Introduction

The Parallax Propeller Robot Control Board is a tried and true board that has been tested through the trials of life. It has been in production for some time now and is used in many of the Parallax Robot Kits. Furthermore, this board sports the famous multi-core Propellar chip. This is the most unique portion of the board. For all the technical specs related to the propeller board we suggest visiting the Parallax Website for more information.

Overview

The Propeller Robot Control Board comes with the P8X32A propeller chip. This is the same multi-core chip we have come to know about through our other reviews and is also in their latest board - Propeller USB Platform. Moreover, this control board also has interfaces which allow it to interface with your PC, servo's, DC Motors, sensors and other components typically used for robotics.

This board is ideal for mid-size robotic projects and has plenty of ports to allow for enough expansion to handle most of your needs.

Parallax Propeller Robot Control Board Features

• Three 8-channel servo ports with 5 volt I/O and optional 5 volt regulated power
• Dual 2.8 amp H-bridge motor controller
• Regulated 3 amp power supplies at 5 and 3.3 volts
• Features the 32-bit 8-processor Propeller microcontroller
• 64 kB EEPROM for extra data storage
• Power requirements: 6.5 to 20 VDC
• Communication: USB
• Dimensions: 3.05 x 4.05 x 0.53 in (77.5 x 102.9 x 13.4 mm)
• Operating temp range: -40 to +185 °F (-40 to +85 °C)

Highlights

The following image illustrates the Parallax Propeller Robot Control Board up close.



The following image illustrates the Parallax Propeller Robot Control board up close with the key components highlighted and labeled appropriately.



Some important points to take away from this image. First off, notice that this board include an h-bridge which is used for your motors. Many other controllers do not include this and require an additional component to drive your standard DC Motors. This is a great feature on the board. Secondly, this board includes a tri-setting power switch. It allows you to provie no power, power on and to the motors and lastly power on but no power to the motors. A very nice feature to have indeed!

The following image illustrates the Parallax Propeller Robot Control Board up close with the ports highlighted and labeled accordingly.



The following image illustrates the Parallax Propeller Robot Control Board up close with the possible customizations that can be performed to the board.



Some important points to take away from this image. Notice that there are no headers or pins on the pads illustrated on the board. These require the headers as well as some soldering before they can be used. But, once put into place will allow you better customize the board. For example, the Direct I/O access jumpers allow you to work more directly with the Propeller chip. Definately something you may require for the more advanced robotic projects.

Pro's & Con's

Pro's

• Multi-Core
• Great Quality
• Plenty of Ports
• Includes Motor Driver
• Variable Voltage
• Great Support
• Wealth of Code Libraries

Con's

• Limited Scalability
• No I2C
• No Additional Serial Ports

Support

Just like any other Parallax product they have a wealth of knowledge that can easily and readily be found on the Parallax Website. You will find sample code, documentation, forums and much much more.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, this board is great if you are familiar with the Propeller based controllers and want to have something you can hit the ground running with. Furthermore, it contains enough expansion ports such that you can hook up a variety of components (i.e. sensors, motors, devices).

Lastly, this board has been around for some time. Therefore, you can find plenty of information both on the Parallax website as well as off the website. Many people have used this board for their projects with great success.

Where to Buy?

Parallax Website
DIYbin.com