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A new Propeller Board — Parallax Forums

A new Propeller Board

Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
edited 2009-03-01 22:21 in Propeller 1
Hi Propeller Freaks,

here is the final result.

- Propeller Chip with ext. XTAL 5 MHZ
- I2C EEPROM
- Audio
- SD Memory Slot
- USB Programming Interface
- Ethernet ENC28J60 Interface
- XBee Module (optional)
- Power via USB
- Power via Barrel·Connector (6 ...9 VDC)
- VGA
- TV Video
- PS2 Mouse Interface
- PS2 Keyboard Interface
- Port Pins P0...P27 available via Pinheader
- Reset Switch
- User LEDs for P22 and P23
- VGA and Video can be disabled via the DIL Switches
-·prof-made 2 layer board with toplayer silkscreen
- board dimensions 80x100mm
- CDROM with schematics, easyPROP Demosoftware·and Manual included

have fun
Franz

prop1.jpg
prop2.jpg

Post Edited (Franz Achatz) : 7/29/2007 10:57:11 PM GMT
«134

Comments

  • nowhohanowhoha Posts: 4
    edited 2007-07-03 12:49
    Franz,

    Great looking board and schematic!
    Do you mind if I ask, what software you use?

    Also, would it be possible to bring P12-23 out and use jumpers or dip switch to enable TV/VGA to free up I/O?

    Thanks,
    Carl

    PS Selling this board?
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-03 12:56
    Hi Carl,

    i use Eagle from www.cadsoft.com
    The full-working Demo can be downloaded.

    Just added a SD Slot and connected it to P0..P3.
    Will have a look to bring more I/Os down.

    >Selling this board?
    First i am going to make a first Proto PCB run with about 25 pcs or so.

    have fun
    Franz
  • nowhohanowhoha Posts: 4
    edited 2007-07-03 13:36
    Franz, thanks!
  • Rob7Rob7 Posts: 275
    edited 2007-07-03 14:23
    Franz,
    Looks great,
    I like the SD card add on,built in !
    When will you have this ready to go ?
    Any idea on priceing ?
    When can we start placeing orders ?

    Rob7

    Post Edited (Rob7) : 7/3/2007 2:33:16 PM GMT
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-03 14:33
    Hi Rob7,

    Thanks smile.gif

    >When will you have this ready to go !
    i just started yesterday with the design and its not ready, yet.
    Hope that i can place an order in china, end of this week smile.gif

    Need more ideas !!!!
    How about placing Pinheaders for an XBee-Module on this Board ?????
    XBee works with3.3V as well.

    have fun
    Franz
  • Rob7Rob7 Posts: 275
    edited 2007-07-03 14:40
    "XBee", would be a great idea !
    So, I get the XBee fuction right !

    Rob7
  • Nick WaldvogelNick Waldvogel Posts: 71
    edited 2007-07-03 14:56
    The Xbee header would be great.·
    ·
    I’m game for one!

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  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2007-07-03 14:58
    How do you manage to get a DIP EEPROM under the DIP Propeller chip ?
    I would use an EEPROM with more storage. (On my Prop Dongle I use a 1024Kbit EEPROM).
    You could probably get rid of one of the PS/2 connectors if you wanted. Very few things need BOTH a keyboard and a mouse.

    Bean.

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    “The United States is a nation of laws -· poorly written and randomly enforced.” - Frank Zappa

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    www.hittconsulting.com
    ·
  • KaioKaio Posts: 266
    edited 2007-07-03 15:05
    Franz,

    you have forgotten the RCA for sound on pin 10 and 11 via the simple RC-circuitry. It would be nice if you could add this to your board.
    I would also recommend to configure all wired circuitry on Propeller pins except USB and EEPROM via jumper or dip switch.

    Thomas
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-03 15:13
    @Bean:
    DIP EEPROM solderd and Propeller socket
    or
    DIP Socket and Propeller with two sockets smile.gif
    Maybe i use a smd eeprom.

    @Thomas:
    where can i find this simpel RC-Circuitry???

    Franz
  • rokickirokicki Posts: 1,000
    edited 2007-07-03 15:27
    There's no pullups on the SD card; there should probably be six pullups.

    (Without the pullups, things may generally appear to work, but the spec
    says to have the pullups. Without them there's danger that we could
    have floating inputs which can lead to excessive power consumption
    and possibly even chip failure. It's also possible a floating input will
    cause the chip to get into a "bad" state from which it doesn't recover.)

    Are you going to sell this populated, or unpopulated? If unpopulated, it would
    be nice to make a propclip/propplug connector for people that don't want to
    populate the USB portion.
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-03 16:02
    pullups are done on the backside of the board, if needed.
    See updated schematic.

    > propclip/propplug connector
    good idea smile.gif))

    >Are you going to sell this populated, or unpopulated?
    Yes, both options, after the board works.

    So, we now have:

    - USB
    - Mouse
    - Keyboard
    - TV
    - VGA
    - SD Slot
    - XBee

    have still to re-arange some part-settings for having more I/Os available, if needed.

    Franz
  • JamesxJamesx Posts: 132
    edited 2007-07-03 16:31
    Is there are particular reason for using the DIP version of the Propeller?

    Seems like a smaller Propeller part would allow the overall board to shrink and/or give you more room for prototyping.

    Jim C
  • rokickirokicki Posts: 1,000
    edited 2007-07-03 16:36
    Still missing two pullups (DAT1 and DAT2 on the SD card). But looks good.

