Parallax's BASIC Stamp 2pe Motherboard provides a compact, professional-grade platform for BASIC Stamp applications. With the MoBoStamp-pe and the growing assortment of plug-in daughterboards, you can integrate and package one-off or multiple application systems with ease.
The MoBoStamp-pe has a footprint of less than four square inches. It includes a USB interface for programming and debugging from an attached PC. This USB interface is also capable of powering the motherboard, eliminating the need for a separate power supply when connected to a computer. For portable applications, there is provision for an external power source and for powering the system through an attached daughterboard.
Interface to the outside world takes place through the two daughterboard sockets. Plug-compatible daughterboards can handle external interfacing, data acquisition, sensing, and display functions. The PWR-I/O-DB card, for example, provides an interface for up to six Parallax serial (three-pin) devices and/or servos and provides separate voltage regulation and filtering for them. Watch for future cards that enable robot navigation and that provide environmental sensing, optical detection and measurement, LED displays, network connectivity, and programmable logic controller (PLC) interfacing, to name just a few.
Every motherboard includes two Atmel AVR microcontrollers: one for each of the daughterboard sockets. These microcontrollers act as coprocessors to offload compute-intensive and background tasks from the BASIC Stamp, yielding a high performance level while retaining the BASIC Stamp's legendary ease of programming. Best of all, it is not necessary to program the coprocessors to realize their benefits. Parallax’s own library of uploadable AVR code will handle the special needs of each daughterboard, freeing the user to concentrate on PBASIC programming. Right out of the box, both AVRs come preloaded with firmware for digital I/O, pulse-width modulated (PWM) output, analog input, and frequency measurement. Changing the firmware is as easy as uploading it with the LoadAVR.exe PC program, downloadable below. For advanced users who want to do their own AVR programming, Atmel’s free AVR Studio development environment (link below) provides the necessary tools.
Features and Specifications:
- Compact size: 2.75" x 1.35" (69.9mm x 34.3mm)
- BS2pe BASIC Stamp SX chip for high performance: ~6000 instructions/sec
- Built-in USB port: mini-B connector
- Onboard power select jumpers: USB or external (6 to 9VDC) power source
- Choice of two Vdd levels: 3.3V and 5V, jumper selectable
- Low power consumption: as low as 18ma
- Two sockets for plug-compatible daughterboards: 2x6-pin, 2mm header sockets
- User-programmable bi-color (red/green) LED
- SX programming header: interfaces to SX-Key through an upcoming adapter
Two onboard AVR (ATTNY-13) coprocessors, each preprogrammed for:
- Analog input: two available voltage inputs (0 to Vdd or 0 to 1.1V each)
- Voltage comparator input: compare one of three inputs to a fourth one
- Digital I/O: four available I/O ports
- Pulse-width modulated output: two available outputs (selectable 18.38Hz to 37.5KHz, 0/256 to 256/256 duty cycles)
- Frequency counter: four available inputs (0 to 1MHz)
- Scratchpad RAM: 32 bytes
- Easy PBASIC interface using the OWIN and OWOUT commands
Downloads and Resources:
BASIC Stamp MOBO Family Overview
BS2pe Motherboard Manual (.pdf)
BS2pe Motherboard Drawing (.pdf)
AVR Studio Download
GPIO3 Hex file for AVR Coprocessors (.hex)
AVR Source Code for the GPIO3 Firmware (.zip)
GPIO3 Manual (.pdf)
LoadAVR (.exe)
Zipped video of the MoBoStamp-pe on a bug robot (.mov)
AppNote: Power Supply for MoBoStamp-pe (.pdf)