The following tables briefly compare the FBASIC TICkit with the Parallax(tm) Stamps. In general these products are very similar. All of these little Basic language controllers utilize a pre-programmed PIC as a token interpreter. The User's program is stored on a small EEprom and is sequentially executed by the token interpreter program on the PIC.
The differences between these products all flow from limitations of scale. The Stamps are designed for smaller projects and simpler programs. This allows the Stamp to have probably the simplest development environment of any processor anywhere. For projects which exceed the Stamp's capabilities, or for more complex programs, the Stamp's limitations usually force migration to a different processor. The FBasic TICkit is the logical choice in these circumstances. It is easy to work with, yet allows programs over 30 times larger than the Stamp II. It also allows for libraries of functions, subroutines and the other programming schemes necessary to manage larger programs. The TICkit 62 has 8 times the RAM space and allows unlimited subroutine calls (call depth limited only by stack space).
When you are deciding whether or not to use a Stamp or a TICkit for a project, the best way to make that decision is to anticipate the final size of the program and to decide if the program will be modified many times over its life or whether it will be static once it is debugged.
Besides program size, the difference in the two products are just a matter of functions. The Stamp has a few more I/O functions (like freqout) but the TICkit has more general purpose functions (like signed 32 bit math).
Examine the comparison below and the applications notes of the two products. If you have any questions, feel free to email Protean Logic for specific comparison information.
| Hardware Attribute | Stamp I | Stamp II | TICkit 57 | TICkit 62 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Purpose I/O lines | 8 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Internal RAM (Variable Space) | 16 bytes | 26 bytes | 48 bytes | 96 bytes |
| Maximum EEprom Space | 256 bytes | 2048 bytes | 65535 bytes | 65535 bytes |
| Maximum Program Space | 256 bytes | 2048 bytes | 32768 bytes | 32768 bytes |
| 8 bit Counter/Timer | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Interrupt Capability | no | no | yes | yes |
| 8/4 bit buss emulation | no | no | yes | yes |
| 8 and 16 bit integer math | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| 32 bit signed integer math | no | no | yes | yes |
| 400K bps I2C buss | no | no | yes | yes |
| Available in 4mhz version | yes | no | yes | yes |
| Available in 20mhz version | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Prototyping Area | additional* | additional* | 1" by 2" | additional* |
| Regulator Power | 100 ma | 100 ma | 1 amp max | No Regulator |
| Regulator quiescent current | 1 ma | 1 ma | 20 ma | n/a |
| Interpreter IC availability | 20 pin PDIP | none | 28 pin PDIP | 28 pin PDIP |
| Normal Package | 14 pin SIP | 24 pin DIP | 2" by 2" PCB | 40 pin DIP |
| EEprom Sockets | none | none | two 8 pin | one 8 pin |
| EEprom Write Protect | no | no | yes | yes |
| Processor Socketed | no | no | yes | no |
| Processor Clock Source | resonator | resonator | crystal | crystal |
| I2C serial port | no | no | 100 or 400kbps | 100 or 400kbps |
*Stamps are sold as small SIP and DIP modules.
Carrier boards with prototype area can be purchased separately as listed above in pricing and packages comparison.
| Package Attribute | Stamp I | Stamp II | TICkit 57 | TICkit 62 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development Kit | Free* | $99 | $45 | $45 |
| ..Download Cable | no | yes | yes | yes |
| ..9v battery connection | no | no | yes | yes |
| ..Wall mount power supply | no | no | yes | yes |
| ..Printed Manual | no | yes | yes | yes |
| ..Parts for simple circuits | no | no | yes | yes |
| ..Compiler & Download Software | no | yes | yes | yes |
| ..Network Acquisition Software | no | no | yes | yes |
| Basic Unit Price | $34 | $49 | $49 to $65 | $45 |
| Prototype Board | $15 | $20 | Included | $20 |
| Unit with Prototype Area | $49 | $69 | $49 to $65 | $65 |
*Stamp I software and manual are available from the Parallax BBS at no charge.
A $99 package can be purchased for the STAMP I which includes a manual and download cable.
| Language Attribute | Stamp I | Stamp II | TICkit 57 | TICkit 62 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in BASIC Token Interpreter | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Structured Flow Control | no | no | yes | yes |
| Speed (approx. relative to stamp I) | 100% | 250% | 300% | 300% |
| Code Compatible with Stamp I | yes | yes | no | no |
| Strongly Typed Variables | no | no | yes | yes |
| User Defined Functions | no | no | yes | yes |
| Local Variables | no | no | yes | yes |
| Subroutine Parameter Passing | no | no | yes | yes |
| Function overloading | no | no | yes | yes |
| Compile-time Address Resolution | no | no | yes | yes |
| Multiple Library Support | no | no | yes | yes |
| Console Connection | parallel | rs232 | rs232 | rs232 |
| Interactive Debugging | no | no | yes | yes |
| Console numeric output | no | no | yes | yes |
| Console string output | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Console numeric input | no | no | yes | yes |
| Console string input | no | no | yes | yes |
| String Manipulation | no | no | yes | yes |
| Variable Arrays | no | yes | yes | yes |
| EEprom Arrays | no | no | yes | yes |
| EEprom Structures | no | no | yes | yes |
| X-10 receive Capability | no | yes | no | no |
| Dual Tone output | no | yes | no | no |
| Real Time Ability | no | no | limited | limited |
| RS232 Emulation | 2400 baud | 9600 baud | 19.2K baud | 19.2K baud |
| Parallel Pin routines | no | no | yes | yes |
| 44780 LCD module support | no | no | yes | yes |
| Single Step Program Execution | no | no | yes | yes |
| Variable Watch Points | no | no | Globals | Globals |
| Break Points | no | no | yes | yes |
| Fixed Point math routines | no | no | yes | yes |
| SIN, COS | no | limited | limited | limited |
| Increment & Decrement Ops | no | no | yes | yes |
*X-10 protocol as well as other industry standard protocols will be supported in future I2C peripheral ICs
*The TICkit does not contain trigonometric functions. However, lookup tables are easily implemented using EEprom Arrays.
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