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uOLED-96-Prop - Propeller Clock Speed Limitations - Page 2 — Parallax Forums

uOLED-96-Prop - Propeller Clock Speed Limitations

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  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-11-06 19:00
    There have been accusations Parallax has deliberately stayed out of this discussion, this cannot be further from the truth. I have been busy working on the datasheet and too busy to keep up with every thread in the forum. Duffer has been good about answering questions on the uOLED-96-Prop so I wasn't even aware of this discussion until today.
    ·
    Can you explain what is wrong with selling both the chip and products based on the chip?
    ·
    Others have stated it well: under no circumstance have we ever claimed the Propeller can operate at 128MHz, neither in any document nor in any forum post. In fact, we have repeatedly stated that the chip fails to run at room temperature somewhere between 110 and 120 MHz (for 3.3V operation).
    ·
    The crack about not being a commercial chip is way off base. Please name for me a dozen end-user commercial products that contain an Atmel (or you could do it with Microchip instead), truth is you probably couldn’t. Does that mean·they don't exist? No, it just means you simply aren't aware of them. The same is true for the Propeller, there are several commercial products based on the Propeller, but we don’t go around bragging about the products it's been incorporated into. Announcement of such a thing is the discretion of the company that made the product.
    ·
    We test each and every chip before it goes out the door and we test it well beyond normal operating conditions to ensure it will operate correctly under normal conditions. “Bad Chips” simply do not make it out the door, what the customer does to our chip however is entirely beyond our control.
    ·
    You seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding of what PLLs are and how it’s implemented on the Propeller. Think of the PLL as an engine, you can run it at red line with the clutch in but you aren’t going to go anywhere. How fast the engine can revolve is in itself a meaningless parameter, it’s only once you engage the clutch with a selected gear ratio that the number becomes meaningful. As others have mentioned the PLL can operate at 128MHz, but it has been clearly stated the specified operating limit of the chip itself is 80MHz, the higher PLL rating and the subsequent down sampling option is to accommodate a variety of clocking methods to provide the designer options. A good example of this is the Spin Stamp where a 5MHz crystal was too big to fit the form factor so a higher frequency (and thus smaller) crystal was used and the PLL8x setting is used to keep the chip within operating parameters. If the PLL system of the Propeller didn't exist in it's current form the SpinStamp wouldn't be possible.
    ·
    What about “The PLL’s internal frequency must be kept within 64 MHz to 128 MHz – this translates to an XIN frequency range of 4 MHz to 8 MHz. Allow 100 µs for the PLL to stabilize before switching to one of its outputs via the CLKSEL bits” is anecdotal? ·It’s all fact, it's the specified limit of the PLL and it is guaranteed to work at those speeds over the entire military range of operating temperatures.
    ·
    To assuage peoples desire to know “what can it, and can’t it do” as far as frequency, I have attached a graph of the maximum speed recorded. This graph has all sorts of major caveats, the test was performed running the ESC_demo so all cogs are running, many video generators and counters as well. A frequency is considered “a success” if the demo ran for 1 minute without failure. The test was performed in a forced air environmental chamber so there is ample airflow to wick away generated heat. Since these do not represent normal operating conditions (most applications do not have an active cooling means and are expected to run for more than a minute) the values on the graph must be de-rated in order to obtain a stable operating frequency for a typical application. BTW have you ever known any chip manufacturer to post the actual limit of their chip, sure they state what the specified frequency is but they never post the actually measured failure point. Oh and those grey bands, they are indeed temperatures outside the military temperature range, and we tested·the Propeller·at those temperatures too (the eeprom chip fails right at 125C so temps higher than that require a download to start up the Propeller).

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.

    Post Edited (Paul Baker (Parallax)) : 11/6/2007 9:14:51 PM GMT
    978 x 712 - 14K
  • deSilvadeSilva Posts: 2,967
    edited 2007-11-06 19:55
    Paul,
    maybe Parallax has underestimated the usefulness of charts like the one you just posted, for any kind of discussions.

    It shows parameters of the Prop that now no longer appear "ad hoc" but are given as a "function" in the context of founded measurements.
    After I looked at that chart, I suddenly felt 150% more assured of what I do (namely running Props at 96MHz with 3v6.

