Prop 2 Packaging; Prop 1 drop-in DIP in the cards?

epmoyer

I apologize if this has been asked somewhere before, but the most recent Prop 2 feature list on the "Which would you want more of..." post currently reads...

--------------+-------------------+-----------------------------------+------------------
Packaging          QFP preferred                                          pg19/19Jun07/6:03p
                QFN ? 
                LQFP ?
                BGA ? 
                thru-hole DIP NO ?
--------------+-------------------+-----------------------------------+------------------

Is there an desire/hope/commitment from Parallax to produce a version of the prop2 in a DIP package which will be a drop-in replacement for the Prop 1? I haven't been following all the details closely enough to know if there are hardware features which preclude this possibility, but it seems to me that if it were possible there would be a large number of existing customers who would buy DIP prop 2's to upgrade their existing prop 1 boards.

As for me, I am the middle of a commercial Prop 1 design and I had been intending to use the surface mount version, but if a compatible prop 2 dip is planned then I will switch to a socketed DIP so that the units will be field upgradable to the prop 2 whenever it becomes available.

Thanks

Paul Baker

The issue is that the die would be the same, DIP packaging is among the most expensive types and people would have the expectation of it being cheaper because it has limited functionality. That equation just doesn't add up. There may be the possibility of doing something like the Spin Stamp where a higher pin count/smaller package is put on a DIP carrier board. In fact this is the only way a Prop 1 pin compatible version of a Prop 2 could be done, because the core will be operating at 1.8V, so there would need to be an external·regulator·to drop the Prop 1's 3.3V to 1.8V and feed the 1.8 to the core and 3.3V to the I/O supply.

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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer

Parallax, Inc.

Post Edited (Paul Baker (Parallax)) : 7/12/2007 4:54:16 PM GMT

epmoyer

Paul,

Understood. Thanks for the reply! I'll stick with the surface mount Prop 1 then.

dMajo

Hi

I am new and have not read all the posts on new propeller. Is ther any chance of having PGA 13x13 or PLCC84 packages options ? Such package allow home made prototipe boards and soldering very inexpensive (10 mils route, double layer, no smd, pass-through components becomes vias)

regards

Brian L

If you can find it ???? there is a lengthy thread started by me a while back on the subject of Prop 2 packaging that went over this whole issue pretty well. I was about to post a link to it for you, however, I was unable to get any decent results from the forum search function. Maybe someone else can find it, but I can't seem to get any useful results from the search on ANY subject.

Gadgetman

http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=25&m=240045

Found it using the search string 'Brian L. Propeller II packaging' on http://search.parallax.com



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