Programming and Customizing the Multicore Propeller Microcontroller: The Official Guide

The Official Guide for the Multicore Propeller Microcontroller Collaborators include Shane Avery, Chip Gracey, Vern Graner, Martin Hebel,Joshua Hintze, Andre' LeMothe, Andy Lindsay, Jeff Martin and Hanno Sander Parallax Inc Reviewed by Dr. Joseph S. Maresca The advantages of this software are considerable. For instance, a propeller chip needs no operating system. The code development tools are free. The propeller chip offers shared and mutually exclusive resources. A central hub controls access to mutually exclusive resources. Parallax forum membership has reached to over 17,000 registered members. The book begins by showing users how to build a propeller application out of objects which are self-contained sets of code and data. A Propeller chip is available in 3 packages. The processors are cogs which are simple and uniform. The Propeller Main has RAM/ROM. An active cog is either executing instructions or in a rest state. The Propeller tool software is downloaded and installed first from [...] Propeller. The following information comes up when the user "Googles" the site above. The Propeller chip makes it easy to rapidly develop embedded applications. Its eight processors (cogs) can operate simultaneously, either independently or cooperatively, sharing common resources through a central hub. The developer has full control over how and when each cog is employed; there is no compiler-driven or operating system-driven splitting of tasks among multiple cogs. A shared system clock keeps each cog on the same time reference, allowing for true deterministic timing and synchronization. Two programming languages are available: the easy-to-learn high-level Spin, and Propeller Assembly which can execute at up to 160 MIPS (20 MIPS per cog). Who uses the Propeller? Due to its diversity, the Propeller Chip may be used for many types of applications. Most users appreciate the overall processing power and I/O capabilities. Hobbyists like the powerful yet easy language while robot builders and process control engineers appreciate the parallel processing capabilities. Many find the on-board video generation and easy connection to popular PC peripherals reduces the need for additional support components. The rules for accomplishing any task are set forth simply. The programming conventions help to preclude bugs. Cogs get sent to different memory locations to exchange information . The propeller chip architecture precludes the possibility of memory collisions for any single element in the main memory. There are debugging tools for the Propeller applications like the TV terminal, Parallax Serial Terminal, ViewPort and Propeller Assembler Language Debugger. There are a series of sensors with microcontroller interfaces. i.e. on/off sensors Three ways are presented to prevent overwriting data. There is a computer vision system for the propeller. These are ethernet and internet protocols. There is a website which assists with the GPS tracking at [...] . Software setup and installation is at [...]. The guide is perfect for the computer engineer or computer science enthusiast in your household. A main object of the presentation is simplicity for a wide audience of multi-disciplinary users and project teams. The acquisition is reasonably priced at under $50.00 .