Brought my 28yo BS1 back to life!
Jeff_Birt
Posts: 28
in BASIC Stamp
Found my Basic Stamp 1 a few weeks ago searching for something else. (Don't recall now what I was originally searching for.)
Original version of the programming software was written for DOS 2.x and above! Found Parallax has a newer version that works on Win11 and even a version that runs in Chrome.
Grabbed a FTDI TTL cable and was able to program a 28 yo BS1. Amazing they kept the software so up to date.
Had to reverse engineer the IR object detection circuit I made on the BS1 protoboard though. Could not find original schematic. Just a 74HC04 set up as 2 gate 38kHz RC oscillator feeding 2 IR LEDs which are gated by BS1 outputs. I even found the original code.
Now to get the robot base working...
Comments
The beauty of Parallax re-discovered ... the stuff just works forever!
Great to hear your success.
@Jeff_Birt this makes a good customer testimonial for Parallax. If you have a picture of your old BS1 robot I'd like to feature it in a newsletter. Send a few pics to kgracey@Parallax.com if you are interested.
Congrats on getting the BS1 back to programming state. I hope you still have your old code.
Ken Gracey
That's really awesome! I have a BS1 power LED sequencer on my bench here and it still works as good as ever! I called it my Flasher Dasher. LOL
The BS1 rocks!
Paul
I did find the original code, got the bot put back together yesterday and it works! Original incarnation was built with a CD as a base and wood blocks for supporting servos, bracing, etc. The CD obviously did not last long, but hey it was one of those free ones you used to get in the mail. Later incarnation (what I still have) uses two 5.25" HD platters.
Could not resist and am 3d printing some new mounts for the BS1 and battery holder today. Will post pics of original 'CD Bot' and slightly younger 'HD Bot' tomorrow. I'll even include the code
Ken,
Pics of original 'CD_ Bot' circa 1998 and later 'HD_Bot' along with code from October 1998 (modified with directives in two top lines for newer Stamp IDE), and reverse engineered circuit in ZIP file: https://1drv.ms/u/c/fb359f9996bef8d1/IQDy_C1uF0AyQZSDSILO1dnVAQ-pKRXzdjZ9SRnkhlDg6EA?e=gho7Km
I was leafing through "Build your own robot!" by Karl Lunt yesterday and found the 74HC04 circuit I used for the IR obstacle sensor.
The CD base was not robust and it cracked, you can see the cracks in some of the pics. The base with the HD platter must be from early 2000s. Note that the blue 3D printed plastic parts are new. Could not resist fixing it up a bit. BS1 code and PCB same as it was in 1998.
I built a 4 wheel robot with camera in 2002. Remotely controlled and talks back using the EMIC...4 basic stamps. Where would/do I send photos...still in operation to this day, when I break it out...lol