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Propeller C3™ (#32209)
Designed in cooperation with Nurve Networks LLC and
André LaMothe, the Propeller C3 is the newest Propeller-
based application platform from Parallax. The C3 is a
true “Credit-Card–sized
Computer”
that augments the
Propeller chip with a number of onboard peripherals to
facilitate large scale and complex applications. These
include industrial control, monitoring systems, high-level
languages, robotics, gaming, and more. The C3 was
designed to be compatible with other Propeller-based
development boards such as the Propeller Demo Board
and the HYDRA, so porting applications is a snap.
Additionally, the C3 uses a novel SPI bus design that
allows all the onboard peripherals to be accessed with a
single SPI bus (3 signals) along with chip-select logic
(2 signals) that supports up to 8 devices in total. Thus,
the IO impact of all the onboard peripherals is minimal.
Features
Multicore Propeller P8X32A-Q44 with
5.00 MHz socketed crystal to upgrade
for over-clocking experiments
64 KB Propeller boot EEPROM holds
boot image plus 32 KB extra for data
Supports USB or external wall adapter
power sources
Dual high-current 1.5 A, 3.3/5 V voltage
regulators with heavy filtering
VGA port with multiplexing logic to
reuse IO’s
RCA Video/Audio ports for NTSC/PAL
composite video
PS/2 port for keyboard or mouse
1 MB SPI FLASH memory
2-channel Microchip MCP3202 SPI A/D
converter with 12-bit resolution
(2) Microchip 32K x 8 bit SPI SRAMs
MicroSD card w/SPI interface
2 x 16 headers exporting generous IO
and system signals
(4) 3-wire servo port headers to directly
drive servos from the Propeller
Ultra-compact credit-card–sized PCB
footprint: 3 x 2.175 in (75.9 x 55.2 mm)
(4) Break-away mounting tabs,
removable if not needed
Open source hardware & software
design
Slick black and white industrial design
sure to be the envy of all your friends
Key Specifications
Power requirements: 7.5–12 VDC, 300+
mA 2.1mm center-positive supply;
OR power via high-power USB, hub port
preferred
Communication/Interface: USB, GPIO,
microSD card
Dimensions (without tabs): 3.0 x 2.175”
(75.9 x 55.2 mm)
Operating temperature: -40 to +85 °C
Copyright © Parallax Inc.
Propeller C3 (#32209)
v1.0 12/16/2010 Page 1 of 2
Required Items
Windows PC running the Propeller Tool programming software, available from the Downloads link
at
www.parallax.com/Propeller
USB A to Mini-B cable for connection and programming from PC to the Propeller C3
Optional Items
NTSC TV/monitor
PS/2 Keyboard
MicroSD or microSDHC card formatted FAT16 or FAT32
Parallax NES Gamepad Controller Adapter board (Part #32368) and NES compatible gamepad
9 VDC power supply, 2.1 mm ID, 5.5 mm OD, center-positive, 300 mA or more
High-power USB hub to plug the C3 into for high-current demands
Precautions
When powering the Propeller C3 from USB power, be careful not to draw too much current. High-
power USB ports can supply up to
500 mA
of current. You can’t damage the USB by drawing too
much current, but you can cause a hardware lockout which requires a reboot of the machine or a
power on/off cycle. Thus, if you want to draw a more than 100 mA of current from a USB
connection make sure to do it through a high-power USB port.
The Propeller C3, like any Propeller-based product, can be over-clocked if you’re careful. Tests
have been done with the 6.25 MHz crystal at 16x PLL multiplier (100 MHz) and the Propeller
should run fine. Additionally, the C3’s Propeller chip footprint has special heat-sinking SMT pads
that are larger than required, designed to dissipate heat away from the chip faster than usual.
Additionally, the voltage regulators each have a heat sink on them to dissipate heat as well and
keep voltages very stable under high load.
LOAD WARNING!
The Propeller C3 is designed such that you can power it from an external power supply OR a
USB cable.
Do not insert the USB cable into the C3 while it’s powered by the external power port,
or damage
to the C3 and your computer or USB hub may occur!
Resources and Downloads
A Quick Start Guide and complete product documentation is contained in the
Unleashing the Propeller C3
ebook (approx. 95 pages). The PDF is a free download; go to
www.parallax.com
and search for 32209.
About the Example Code:
The software and demos for the Propeller C3, and the aforementioned
ebook, are located on this Parallax FTP site:
ftp://ftp.propeller-chip.com/PropC3
The FTP server is anonymous login, so just point your browser there to access it. You should drag the
entire contents of the
PropC3\
directory to your HD, so you have a local copy and don’t have constantly
go back to the FTP site for source code and data files.
Be sure to check out the Games and Apps directories.
They contain all of the software written by other authors,
ports, etc. The Sources directory is primary the source from this manual and the tutorials, but Games and Apps
have all the good stuff!
Copyright © Parallax Inc.
Propeller C3 (#32209)
v1.0 12/16/2010 Page 2 of 2
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