The original TICkit line of micro-interpreters, the TICkit 57 and later the TICkit 62, were designed as an upgrade path for the Parallax STAMP I module. However, the new TICkit 63 and TICkit 74 product lines were designed to use more powerful processors and much larger EEprom. In general, the differences between these products flow from limitations of scale. The STAMPS are generally designed for small projects and simple programs. The TICkit line has been designed to handle projects that are greater in size and complexity. To illustrate the divergence of the TICkit line from the STAMP products we have developed the following comparison information and charts to describe the importance of these differences.
The brief list of questions below highlights key
considerations. The larger tables that follow are more detailed.
A
yes answer to any of the questions below will eliminate the STAMP products:
1) Will the project require RS232 reception while performing other
processing?
2) Will the project require PWM generation in background?
3) Will the project require multiple RC type pulse controlled servos?
4) Will the project require a real-time time base?
5) Will the project require 32 bit signed integer math?
6) Will the project require floating point math?
7) Will the project require more that 4K of permanent data storage?
8) Will the project use Dallas one-wire devices?
9) Will the project require a PC-AT style keyboard?
10)
Will the project require more than 16 digital I/O lines?
11)
Will the project require audio playback of some sort?
12)
Will the project require more than 48 bytes of RAM storage for variables?
A
STAMP will address the items below but we think you will find the TICkit product
line superior in these areas as well:
1)
Will the project require an LCD screen?
2)
Will the project require more than 200 program lines?
3)
Will the program write or read words to EEprom storage?
4)
Will the project use rotary encoders?
5)
Will the project use DTMF signal generation.
6) Will the project use I2C, SPI, or 3-wire interfaces to other ICs?
7) Will the project reprogram itself in the field?
|
Hardware Attribute |
Stamp I |
Stamp II |
Stamp SX |
TICkit 57 |
TICkit 62 |
TICkit 63 |
TICkit 74 |
|
General Purpose I/O lines |
8 |
16 |
16 |
16 |
16 |
18 |
28 |
|
Internal RAM (Variable Space) |
16 bytes |
26 bytes |
26 bytes |
48 bytes |
96 bytes |
128 bytes |
128 bytes |
|
Maximum EEprom Space |
256 bytes |
2048 bytes |
16384 bytes |
65535 bytes |
65535 bytes |
256K bytes |
256K bytes |
|
Maximum Program Space |
256 bytes |
2048 bytes |
16384 bytes |
32768 bytes |
32768 bytes |
32768 bytes |
32768 bytes |
|
8 bit background Counter/Timer |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
16 bit background Counter/Timer |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
PWM hardware for continuous
output |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (1 pin) |
Yes (2 pins) |
Yes (2 pins) |
|
PC-AT keyboard interface routines |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes - scancode level |
Yes - scancode level |
|
Interrupt Capability |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
8/4 bit buss emulation |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
8 and 16 bit integer math |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
32 bit signed integer math |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
400K bps I2C buss |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Available in 4MHz version (1MIPS) |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Future |
Future |
|
Available in 20MHz version
(5MIPS) |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Available in 50MHz version
(12.5MIPS) |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Interpreter IC availability |
20 pin PDIP |
Yes |
No |
28 pin PDIP |
28 pin PDIP |
28 pin PDIP |
40 pin PDIP |
|
Normal Package |
14 pin SIP module |
24 pin DIP module |
24 pin DIP module |
2" by 2" PCB |
40 pin DIP module |
40 pin DIP module or SBC |
IC only or Prototyping Laboratory |
|
Speed (approx. relative to stamp
I) |
100% |
250% |
625% |
300% |
300% |
500% |
500% |
|
RC servo support |
Limited |
Limited |
Limited |
Limited |
Limited |
4 pulses at once |
4 pulses at once |
|
RC servo control in background |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes-with interrupts |
Yes-with interrupts |
|
Rotary Encoder support routines |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
EEprom Write Protect |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
EEprom multi-byte read and write
functions |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
1, 2, or 4 bytes (faster) |
1, 2, or 4 bytes (faster) |
|
Processor Clock Source |
Resonator |
Resonator |
Resonator |
Crystal |
Crystal |
Crystal |
Crystal |
|
X-10
Capability |
No |
XMIT |
XMIT |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Multi
Tone output (DTMF) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes (1,2, or 4 voice) |
Yes (1,2, or 4 voice) |
|
Audio
Playback from EEprom |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
8000 and 11025 sps |
8000 and 11025 sps |
|
Real
Time Ability |
No |
No |
No |
Limited |
Limited |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Clock/Calendar capability |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (1/250 sec resolution |
Yes (1/250 sec resolution) |
|
RS232 Emulation |
2400 baud |
9600 baud |
19.2K baud |
19.2K baud |
19.2K baud |
19.2K baud |
19.2K baud |
|
RS232
parsing* |
Limited |
Great (SERIN) |
Great (SERIN) |
No |
Limited |
String Based |
String Based |
|
RS232
hardware receive in background |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
A/D
hardware |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
3 8-bit channels |
|
Parallel
Pin routines |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
44780 LCD module support |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
SPI or I2C hardware |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
I2C serial port |
No |
No |
No |
100 or 400kbps |
100 or 400kbps |
400kbps |
400kbps |
*Stamps
are sold as small SIP and DIP modules.
*Stamp
SERIN function is a great serial stream parser, almost a language of its own. TICkit 63 and 74 have a string based stream parser that strips various fields
|
Language Attribute |
Stamp I |
Stamp II |
Stamp SX |
TICkit 57 |
TICkit 62 |
TICkit 63 |
TICkit 74 |
|
Built-in Token Interpreter |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Structured Flow Control |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Code Compatible with Stamp I |
Yes |
Yes |
Almost |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Strongly Typed Variables |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
User Defined Functions (Prototyped) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Local Variables |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Subroutine Parameter Passing |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Function overloading |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Compile-time Address Resolution |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Multiple Library Support |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Console Connection |
Parallel |
RS232 |
RS232 |
RS232 |
RS232 |
RS232 |
RS232 |
|
Interactive Debugging |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Console output |
Some |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Console input |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
String Manipulation |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Variable Arrays |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
EEprom Arrays |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
EEprom Structures |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Single Step Program Execution |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Variable Watch Points |
No |
No |
No |
Globals |
Globals |
Globals |
Globals |
|
Break Points |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Fixed Point math routines |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Floating Point math |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
SIN, COS |
No |
Limited |
Limited |
Limited |
Limited |
Limited |
Limited |
|
Increment & Decrement Ops |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
*The TICkit does not contain trigonometric functions.
However, lookup tables are easily implemented using EEprom Arrays.
Protean Logic Inc. Copyright 02/07/04 Top of Page