TICkit 74 Getting Started Package
 (Part Number: T74H256J-GSP)

Overview

Protean Logic’s TICkit 74 GSP (Getting Started Package) combines a TICkit 74 Prototyping Laboratory and Development Kit. The prototyping laboratory is a solderless breadboard attached to a TICkit 74 printed circuit board. This is a convenient platform for prototype, experimental, or educational projects. The PCB (printed circuit board) power supply provides a +5 vdc regulated and +/- 9 vdc unregulated outputs for RS232, split rail analog, and digital circuitry. The PCB also includes an RS232 connector with line buffer, socketing for up to 128K bytes of EEprom, and a socket for an IBM PC-AT keyboard.

The TICkit 74 FBasic interpreter, the core of the laboratory, is a rapid development system which uses Windows 9X, Protean’s TICkit IDE software, and a serial port. Programs are created with FBasic, a powerful yet simple proprietary programming language. Protean Logic has an extensive library of pre-written TICkit functions that provide developers with 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.

The TICkit Development Kit contains the IDE (Integrated Development Environment) software and a download cable. The IDE is a program editor, compiler, debugger, and technical reference combined into a single program. The editor allows multiple edit windows, which facilitates the use of libraries and other advanced program models. The high-speed compiler creates optimal token code which resolves addresses, reports syntactical and grammatical program errors at compile time. The debugger boasts source level tracing of program execution, variable watch points, program break points, and other advanced debugging methods.

Features

• IBM PC-AT keyboard interface: Applications; use a PC-AT 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, and 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.
• 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: Use for voltage measurement, analog signal quantization.
• 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

REV11/00