The Propeller Chip
The Propeller Education Program is built around the Propeller chip: cutting-edge multiprocessor technology and Parallax's first full-custom silicon design. This chip features eight 32-bit processors and a shared memory and system clock, making true independent or cooperative simultaneous multi-tasking possible.
The Propeller Education Kit and Labs
Designed for engineering students, these labs explore the Propeller chip’s architecture and easy-to-learn Spin language designed for multicore programming.
The labs begin with building and testing the foundation Propeller circuit on a high-quality breadboard: P8X32A-D40 chip, regulated 3.3 V and 5 V power, power indicator LED, external crystal oscillator, reset button, 32 KB EEPROM, and Prop Plug for programming via a PC USB connection.
Each subsequent lab uses simple circuits to demonstrate a particular aspect of Propeller programming. The kit’s resistors, LEDs, capacitors, potentiometers, phototransistor, op/amp, and piezospeakers allow for a wide range of common circuits while keeping a student's budget in mind. The high-quality breadboard platform was chosen for this program to maximize the prototyping area and access to I/O pins, which allows the students to fully explore the capabilities of this multiprocessing chip. When students have a fully designed and tested application they wish to make permanent, they can move it to the Propeller Proto Board, an inexpensive PCB with a surface-mount P8X32A-Q44, regulators and power jack built in.
More Propeller Projects and Books