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The SpinStudio theory:
The SpinStudio system is the buffet style development system. Start with a Main Board as your plate, and fill it full of good stuff from the robust selection of peripheral modules. Configure your board your way! Decide for yourself which devices you want to interface with your Propeller.
The system is obsolete-proof! As new ideas are developed, a Peripheral module can be easily created and plugged into your existing Main Board. Also, when the Propeller II is released, keep all your existing Peripheral modules and just upgrade your Main Board. Got a great idea that you want to make into a peripheral module yourself? There's the SpinStudio ProtoCard that you can solder together your own module!
SpinStudio Main Boards and peripheral boards are sold as kits, and assembled by the customer before use. Some basic soldering skills and tools are necessary are required. All components are through-hole and spaced for easy soldering.
More About the SpinStudio MainBoard:
The Main Board has the following features.
Peripheral Modules that are available now:
There are currently 9 different Peripheral Modules available -
Stand-alone SpinStudio Modules?
Modifications to Parallax's ProtoBoard can be made so that SpinStudio modules will plug right in! The procedure to convert your Proto Board into a SpinStudio clone is detailed in Jeff Ledger's Propeller Cookbook, which you can access in the tutorial section at uController.com This is the easy way to add features to your Proto Board. Certain SpinStudio modules were designed to be plugged directly into a solderless breadboard too! Any module that can plug into a solderless breadboard can also be interfaced with any other available development board that you may already own, such as Parallax's Demo Board, EasyProp, PropRPM, PropDongle and others. The following chart explains how Modules can be used.
Where to Purchase SpinStudio systems or components?
SpinStudio can be purchased directly through the uController.com website. Also find useful Reference material and Tutorials on the Tutorials page of the same site.
Or contact Brian Meade directly by any of the following means:
The SpinStudio system is the buffet style development system. Start with a Main Board as your plate, and fill it full of good stuff from the robust selection of peripheral modules. Configure your board your way! Decide for yourself which devices you want to interface with your Propeller.
The system is obsolete-proof! As new ideas are developed, a Peripheral module can be easily created and plugged into your existing Main Board. Also, when the Propeller II is released, keep all your existing Peripheral modules and just upgrade your Main Board. Got a great idea that you want to make into a peripheral module yourself? There's the SpinStudio ProtoCard that you can solder together your own module!
SpinStudio Main Boards and peripheral boards are sold as kits, and assembled by the customer before use. Some basic soldering skills and tools are necessary are required. All components are through-hole and spaced for easy soldering.
More About the SpinStudio MainBoard:
The Main Board has the following features.
- On board voltage regulation both 3.3V and 5V to feed both the Propeller and all 4 Peripheral sockets.
- Socket for 40 pin DIP version of the Propeller
- Socket for a 8 pin DIP serial EEPROM
- 5 mhz Crystal
- 4 pin PropPlug connector
- Power Switch
- Reset switch
- 4
connectors for Peripheral Modules each containing the following signals:
- 3.3V
- 5V
- VSS
- I2c Bus (SDA and SCL)
- Access to 8 Propeller IO Pins
- 40 Pin DIP version of the Propeller chip
- 8 Pin DIP EEPROM - a 24LC256 is minimum required, I suggest a 24AA512
- a 7-9 volt wall transformer - with a 2.1mm center positive barrel connector
- PropPlug for Programming
- Various soldering and hand tools needed for assembly
Peripheral Modules that are available now:
There are currently 9 different Peripheral Modules available -
- Mouse/Keyboard
- VGA
- Composite Video / Audio
- Parallel LCD
- PropNIC ethernet adapter
- XBee adapter
- SD card adapter
- Input / Output / Servo
- Blank ProtoCard
Stand-alone SpinStudio Modules?
Modifications to Parallax's ProtoBoard can be made so that SpinStudio modules will plug right in! The procedure to convert your Proto Board into a SpinStudio clone is detailed in Jeff Ledger's Propeller Cookbook, which you can access in the tutorial section at uController.com This is the easy way to add features to your Proto Board. Certain SpinStudio modules were designed to be plugged directly into a solderless breadboard too! Any module that can plug into a solderless breadboard can also be interfaced with any other available development board that you may already own, such as Parallax's Demo Board, EasyProp, PropRPM, PropDongle and others. The following chart explains how Modules can be used.
| Module Name | Use with SpinStudio? | Use with modified Proto Board? | Use with Solderless BreadBoard? |
| Mouse/Keyboard | X | X | |
| VGA | X | X | |
| Composite Video/Audio | X | X | |
| Parallel LCD | X | X | |
| PropNIC Ethernet adapter | X | X | X |
| XBee Adapter | X | X | |
| SD Card Adapter | X | X | X |
| Input/Output/Servo | X | X | |
| Blank ProtoCard | X | X |
Where to Purchase SpinStudio systems or components?
SpinStudio can be purchased directly through the uController.com website. Also find useful Reference material and Tutorials on the Tutorials page of the same site.
Or contact Brian Meade directly by any of the following means:
- Email to - Brian@uController.com
- Private message to parts-man73 on Ignite Automation's Forums
- Private message to parts-man73 on Parallax's Forums