TICkit 74 Prototyping Laboratory
 (Part Number: T74H256J-LAB)

Overview

Protean Logic’s TICkit 74 prototyping laboratory is a solderless breadboard attached to a TICkit 74 connect point printed circuit board. This is a convenient platform for prototype, experimental, or educational projects. The PCB power supply provides +5vdc regulated and +/- 9vdc unregulated output for RS232 or split rail analog circuitry. PCB also includes an RS232 connector with line buffer, socketing for up to 128K bytes of EEprom, and a socket for an IBM keyboard (PCAT).

The TICkit 74 interpreter is the core of the laboratory. The FBasic TICkit 74 is a convenient platform for rapid development requiring only Windows 9X, Protean’s TICkit IDE software, and a serial port. Programs are written in FBasic, a powerful yet simple proprietary programming language. Using Protean’s extensive library of pre-written TICkit functions, developers have programming opportunities that would otherwise have been time consuming or beyond their area of expertise. These capabilities combine to enable the developer to add sophisticated features to any project with ease.

Features

• IBM PCAT keyboard interface: Applications; use a PCAT keyboard, scanner etc. for input.
• Audio playback from EEprom: Applications; sound effects, spoken output, complex waveform generation.
• 4-voice sine wave generator: Applications; DTMF output (phone dialing). music output (4 line chorus).
• Background real time clock: Applications; DAQ time standard, periodic functions, time of day/calendar, clocks.
• Time base interrupts: Applications; background processing, time-out processing.
• Real-time functions (2 marks): Applications; measure elapsed time precisely, sample waveforms in real-time.
• Dallas one-wire support: Applications; interface Dallas temperature sensors, security keys or multidrop sensors.
• X-10 Power line carrier transmission: Applications; automate lighting, control HVAC equipment, PIR security system, control other commercially available X-10 devices.
• X-10 Power line carrier reception: Applications; monitor X-10 messages, use X-10 feedback.
• Simultaneous pulse generation for 4 RC servos: Applications; RC servos for robotic actuators, model airplanes, satellite RC servo controller. Control up to 16 servos with single TICkit.
• 2 background PWM generators: Applications; control motors in background, use as 10-bit D to A converters.
• SPI / 3-wire interface (in background): Applications; interface to devices like LTC1298 A/D or 74LS594 ICs.
• I2C hardware slave (in background): Applications; create an I2C based network.
• I2C master generation: Applications; control I2C devices like 24LC EEproms or Protean’s Xtender IC.
• Up to 256K bytes of EEprom storage: Applications; store audio samples, non-volatile data storage, use for POS transaction storage, use for long term DAQ memory, bank select for even larger amounts of EEprom.

TICkit 74 Prototyping Laboratory

Features (continued)

• 32K byte program size: Applications; create programs 50,000 lines long! Subroutine calls limited only by RAM.
• 128 Bytes of RAM: Applications; variables storage, subroutine calls. Efficient use supports huge programs.
• RS232 hardware (in background): Applications; implement high baud rates; Implement 9 bit formats, Implement interrupt driven ring buffers.
• RS232 emulation routines (foreground): Applications; up to 19200 baud with no RTC time loss, full handshaking scheme. RS_SCANF function parses input fields. Supports inverted or true levels. Custom baud rates allowed.
• 8 bit counter/timer with 8 bit prescaler: Applications; count pulses in background, monitor RPM or frequency.
• 16 bit counter/timer (in background, not available when using RTC): Applications; count pulses in background, RPM monitoring, frequency measurement, interval measurement, count capturing. (Use with CCP).
• Rotary encoder support (foreground): Applications; update counts on up to 2 switches, use for “wheel” input devices or slow speed position sensing, create closed loop servo systems.
• 3 types of RC resistance or capacitance measurement functions: Applications; Use with pull up/down for delay measure, use potentiometers as input devices.
• 32 bit floating point math: Applications; mathematic operations like PID calculations, scientific calculations.
• 32 bit signed integers: Applications; monetary calculations, fixed-point support, high precision A/D.
• 8/16 bit unsigned integers: Applications; normal process calculations.
• String operations: Applications; easily support for text, user interface or text based games.
• 4/8 bit parallel bus functions: Applications; interface peripheral ICs, 4 bit devices, octal latches and multiplexers, or common LCD modules.
• Various pulse gen and measurement: Applications; instruments, determine RPM using period measurement.
• Digital I/O on 26 pins: Applications; I/O intensive applications, control LEDs, small motors and relays, monitor switches, optical sensors, analog comparators and digital inputs.
• 8 bit A/D conversion available on 2 I/O pins: Voltage measurement, analog measurement.
• Modern FBasic programming language: Applications; easily update and modify FBasic programs in Win95/98/2000/NT Integrated environment. Supports data structures and arrays. Functions and libraries allow encapsulation. Parameter passing and local variables. Structured flow control. Programs can be freely distributed.
• Fast token based interpreter: Applications; Programs run relatively fast. Token code is not easily un-assembled. Interpreter ICs can be purchased separately for embedding.

Pictorial Illustration