"USB to UART TTL Cable module PL2303 Converter"I'm waiting for a Prolific PL2303 cable to arrive: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260818595788&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
I think you'll find that 3MHz is SLOWER than 4MHz so the FCC testing would still apply for 4MHz. And for download speeds, a few weeks ago there was a question asking whether there was an easy way to program around 100 PICAXEs in the forum.I can't imagine more than a handful of people that would ever have the need to mass-program Picaxe Chips, since the target market is mostly educational/ hobby. Which is not to say that a Picaxe cannot be used in a commercial product. I sell several products using both Picaxe 14M and 8M. But the volume is less than 20 devices per month. It simply would not make any sense (MFG cost wise) to use a Picaxe in a true high volume product when the Picaxe can cost over 4 times more than the Identical PIC. ( PIC18F25K22 @ $2.05 US vs Picaxe 28X2@$8.76 US. - @Qty 100). For me the Picaxe shines in the areas of rapid development and proof of concept.
And FYI, yes people do run 40 Pin Micros at 4 Mhz even if it can run at 32 or 64. Why ? Because the Micro was selected for the number of I/0s or ADC's and not for its Oscillator Speed. Sometimes peripherals demand lower MCU speeds. Here in the US certain Federal Regulations kick in around 3 Mhz for unintentional RF radiation devices so that any commercial product that has an oscillator greater than that must be FCC tested and approved (which runs the development cost up.) .... Faster is not always better.
That proves my point!Download speed matters a lot to me. I don't recall much of my code ever working the first time I downloaded it, or the second, or the third....
I simply keep changing my code over and over until it works, so the download speed determines my programming speed and I spend most of my time just waiting for the download. So far, faster downloads matter more to me than faster processor clock speeds.
One major problem - the length of the break command varies with how long it takes for the PICAXE to respond and there's no way of verifying the download so it's very likely that the first bytes will be dropped. You'd have a better chance of programming it with a push button. Even if you could develop an app to do it properly, the iPod very likely has no hardware capability to accept a 'microphone' through the headphone jack especially as they want you to buy overpriced accessories to do so.hmm i should record the a program when it downloads, and then play it back into the picaxe
Like the thing I bought of Amazon, the driver chip is probably counterfeit and will therefore be unusable with the PICAXE system. I think I'll contact Prolific about whether they offer their PL2303 chip in COB packages (bare die) and if not, that'll be instant proof that my adaptor had a counterfeit chip, although that's pretty clear already.erco said:I'm waiting for a Prolific PL2303 cable to arrive
See what I said earlier about this, and in addition, your iPod will have a 3.7 volt lithium ion battery (around 4.5v off-load when charged) which will probably be regulated to 3.3v so unless you're powering the PICAXE with 3.3v or less, your iPod could lose sound output on one channel, both channels, or kill the iPod completely. And one more thing - the Gnd on headphones is the sleeve and on PICAXE it's one of the other two connections (can't remember which one at the moment) and Serial Out is the sleeve so you'd actually apply reverse voltage to the iPod!The idea is that i record it on my computer, and then use an ipod or some other music playing device like my cell phone to play it back into the picaxe.
Record your cable onto your iPod? I think you mean that you want to do what I did and solder the USB plug straight onto the board. Use the MULTIQUOTE button to make what you're replying to clearer to others.oh and i want to do that to my cable. its too long.
In theory it wouldn't work as the PICAXE response time will vary before each download and the iPod cannot be programmed to detect when it receives a pulse then start playing the file.im not sure that the picaxe can tell the difference between a sine wave and a square wave through the serial, so in theory i think it could work. but i don't have a 3.5mm cable to test it with.
It might be possible with enough time and effort spent on it but I very much doubt you can do it as easily as record and playback. I also can't see how it would be worth the effort or even useful in any practical way.The idea is that i record it on my computer, and then use an ipod or some other music playing device like my cell phone to play it back into the picaxe.
4.5V ? That a bit high, voltage at end of charge should be 4.2V, or slightly less.your iPod will have a 3.7 volt lithium ion battery (around 4.5v off-load when charged)
I must have misread the multimeter then. I don't have any gadgets with fully charged batteries to test at the moment but I'll measure again when I have. 4.2v means it's even more likely to damage the iPod with a 4.5v battery pack.4.5V ? That a bit high, voltage at end of charge should be 4.2V, or slightly less.
Lithium batteries (especially Lithium Polymer) do not like being overcharged, they can explode in a fairly spectacular fireball.
No need to ask how I know this.
So it exploded after 5 mins even though you disconnected it? That makes it a time bomb!I was watching one of those type charge, I noticed the volts went up to 4.7v (very bad) and it started to swell , straight out the door of the workshop its went, 5 mins later ........ booom !
@Hippy: You are correct sir, it didn't work until I added an inverter. Per the thread at http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?18715-problem-with-downloading-the-program-onto-the-picaxe&p=174475&viewfull=1#post174475 this solution worked with the $3 Ebay China PL2303 USB/serial adapter cable, and also also with the $3 Ebay China small red CP2102 USB/serial adapter. A cheap and easy fix for anyone wanting to make their own inexpensive alternative cable."USB to UART TTL Cable module PL2303 Converter"
That likely means the polarity will be inverted to what it should be for use with a PICAXE.
Looking at those, I think he meant availability!If you meant links to which particular Ebay items:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330584326615 and
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260815059732
Both work equally well and fast. The first one (sans cable) is preferable since it provides direct +5V access for the inverter.
The driver is chip specific. This driver will only work with the CH341 chip.One thing i notice here with all the complaints about the cheap Chinese cables not working is everyone seems to use the PL2303 driver.
I have bought more than 50 of the cheap Chinese cables and have never had one not work, but always use the HL-340 driver as they dont work with the PL2303 driver.
The cables work on XP, vista, and win7, but only on 32 bit operating systems and not on 64 bit.
Measured a fully-charged battery and yes, it was 4.2v.4.5V ? That a bit high, voltage at end of charge should be 4.2V, or slightly less.
Lithium batteries (especially Lithium Polymer) do not like being overcharged, they can explode in a fairly spectacular fireball.
No need to ask how I know this.