Finalizing a Project
Mag748
Posts: 263
Hello,
I have made a nice program with my BS2 and am interested in finalizing it in order to permanantly use it. Now, of course I dont want to just keep using the BS2 and waste the money it cost, so I am wondering if there is any way to write the program to a PIC or some other cheap chip to use permanantly. It would only need 4 or 6 pins too.
Also, I know that PICs need to be programed, but I was wondering if there was any simple way to do it, like with the Stamp or something.
Thank you,
Marcus
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I have made a nice program with my BS2 and am interested in finalizing it in order to permanantly use it. Now, of course I dont want to just keep using the BS2 and waste the money it cost, so I am wondering if there is any way to write the program to a PIC or some other cheap chip to use permanantly. It would only need 4 or 6 pins too.
Also, I know that PICs need to be programed, but I was wondering if there was any simple way to do it, like with the Stamp or something.
Thank you,
Marcus
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Comments
Chances are that your program will run in an SX chip. In fact, we released a free BASIC compiler for the SX18/20/28 a little over one week ago. The compiler is called SX/B; details are here:
http://www.parallax.com/sx/sxb.asp
Send me your code and I will give you a preliminary evaluation whether or not it will easily run with the SX/B compiler. My e-mail is kgracey@Parallax.com.
Also, if you are designing a PCB you could use the BASIC Stamp interpreter chips. You'd source an EEPROM and resonator (from Parallax or Digi-Key) and build your own Stamp onto your design. In low quantities this costs about $12/Stamp but in higher volumes it can be as low as $8-9/Stamp.
Sincerely,
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
from what I gather in your post....
I code a project using one of the Stamps....and then I 'could' port it in to an SXchip using this new compiler?
I know....I could probably click on the link and read it for myself....
It's cold up here in Canada and my laptop is starting to freeze (Sled Dog Drool gets everywhere!).
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Steve
http://members.rogers.com/steve.brady
http://www.geocities.com/paulsopenstage
"Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
Also the SX does not have any EEPROM, and SX/B does not have WORD variables.
But what the SX/B does have is speed and true interrupts.
Bean.
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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
Dallas Office
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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
Dallas Office
I feel kinda of embarassed though cause the program that I do have is extremely simple actually, the only commands used are GOSUB, RETURN, FOR, NEXT, HIGH, LOW, and TOGGLE.
Oh, and a lot of PAUSEs.
But, my moto is 'Theres no Program too small!'
The actual application is to be installed in a car which will control six (or more) 'clusters' of LEDs. This project is for an Emergency vehicle, and can·you imagine that a professional small 4 LED strobe light costs $60! So, being the only guy on the Ambulance corps who knows ANYTHING about computers, I said I could totally beat that price.
So finally, if I were to recode the program in SX/B, which I could prob figure out myself (Thanks for the offer Ken, unless those commands listed above aren't compatible (haven't read any SX/B docs yet)), how easily would it be to write to the SX18AC/DP? Of course, I would not be making more than one of these, and (as it looks in the picture) the chip doesnt have any real pins, only the little tiny PCB solder kind. Are there and SX chips with pins to be soldered onto a normal board? I mean the ones they sell at radioshack.
Sorry for rambling, thanks again for everything. Off to PDF land.
Marcus
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All of the commands you need are readily available in SX/B. Indeed, your project could be done on the SX without any difficulty. You could probably get by with the SX18AC/DP. Take a look at SX/Bs on-line help file - it has examples of pushbuttons/LED driving.
What we don't have is a tidy little through-hole "carrier board" for the SX18/28. . . but I think we better make one now! Maybe we can offer them for a couple of bucks and do you guys a favor for your *in-between-quantity* hand-made low-volume production type projects (your common ambulance corps LED flashers!).
Sincerely,
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
Im gonna be doing some serious SX researching for the next few (uh, i'd like to say days, but it will prob be weeks) and not ask you guys any more q's. but if I come up with some, ill repost them in here.
Thanks,
Marcus
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Currently, the best one I've found is made by Al Williams, off his "GPMPU40" card.
And, for MAG748, you'll have to purchase one of Parallax's SX development systems to program the chip. As far as I know, this is the simplist and best development and debugging system for the SX series of chips. It's a little over $100.00, I understand.
Note that developing this kind of thing, and debugging it, and putting it on a board with a power-supply and enclosure, can have a bit of a learning curve. Meaning it may cost you $200.00 by the time you're done with your $30.00 widget. But it will be very educational.