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Breadboards vs. Carrier Boards ... and 9v battery vs. other power supply — Parallax Forums

Breadboards vs. Carrier Boards ... and 9v battery vs. other power supply

dfederighidfederighi Posts: 2
edited 2007-12-30 20:50 in BASIC Stamp
Folks,

I just received my order from a Parallax ... a BS2 with a Carrier Board (9v battery and serial port inputs). From what I know ... in order to start programming this BS2, I need to give it some power and connect it to windows via the serial cable (or in my case a USB->Serial Adapter).

The question? Doesn't it make sense to hook this up to a breadboard instead of the carrier board ? If I want to experiment, it would be a pain (and quite limiting) to use the carrier board and it's limited space. It's not clear, however, how I connect my computer to the stamp with the carrier and it's serial port. Can any clarify this? I'm sure I can connect a basic 5-15v power supply to the breadboard ... so I'm not worried about replacing the 9v battery. This all may sound simple ... but I am very new to electronics ... so please, be kind.

Also ... I did receive the application cookbooks as well ... but these are just schematics with a bit of sample code for each. The code doesn't scare me at all ... but I was looking for something that eases me into project development. Would "Microcontroller Projects with the Basic Stamp" be a better choice maybe?

So ... in short ... how do I use a breadboard instead of the carrier board and connect power and a cable from my PC to the stamp?

Appreciated ..
~daleF

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2007-12-29 06:50
    You could use jumpers between the Carrier Board and your breadboard for the I/O pins or you could download the schematic for the BS2 Carrier Board and duplicate the circuitry (the serial connector and circuitry) on your breadboard.

    To get started, all you need is the USB to serial adapter which plugs into the DB9 (serial) connector on the Carrier Board and a 9V battery or similar power source connected to the 9V battery snaps. You should already have installed the Stamp Editor on your PC and the drivers for the USB to serial adapter. Keep in mind that not all USB to serial adapters work with the Stamps (or other Parallax microprocessors).

    For experimentation, nothing beats the Board of Education for convenience. It also has the serial downloading connection (or its own USB adapter), but it also has its own 5V regulator for your experiments and a small breadboard with pin sockets for all the I/O pins and the power source. On the other hand, you can build your own external voltage regulator (the Stamp has a 5V regulated output, but it can only supply limited current).
  • dfederighidfederighi Posts: 2
    edited 2007-12-29 07:10
    Thanks for the quick reply. I will keep the carrier board as an option, but I like the idea of using a larger breadboard for experimentation with different displays/leds etc...

    Is there a converter than I can get to connect a serial port cable to a breadboard ... and then connect the 4 wires (Ax -> SOUT, Tx -> SIN, DTR -> ATN, GND -> VSS) from that serial cable to the stamp? Is there a tutorial that runs through this sort of setup?

    While this all doesn't seem too tough ... the details are a bit hazy ... since many examples assume you're going to use the carrier board.

    Thanks,
    ~daleF
  • Bruce BatesBruce Bates Posts: 3,045
    edited 2007-12-29 09:11
    dale -

    Perhaps what you're looking for is a prototyping board similar to this one:
    http://www.awce.com/asp3.htm

    Regards,

    Bruce Bates

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  • ForrestForrest Posts: 1,341
    edited 2007-12-29 14:18
    Warning - the voltage regulator is only rated for 50 mA, and about 10 mA is needed to power the BS2 itself. If you want to experiment with more than 1 LED - the smart thing to do is build a 5V power supply on your breadboard. A 7805 regulator, a pair of 10uF electrolytic capacitors and a .1uF ceramic cap next to your circuit will work fine.
  • SuperwormsSuperworms Posts: 118
    edited 2007-12-29 17:19
    btw, the shack(radio shack) has the parts forrest is talking about

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    Equipped with his 5 senses, man explores the world around and calls his adventure science
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    -Edwin Hubble
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  • Tex4uTex4u Posts: 30
    edited 2007-12-30 03:55
    Hey Dale,
    You said,"... but I was looking for something that eases me into project development."

    You might try working through some of the educational texts that are available for download on Parallax's web site. Start with What is a Microcontroller? Or search for Item Code "28123". ·You will see the pdf for download near the bottom.

    And Welcome.

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    The more I look for common sense in the world...

    the more·I·find how un-common it is.


    Post Edited (Tex4u) : 12/30/2007 4:01:02 AM GMT
  • Andy FoxAndy Fox Posts: 46
    edited 2007-12-30 20:50
    dfederighi said...
    Is there a converter than I can get to connect a serial port cable to a breadboard ... and then connect the 4 wires (Ax -> SOUT, Tx -> SIN, DTR -> ATN, GND -> VSS) from that serial cable to the stamp? Is there a tutorial that runs through this sort of setup?

    Try the RS232-ADP from www.microresearch.us. It's great for adding a serial port to a breadboard.
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