Why The Prop-SX -- And What do I Need to Get Started?

[JonnyMac]

Why?  Sheer horsepower, that's why.  The SX processor is blazingly fast and with a 50 MHz resonator you get 50 MIPS (million instructions per second) performance.  The SX is not fancy, it's just fast -- we like it that way.

With the Prop-SX you can move beyond Basic interpreters to Basic (and other language) compilers for advanced techniques; things like Interrupts.  Using interrupts one can program the SX to do "background" tasks (like refreshing servos or dealing with serial data) while the foreground prop control task is operating.  This can even be done with Parallax's free SX/B compiler.  I posted an example in the library:

-- http://www.efx-tek.com/php/smf/index.php?topic=11.0

I like that compiler and use it all the time.  The truth is that I was on the development team and am writing a book for Parallax on it, so you'll see lots of SX/B examples posted by me as the Prop-SX starts moving.  And, aside from the sheer speed and 16 I/O pins, the Prop-SX has a serial port and a whopping 64K of user EEPROM; this EEPROM could be used to hold data for an advanced "brick-like" sequencer.

What do you need to get started?  Well, a Prop-SX, of course, and a programming device.  I recommend the SX-Key.  It costs a few more bucks than the SX-Blitz, but you'll be happy you spent the extra when you see how useful in-circuit debugging of sophisticated code can be.  We will probably carry the Key and Blitz shortly, in the meantime you can order them from our friends at Parallax:

-- http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=552-00007
-- http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=45170

PS: I have on good authority that a lower-cost, USB SX-Key is coming... watch for it.

[JonnyMac]

I talked to my friend Ken at Parallax the other day and he tells me that the lower cost SX-Key is still not ready -- don't wait, order the current SX-Key.

[davisgraveyard]

Just doing some of my homework to get ready for the Prop-SX and writing Servo controled programs using your published techniques.

So in addition to the SX controller I also need the SX-Blitz or SX-key device to program it.  Depending on whether I need the debugging features?

I looked at the SX Basic compiler from Parallax and it appears to just be a command line EXE?

What do you use for editing your BASIC programs for the SX?  Notepad?  Is there something like the Parallax Basic Stamp Editor for SX programming and what is it called and how do I get it?

[JonnyMac]

Yes, you'll need a Blitz or Key -- get the Key; when you become a really good SX programmer you'll appreciate having full debugging capabilities.

In fact, the SX/B compiler is a command-line EXE, but it's integrated into the SX-Key IDE so its use is transparent to the user.  By making it external, the compiler can be updated without updating the entire IDE.

Use the SX-Key IDE for you SX programs; it's not fancy, but it does the job well enough in that it takes care of connecting the the SX/B compiler, then assembling, linking, and downloading the code to the SX.  Get the SX-Key IDE from this link:

http://www.parallax.com/sx/downloads.asp

[Bean (Hitt Consulting)]

Yes, even though the compiler is an EXE it is not intended to be used stand-alone.
It is transparent when using the SX-Key IDE.

P.S. Get the SX-Key. You will be glad the first time you need to do some debugging. You can watch variables, set break points and single step code with the SX-Key.
The SX-Key also has the ability to clock the SX at whatever frequency you want up to 100MHz.
The SX-blitz is program only.

Bean.