    Furthermore the chart is educational, as it shows the (well known) releations between temperature, clock frequency and supply voltage, even for the blind smile.gif
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-11-06 20:05
    The chart represents more than a month of testing, and is one of two graphs to be included into the datasheet before we revise the datasheet from prelim to full (thats why it looks so nice and isn't a "whipped together" excel graph).· The full datasheet should be published in the next couple of weeks.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • SapiehaSapieha Posts: 2,964
    edited 2007-11-06 20:08
    Hi Paul.

    It is similar to my experiences.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty.

    Sapieha
  • mparkmpark Posts: 1,305
    edited 2007-11-07 05:42
    Paul,
    1. What Prop package (DIP? QFN?) did you use for the speed tests?
    2. In your opinion, can the uOLED-96-Prop run properly at 128MHz?
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2007-11-07 06:20
    mpark,
    Please read the datasheet and the discussions. The uOLED-96-Prop cannot "run properly at 128MHz". As you can tell from the graph Paul posted, the speed that the Propeller appears to run at depends on the chip temperature and the power supply voltage as well as probable variations from chip to chip. The chip temperature will vary depending on the ambient temperature and the amount of power that the Propeller is dissipating which depends on what it's doing at the time and what the current draw is from any attached electronics. As you should be able to tell from the graph, at higher supply voltages and cooler temperatures (like near or below freezing), the chip will run at 128MHz, but at higher supply voltages, the chip temperature will rise faster. "Properly" (for a general purpose market) does not include having to refrigerate the chip or running the processor at the high end of its voltage range. The package doesn't matter enough since it only affects the difference between chip temperature and ambient temperature and the chip will not run reliably at normal ambient temperatures for people and any elevation of chip temperature above ambient only makes things worse.

    "Properly" means that the chip will function reliably under conditions that can be expected in normal usage with typical variations in supply voltage, I/O current draw, ambient temperature, enclosure, etc. Unless 4D Systems carefully selects Propeller chips and tests them at 128MHz (maximum speed, maximum I/O draw, etc. - like Parallax does at 80MHz) over a specified temperature range (at least commercial temps or whatever the display is rated for), you know nothing about whether a uOLED-96-Prop will work for a customer at 128MHz with any reliability in normal usage.

    Post Edited (Mike Green) : 11/7/2007 6:31:11 AM GMT
  • mparkmpark Posts: 1,305
    edited 2007-11-07 11:27
    So Duffer's and Atilla's explanation for 128MHz operation doesn't hold water?

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=679308

    I'm just curious because there was a lot of skepticism about it until they posted about good board layout and using the QFN package, and then everyone pretty much rolled over and accepted it.
  • deSilvadeSilva Posts: 2,967
    edited 2007-11-07 13:55
    @mpark: I think you misinterpreted the "skepticism" as well as the "rolling over" smile.gif There is more than just this thread to read about it...
  • mparkmpark Posts: 1,305
    edited 2007-11-07 14:54
    deSilva said...
    @mpark: I think you misinterpreted the "skepticism" as well as the "rolling over" smile.gif
    Entirely possible [noparse]:)[/noparse] Please enlighten me.
    deSilva said...
    There is more than just this thread to read about it...
    Well, yes, I did refer to a different thread. Did you have yet another in mind?
  • Fred HawkinsFred Hawkins Posts: 997
    edited 2007-11-07 15:33
    I think we can all assume that the cog counter modules are broken at 128Mhz until conclusively proved otherwise. And remember the 128Mhz is being forced by two decisions: an 8Mhz crystal (because it was available) and some spin code that doesn't use assembly or the counters.

    For it's intended application (an interface to an oLED controller) 128Mhz spin code is probably harmless. But as a general assertion (128Mhz works!), we're into vaporware.

    Meanwhile, http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/item/PJT-10/450/LARGE_THERMOELECTRIC_DEVICE_.html

    Post Edited (Fred Hawkins) : 11/7/2007 6:10:58 PM GMT
  • hippyhippy Posts: 1,981
    edited 2007-11-07 17:13
    Fred Hawkins said...
    And remember the 128Mhz is being forced by two decisions: an 8Mhz crystal (because it was available) and some spin code that doesn't use assembly or the counters.
    Although the Spin interpreter itself is Assembler and most surely uses hub access, C and Z flags, which are the first to 'break down' which is why I was sceptical it would work at all.

