propeller page says that the manual is due August 1, so you'll probably get access to chapter 3 around that time. Parallax always makes its manuals available for free download.

Add a breadboard to your list of requirements.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows

links:
My band's website
Our album on the iTunes Music Store

Sawmiller · 2006-07-07 01:05

the propstick is great, load up the examples and look at them, run them then tear them apart and make your own... i use the video monitor (tv) for my debugging terminal cause its the easiest for me to do.. but with the prop, you can do tv, vga,lcd, a hyperterm back to your computer, and probally hologram if your as smart as some of the ppl in here.. the ide is windows thou,
dan

Harley · 2006-07-07 14:18

Thanks to everyone for all the ideas, hints and references.

Besides the older iMac there's a somewhat newer PC (ThinkPad w/Windows 2000).

And yes, I forgot to include the solderless breadboard device. Have both a 0.3" and 0.6" style from when I began with an OEM Basic Stamp 2 in 2000.

Where does one find the "...IDE and Syntax guide."?____ Is it listed under that name? Found under Help on IDE lots to read; wish it were printable. If printable, don't know how one does that.

I have a 5" video monitor; hopefully that can be used, if text not too small (thanks Phil). Looking forward to seeing that character set displayed.

UPS estimates PropSTICK delivery on 10th. Lots to read by then.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Harley Shanko
h.a.s. designn

SSteve · 2006-07-07 14:31

Harley said...
Where does one find the "...IDE and Syntax guide."?____ Is it listed under that name? Found under Help on IDE lots to read; wish it were printable. If printable, don't know how one does that.

Those are in the downloadable PDF manual (www.parallax.com/propeller/downloads.asp). Chapter 2 describes the IDE and Chapter 4 describes the Spin syntax.

Harley said...
I have a 5" video monitor; hopefully that can be used, if text not too small (thanks Phil). Looking forward to seeing that character set displayed.

Parallax sells a 2.5" monitor as part of the accessories kit, so I'm guessing the 5" will be more than adequate.

Have fun!

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows

links:
My band's website
Our album on the iTunes Music Store

hammerhead74000 · 2006-07-07 15:19

For right now, I'm afraid that you're going to have to use that PC... I'm working on a cross-platform toolchain for the SX, and have my eye on one for the Prop, but that's quite a ways off...

Harley · 2006-07-07 15:28

'IDE and Syntax guide' didn't ring any bells, but 'Chapter 2' and 'Chapter 4' sure does. Have gone through Ch 1; printed out so I could read at leasure. Bummer was, Parallax had a blank page in the '.pdf' which wasn't accounted for on print out. So, pages printed out of sequence (page 4 ahead of pg 3!!!)

Where is the info to create these forum messages? For instance, the nice quote boxes you did. I don't see some things show up on Preview when I think I've done something. Feel like flying blind. But I'll get there in time.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Harley Shanko
h.a.s. designn

SSteve · 2006-07-07 18:09

If you click "Post Reply" instead of typing in the "Quick Reply" box at the bottom of the thread there are buttons to insert the different tags. If you hover over the buttons, the status lines shows you the syntax and a brief explanation.

And if you click in the "balloon text" box at the top-right of a message it brings you to the Post Reply window with the text already quoted.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows

links:
My band's website
Our album on the iTunes Music Store

PropSTICK questions

Comments