    I would also say go for the smaller Prop package if possible.
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-03 16:46
    Jim,
    yes there is.
    I love doing everthing in smd (see foto) but i am thinking about the hobbyist
    who is not so "handy" in smd soldering.
    By the way if the Propeller smd chip gets killed most people have a big problem.
    Therefore i was thinking about using a DIL-Prop.

    @rokicki
    i think DAT1 and DAT2·is not needed ???

    Franz
    wc2.jpg
  • AleAle Posts: 2,363
    edited 2007-07-03 17:36
    Hei Franz, at mikrocontroller.net there is a thread for a Propeller board (Markt) made here in Germany, maybe some of your ideas can be merged or 2 nice boards could result. Did you have a look at it ?
    BTW, your design looks really nice. I'd be interested in one smile.gif
  • AleAle Posts: 2,363
    edited 2007-07-03 18:04
    That is one of the possibilities, yes.
    What Stefan proposes is also interesting.
  • KaioKaio Posts: 266
    edited 2007-07-03 18:28
    Franz,

    here you can find the simple circuit for sound. You have it to use twice, one for each sound channel.
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=606294

    Thomas
  • Chris SavageChris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406
    edited 2007-07-03 21:37
    Bean (Hitt Consulting) said...(trimmed)
    How do you manage to get a DIP EEPROM under the DIP Propeller chip ?
    Bean,

    ·· That's how the PropSTICK was setup...EEPROM hidden under the DIP Propeller Chip.· Slick place to hide many components.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Chris Savage
    Parallax Tech Support
  • hinvhinv Posts: 1,255
    edited 2007-07-04 04:31
    Hi Franz,

    I would suggest going with a microSD and q44 prop chip to save space. Yeah, I know about having to solder the q44 prop if it goes bad, but the chip is pretty tough.
    With MicroSD's for under $5 for 512MB, and just a postage stamp to mail, I don't know why they haven't caught on more in this forum. I use one with the sparcfun breakout adapter, and it works well.

    Also, I would like a switch to power the whole thing off the usb port, if you can swing it under 500mA 5V.

    Thanks,
    Doug
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-04 11:38
    Hi all,

    did some work and changed the eeprom and propeller-chip to a smd type.
    Two dip-switches are now onboard for disconnecting VGA and TV.
    See the updated drawings !!!!

    More things to implement:

    - RCA for sound on P 10 and 11
    - Power via USB
    - propclip/propplug connector

    have fun
    Franz
  • KaioKaio Posts: 266
    edited 2007-07-04 12:10
    Franz,

    I would suggest to wire the dip switch S3 to disconnect the resistors instead the JP3, otherwise it makes no sense.
    Please use a larger EEPROM so that we have some storage for the application.
    For the sound you could also use a headphone jack that would save some space. With an adapter you could use an RCA cable to connect an audio device.

    Thomas
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-04 12:19
    Hi Thomas,

    Oh, thanks. I made a mistake smile.gif))

    Franz
  • KaioKaio Posts: 266
    edited 2007-07-04 14:20
    Franz,

    I would like to have a 3.5 mm headphone jack for the sound instead the jumper plug.
    Also I would suggest to disconnect the output of the 5 V regulator per JP4 if you use the USB for supply.

    Thomas
  • rokickirokicki Posts: 1,000
    edited 2007-07-04 16:07
    dat1 and dat2 are not *used* for the communication, but the SD spec pretty clearly states
    that unused card inputs should be pulled up to VCC. Presumably this is to avoid excessive
    power consumptions or oscillations on the input buffers of the SD cards.

    In practice leaving them not pulled up doesn't seem to harm things, but perhaps that's only
    true for the small number of cards I've actually experimented with. You leave the pullups
    off at your own risk. If you plan to make a bunch of these boards, and only 1% of your users
    have issues because of the lack of these pullups, you've just spent more on customer support
    than you'll probably gain in profit.
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-04 16:14
    Hello Rokicki,

    you have to reload the page, then you can see that i allready included the other pullups.
    I have made an SD-Add-On Print for my webcat board without any pullups
    and i works perfect. But you are right, you never know what happens smile.gif)))

    What else do we need at this board ???????????????????

    have fun
    Franz
  • KaioKaio Posts: 266
    edited 2007-07-04 18:35
    Hi Franz,

    thanks for the headphone jack, very nice.

    Did you have understand my suggestion for the USB supply? I think it could be a problem if someone would supply the board from two various sources. Therefore I would suggest to use a 3 pin version for JP4 so you can switch to supply via USB and simultaneous disconnect from the external supply.

                       JP4
5V regulator <---o  o  o---> VBUS USB
                    |
                    V
                   +5V



    Thomas
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-04 18:36
    Here are the two layers of the board.

    Franz

    Post Edited (Franz Achatz) : 7/7/2007 3:29:58 PM GMT
    top.jpg
    680 x 561 - 113K
    bot.jpg
    680 x 561 - 86K
    top.jpg 113.1K
    bot.jpg 86.4K
  • Franz AchatzFranz Achatz Posts: 140
    edited 2007-07-05 18:37
    Hi Thomas,

    >Did you have understand my suggestion for the USB supply? I think it could be a problem if someone would supply the board from two various sources. Therefore I would suggest to use a 3 pin version for JP4 so you can switch to supply via USB and simultaneous >disconnect from the external supply.

    Yes, i got your message smile.gif)))
    I will change it tomorrow and then you guys can have the final look
    before i place the pcb order.

    have fun
    Franz
  • ColeyColey Posts: 1,112
    edited 2007-07-05 19:01
    Franz,

    Congratulations, your board is brilliant, put me down for one when you have the pcb's

    Can't believe you have Ethernet on there too! yeah.gif

    Coley
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