    I am really intrigued to know to where and how the 4D Systems design shifted the critical failure point.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2007-11-07 17:46
    hippy,
    4D Systems doesn't have to shift a "critical failure point". If they run the Prop at higher than normal voltages (around 3.6V) and keep it at low normal room temperature, they can run it at 128MHz, but not reliably and not in "normal" conditions. The surface mount packages will tend to keep the die at near ambient temperatures and the uOLED-96-Prop is unpackaged, runs in open air, doesn't drive any relatively high current devices (20-30ma per pin), and isn't sitting over or next to other devices that run hot. In "real" situations where the chip will be hotter, but still very much in spec (commercial, industrial, or military temperature range and 3.0 nominal Vdd), it will fail at 128MHz. Even if 4D Systems selects chips for temperature tolerance (and there will be some chip to chip variation), they have to test them and publish their specs. Otherwise, if you're building a product, you will have to test them in realistic conditions. You can't count on Parallax's datasheet statements because they're saying that it won't work at 128MHz over the temperature and voltage ranges that they test for. 4D Systems doesn't have anything to "count on" other than that they'll replace it if it doesn't work. That's quite an expense. Either you test them or you send them to customers and they test them or put them into service where some of them will fail.

    Note that you can run the Propeller at over 140MHz if you refrigerate it adequately and use a 3.6V power supply. It's been done. That doesn't mean that you can design a product around it. You need a much more tightly regulated power supply (it's not as far from 3.6V to 4.0V where the device may be damaged) and you need careful temperature control so the Prop's clock doesn't go to 140MHz until the chip is cold enough for reliable operation. (You also will need humidity control since condensation from the refrigeration can cause problems with leakage and corrosion).

    Post Edited (Mike Green) : 11/7/2007 6:04:50 PM GMT
  • Beanie2kBeanie2k Posts: 83
    edited 2007-11-07 19:07
    I'm confused. Please tell me if I understand correctly.

    1: Parallax designs the Propeller chip, and specifies in the data sheet that the max. operating frequency is 80 MHz.

    2: Another company adds additional hardware, creating a developer's kit, and markets the kit to the public. This company runs the Propeller at 128 MHz, or 60% above the manufacturer's specifications. Their testing reveals no issues with the higher frequency.

    3: The public buys the developer's kit, adds its own software, and begins to see problems. Reducing the Propeller's operating frequency to a value within Parallax's specifications eliminates the problems.

    4: And now the public is blaming Parallax for making a faulty chip?????????????????????????????

    Excuse me, but it appears people are blaming the dog for the sins of the cat here. And people wonder why Parallax is reticent to release the spin bytecode documentation.

    Post Edited (Beanie2k) : 11/7/2007 7:12:15 PM GMT
  • Mark SwannMark Swann Posts: 124
    edited 2007-11-07 19:16
    Beanie2k said...
    ...
    Excuse me, but it appears people are blaming the dog for the sins of the cat here. And people wonder why Parallax is reticent to release the spin bytecode documentation.
    Exactly.

    But let's be careful here. 4D has released a great little platform for the Prop, and they didn't have to do that. We need to work with 4D on this, not hammer them.

    Lucidman
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2007-11-07 19:44
    For my part, I like the uOLED-96-Prop.· That's why I spent the effort to do a FemtoBasic version for it.· We're talking about apples and oranges here (or dogs and cats):

    1) Parallax specs the Propeller for operation over the military temperature range with a typical supply voltage range of 3.0V to 3.6V and a maximum clock speed of 80MHz (although parts of the chip·*only* are spec'd to 128MHz like the·PLLs and the video PLL and counters are spec'd to 160MHz).·.· They do thorough testing to verify that a sampling of chips fulfills this spec and do continued sampling and testing to ensure that this remains so.· The chip design is consistent with the findings on testing, so there are no surprises.· They also test the chip over a wider range and characterize the failure mechanisms beyond the spec'd range of operation.

    2) 4D Systems makes a very nice module using the Propeller chip that normally works very well at 64MHz and says that they've tried it at 128MHz and it seems to work ok and that they'll replace modules that don't work at 128MHz.· They've not published any testing results that characterize the limits of operation of their module at 128MHz, particularly with regard to temperature (whether chip temperature or ambient).· This is all very nice and fun to play with, but, anyone who builds products based on this sort of information about use at 128MHz·is very foolish without either further testing and characterization on the part of 4D Systems or done by themselves with similar care to that done by Parallax, because the module will fail sometimes at 128MHz under conditions that are not known, certainly not well characterized,·but probably under "normal" operating conditions for this sort of thing.

