Programming the Propeller with Spin: A Beginner's Guide to Parallel Processing

by Sandhu, Harprit

• ISBN13: 9780071716666
• ISBN10: 0071716661
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-18
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education TAB

Summary

Parallel Processing With the Propeller--Made Easy!"This book should find a place on any Propellerhead's bookshelf, between Parallax'sPropeller Manualand itsProgramming and Customizing the Multicore Propellervolumes." Make: 24Programming the Propeller with Spin: A Beginner's Guide to Parallel Processingwalks you through the essential skills you need to build and control devices using the Propeller chip and its parallel processing environment. Find out how to use each of the identical 32-bit processors, known as cogs, and make the eight cogs effectively interact with each other. The book covers Propeller hardware and software setup, memory, and the Spin language. Step-by-step projects give you hands-on experience as you learn how to: Use Propeller I/O techniques with extensive Spin code examples Display numbers with seven segment displays Create accurate, controlled pulse sequences Add a 16 character by two line LCO display Control R/C hobby servos Use motor amplifiers to control small motors Run a bipolar stepper motor Build a gravity sensor-based auto-leveling table Run DC motors with incremental encoders Run small AC motorsYou'll also find hundreds of lines of ready-to-run documented Spin code as well as PDFs of all the schematics on McGraw-Hill's website: Downloads available at www.mhprofessional.com/computingdownload"This book should find a place on any Propellerhead's bookshelf, between Parallax'sPropeller Manualand itsProgramming and Customizing the Multicore Propellervolumes." Make: 24

