Protoboard

Introduction to the Propeller Protoboard A step-by-step tutorial for new users
By Jeff Ledger August 2008 Welcome to the world of microcontrollers! You have the ticket to an exciting adventure. The Parallax Propeller chip is the stamp sized square in the center of your Protoboard. It is one of the most advanced, yet easiest-to-use microcontrollers ever created. A microcontroller is simply aone-chip computer. Microcontrollers can be found running everyday devices from your microwave to your stove and even the gas pumps at your local service station. The Propeller microcontroller is capable of video, sound, input controllers, and communication with a variety of sensors. By adding some simple electronics to your Protoboard, you can do everything from predicting the weather to playing videogames. The purpose of this document is to get you up and running with exactly what you have in your hands, the Parallax Propeller Protoboard, and the programming Prop plug. You will need to download the following programs to your computer: Propeller Tool http://www.parallax.com/tabid/442/Default.aspx Propterminal http://www.insonix.ch/propeller/objects/PropTerminal_0.4.zip FemtoBASIC forPropterminal http://jeffledger.googlepages.com/FemtoBasic_Propterminal.zip The Propeller Manual (requires a .PDF reader) http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/Propeller%20Manual%20v1.01bmarked.pdf

The Propeller Tool is the official programming environment (IDE) for the Propeller and is provided free of charge. We'll use it to load programs from the computer into the Propeller. The electronic form manualis also provided free of charge. You may want to invest in a printed copy from Parallax as you start programming in "spin", the language used in the Propeller Tool. We will use Propterminal to simulate the keyboard and video on the computer because we do not have these connections on the Protoboard. They are easy to add later. Propterminal will allow you to use the computer keyboard and screen asif they were connected directly to the Propeller itself.

Part 2: Getting Started

You'll need to get a DC power adapter. Any DC adapter which has an output of 6v-9v (center positive) should work fine with your Protoboard. Radio Shack sells a multi voltage power supply that works perfectly. The ideal voltage setting is 7.5v. Regulated and Filtered Universal 300mA AC Adapter $18.99 (1.5-12v DC300mA) http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2552559&cp Install the Propeller Tool software first. After it is installed, run the program. Answer yes to "Associate .spin .binary and .eeprom files." Close the program once when is done. (Double clicking any .spin file will open it correctly now.)
Special Note: Some computer configurations have drive letter assignments for thingslike SD, MMC cards, etc that may not be in use when you start the Propeller tool. As a result you might get a "Propeller Tool: Propeller.exe No Disk" message. It is caused by the tool attempting to talk to those drive letters. Just click "Cancel" until it goes away. It won’t hurt anything and there is a fix for it in the forums.

Now let's get ready to connect the Protoboard. First, make sure thesurface on which you have set your Protoboard is non-conductive because the board could “short-out” when you turn it on. Next, plug the USB cable side of the Prop-plug into your computer and plug itself face up into the four pin connector on the Protoboard. Connect the power supply and switch the Protoboard on. Don't worry about being shocked by your Protoboard because it operates on batteryvoltages and is generally considered safe to touch. You should have a bright green light. Unzip the Propterminal and FemtoBASIC zip files into their own folders. Let's start with a simple demo. Look for Scroll_Demo in the Propterminal folder. Double click this file which should now open in the Propeller Tool. Switch on your Protoboard and hit F11. This will send the program into the eeprom on your...