Need input on chip selecting for a project

Rexkarz

Hi, everyone, Rex here.
I want to design a remote controlled mp3 player that uses usb drives for storage. I have experience programming stamps and I used to design and build industrial control systems that used ladder logic and PLC's. I know that I need to learn assembly programming at some point, but never really started. I am excited about the propeller chip, it looks like it would be fast enough and I don't think I would have a hard time at all learning SPIN and bringing myself up to speed on assembly using the same chip. It looks fast enough to handle USB data transfer to an mp3 decoder chip, if I were to use the USB handling chip, now we're starting to get the parts cost going up and I would like to market my units. So far, excluding the display I'm thinking Propeller, STA013 mp3 chip, matching D-A chip, FTDI chip, etc.

Any thoughts on this? Should I bite the bullet and use a PIC chip instead of the propeller? I think the Propeller might not even need the usb interface chip, too. How about an mp3 chip? Anyone here used any mp3 chips in a project?
Thanks, Rex

Mike Green

Have you looked at the Vinculum VMUSIC2? It includes a USB host and an MP3 decoder, reads its MP3 data off a USB flash drive. It's controlled using either an asynchonous serial or an SPI interface which a Stamp or SX or Propeller can use easily.

There's already SD card reading and writing routines, but no USB support for the Propeller without using some kind of interface chip.

Rexkarz

I have requested some more data from them about that item. It looks like something similar to what I need, I will probably build one with that device while I learn more about using the parts I mentioned. It looks like I would be able to make one ground up cheaper using discrete parts which would help Me to sell them. LOL Having said that, there is a lot to be said about having something in the hand ready to work!