Author Biography

Harprit Singh Sandhu, BSME, MSCerE, is the founder of Rhino Robots, Inc., a major manufacturer of both robots and computer numeric-controlled machines. He is the author of Making PIC Microcontroller Instruments and Controllers and Running Small Motors with PIC Microcontrollers.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
The Propeller/Spin System	p. 1
Introduction for the Beginner	p. 1
A General Introduction to the Propeller Chip	p. 3
The Propeller Manual	p. 3
Parallax, Inc.	p. 5
Overall System Description	p. 5
The Propeller Tool	p. 7
Instruments Needed to Support Your Experiments	p. 8
The Propeller Chip: An Overall Description	p. 9
Basic Propeller Specifications	p. 10
Voltage and Amperage Requirements	p. 10
The Operation of the Eight Cogs	p. 10
The Cogs	p. 11
The Hub	p. 12
Forty Pins Total, 32 Pins I/O	p. 12
Connecting to the Propeller	p. 13
The System Counter	p. 14
Program Storage and Execution	p. 14
Objects, Methods, and Other Definitions	p. 15
The Hardware Setup	p. 19
Setting Up the Hardware	p. 21
A Fundamental Reality We Have to Consider	p. 23
Software Setup: The "Propeller Tool" Environment	p. 25
Classroom Analogy	p. 27
Getting Ready to Use the Propeller	p. 28
Installing the Software	p. 28
Our First Program	p. 29
The Typical Spin Program	p. 32
Program Structure	p. 34
General Pin Assignments Used in the Book	p. 36
Propeller FAQ*	p. 38
The Various Propeller Memories	p. 43
Assigning Memory for a New Cog	p. 45
A New Cog Can Be Started to Run a Private or Public Method	p. 45
The How and Why of Shared Memory	p. 47
Memory Usage	p. 48
Variable Validity	p. 49
Loops	p. 50
Understanding One Cog	p. 51
Static Versus Dynamic	p. 53
One Cog	p. 55
Counters	p. 58
Counter: General Description	p. 59
Assignment of the 32 Bits in Each of the Counters	p. 59
Using Counter A for PWM Generation	p. 60
The Eight Cogs	p. 65
The Cogs	p. 65
The Flags	p. 66
Special Memory Locations	p. 66
The System Clock	p. 66
Programming	p. 67
The ROM	p. 67
Special Terms and Ideas	p. 69
The Hardware	p. 69
The Software	p. 70
New Hardware-Related Definitions	p. 70
New Software-Related Definitions	p. 71
The Spin Language	p. 75
CON	p. 77
VAR	p. 77
OBJ	p. 78
PUB or PRI	p. 78
Creating a Program with Two Cogs	p. 83
Tasks Suited to Parallel Processing	p. 85
Parallel Programming Examples	p. 85
Summary	p. 87
Input and Output: The Basic Techniques to Be Mastered-Learning by Doing	p. 89
General Discussion of Input/Output	p. 91
Binary Pulsing	p. 95
Setting Up a 16-Character-by-2-Line Liquid Crystal Display	p. 101
Binary Input and Output: Reading a Switch and Turning on an LED if the Switch Is Closed	p. 109
Discussion	p. 111
The Repeat Command	p. 112
Reading a Potentiometer: Creating an Input We Can Vary in Real Time	p. 113
Analog Inputs	p. 114
Advanced Techniques	p. 118
Creating and Reading Frequencies	p. 129
Creating Audible Frequencies	p. 130
Reading Frequencies	p. 135
Reading and Creating Pulses	p. 139
Reading Pulse Widths	p. 139
Determining the Pulse Width	p. 140
Pulse Width Creation	p. 146
The Projects: Using What Was Learned to Build The Projects	p. 149
Seven-Segment Displays: Displaying Numbers with Seven-Segment LED Displays	p. 151
The Metronomes	p. 159
Understanding a 16-Character-by-2-Line LCD Display	p. 163
8-Bit Mode	p. 164
Sophisticated Total LCD Control	p. 171
4-Bit Mode	p. 182
Running Motors: A Preliminary Discussion	p. 189
R/C Hobby Servomotors	p. 190
Stepper Motors (Bipolar)	p. 190
Small Brush-Type DC Motors	p. 191
DC Motors with Attached Encoders	p. 191
Relays and Solenoids	p. 191
Small A/C Motors at 120 Volts, Single Phase	p. 192
Understanding the Concept of the "Response Characteristics" of a Motor	p. 192
So What Does "Compliance" Mean?	p. 192
DC Motor Operation Notes	p. 193
Motor Amplifiers for Small Motors	p. 195
Amplifier Construction Notes (for Homemade Amplifiers)	p. 197
Detailed "Use Information" for the Xavien Two-Axis Amplifier	p. 198
Detailed "Use Information" for the Solarbotics Two-Axis Amplifier	p. 199
Controlling R/C Hobby Servos	p. 203
Servo Control	p. 204
Controlling a Small DC Motor	p. 211
The Software	p. 214
Running a Stepper Motor: Bipolar, Four-Wire Motors	p. 225
Stepper Motor Power and Speed	p. 226
Details on Bipolar Motors	p. 226
Running the Motor	p. 227
Programming Considerations	p. 229
The Software	p. 231
Gravity Sensor Based Auto-Leveling Table	p. 247
Sensor Specifications	p. 248
Discussion	p. 248
Running DC Motors with Attached Incremental Encoders	p. 257
Not about Motors	p. 258
Discussion	p. 258
DC Servo Motors with Encoders	p. 261
Processor Connections	p. 262
The Goal	p. 262
PID Control in Greater Detail	p. 263
Holding the Motor Position	p. 265
Ramping	p. 294
R/C Signal Use	p. 305
Some Advanced Considerations You Should Be Aware Of	p. 312
Running Small AC Motors: Controlling Inductive Loads	p. 313
Appendixes	p. 315
LCDRoutines4 and Utilities Object Listings	p. 317
Materials	p. 327
Turning Cogs On and Off	p. 329
Experiments Board	p. 331
Debugging	p. 335
Debugging and Troubleshooting	p. 335
Dumb Terminal Program	p. 337
Signal injection Techniques	p. 337
Notes on Solderless Breadboards	p. 338
Debugging at the More Practical Level	p. 339
Writing a Rudimentary Program for Testing the LCD	p. 340
Another List of Simple Checks	p. 341
Epilogue	p. 343
Index	p. 345
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.