    This is not meant to be any kind of complaint, just that Parallax and 4D Systems have made very different kinds of statements.· Neither one has said anything wrong or (as far as I can tell) incorrect.· They're just talking about very different circumstances.· You can't compare what Parallax has said about the Propeller with what 4D Systems has observed about it in their product.· Parallax has to be able to guarantee how the Propeller will behave over a wide range of conditions and to support that through documentation or commercial / industrial customers won't be able to use the chip and won't buy it.· That doesn't mean that some specific chips won't function over a wider range or in specific narrow conditions.· Hobbyist and experimenters have different needs.· Remember that the OLED itself probably won't work over the military temperature range (-55C to 125C) while the Propeller has been demonstrated to do so up to 80MHz.


    Post Edited (Mike Green) : 11/7/2007 8:25:55 PM GMT
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-11-07 19:56
    lucidman said...
    Beanie2k said...
    ...
    Excuse me, but it appears people are blaming the dog for the sins of the cat here. And people wonder why Parallax is reticent to release the spin bytecode documentation.
    Exactly.

    But let's be careful here. 4D has released a great little platform for the Prop, and they didn't have to do that. We need to work with 4D on this, not hammer them.

    Lucidman
    Agreed, alot more gets accomplished through cooperation than through accusations.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • deSilvadeSilva Posts: 2,967
    edited 2007-11-07 20:09
    In fact I should no longer contribute to this absolutely childish discussion, but I just overheard a talk in the supermarket this evening about the "Best Before Date". It is exactly that: The manufacturer has decided to print a date onto his product, considering the standard handling of the packages and his great experience of food chemistry.

    This thread here is something of: "But I often eat food man days over the 'best before date', and I never became ill" smile.gif
    Or: "Tell me, tell me: How long a time can I eat food over the 'best before date' ?"

    Note that in other languages there are more restrictive terms for that, in Germany it is called "Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum", which implies that the food be ALWAYS good before that date. Which is total nonsense, as if could have been spoilt by mishandling at any date...
  • Beanie2kBeanie2k Posts: 83
    edited 2007-11-07 21:11
    OK, sorry I stepped on peoples' toes. I've been designing electronics from a commercial perspective for over 24 years, so I guess I'm stuck in that mindset. I thought somewhere in this thread (not going to look for it) someone had criticized Parallax because the Prop didn't work at 128 MHz, so I was going like "well what do you expect?". Anyway I'll shut up now.
  • Nick MuellerNick Mueller Posts: 815
    edited 2007-11-07 22:12
    > I don't know who Adoy Esiw is

    Easy:
    Wise Yoda

    Nick

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Never use force, just go for a bigger hammer!

    The DIY Digital-Readout for mills, lathes etc.:
    YADRO
  • mirrormirror Posts: 322
    edited 2007-11-07 22:48
    Having not seen this thread til now, it seems like some animated discussion has been tasking place...

    I think the Wise Yoda is making a valid claim that the Hydra is running "out of spec" with it's 10MHz crystal! That would translate to an internal PLL frequency of 160MHz.

    I suspect well end up getting a clarified spec (eventually), something along the lines of: The Clock PLL's internal frequency must be kept within 64MHz - 160MHz. The highest frequency output selectable by CLKSEL[noparse][[/noparse]0..2] is limited to 80MHz.

    This updated spec would imply three things that we already know:
    1) In the Hydra you are restricted to PLL8x - which translates to a 80MHz operational clock.
    2) In the uOLED, you are also restricted to PLL8x - which translates to a 64MHz operational clock.
    3) Overclocking (>80MHz operational clock)·is DONE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
  • Graham StablerGraham Stabler Posts: 2,507
    edited 2007-11-08 00:45
    Wow I hadn't realized this thread had gone in this direction, I thought it was just about how fast you could talk to the module.

    Whatever else I hope I don't have to read any further posts from "wise" yoda.

    Graham
  • rjo_rjo_ Posts: 1,825
    edited 2008-01-03 21:17
    This is actually a great thread...

    In addition to shedding light on some technical details from almost every conceivable direction, I was particularly impressed by how restrained everyone was.

    I have a feeling that Yoda will be back, perhaps as eKuL or Hael Diputs.

    Fun and educational to read.
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