New Parallax Propeller IC

Still can't believe it... It has 8 custom processor. One can generate
color video while the other 7 each do a task.  Slight modification
allows the video to be broadcast.  Can this thing be for real?

No word on price or relase date.

http://www.parallax.com/propeller/

What can you do with eight 32-bit processors (COGs) in one chip? Real
simultaneous multi-processing! The new Propeller chip is the result of
our internal design team working for eight years straight. The
Propeller chip was designed at the transistor level by schematic using
our own Altera Stratix tools to prototype. Propeller is programmed in
both a high-level language, called Spin=99, and low-level (assembly)
language. With the set of pre-built Parallax "objects" for video,
mice, keyboards, RF, LCDs, stepper motors and sensors your Propeller
Application is a matter of high-level integration.

Propeller represents the first custom all-silicon product designed by
Parallax.

KenLem wrote:
> Still can't believe it... It has 8 custom processor. One can generate
> color video while the other 7 each do a task.  Slight modification
> allows the video to be broadcast.  Can this thing be for real?

  As there seem to be no links, it just could be this was placed ready 
for an April 1st release ?
  No mention of how you would load code - maybe it is clairvoyant ?

-jg

Jim Granville wrote:
> KenLem wrote:
> > Still can't believe it... It has 8 custom processor. One can generate
> > color video while the other 7 each do a task.  Slight modification
> > allows the video to be broadcast.  Can this thing be for real?
>
>   As there seem to be no links, it just could be this was placed ready
> for an April 1st release ?
>   No mention of how you would load code - maybe it is clairvoyant ?
>
> -jg

Putting several CPUs into an FPGA is quite straightforward. That seems
to be what they have done, then they put them into a custom chip.

Leon

On 16 Feb 2006 13:45:03 -0800, in comp.arch.embedded "KenLem"
<kenneth.lemieux@gmail.com> wrote:

>Still can't believe it... It has 8 custom processor. One can generate
>color video while the other 7 each do a task.  Slight modification
>allows the video to be broadcast.  Can this thing be for real?
>
>No word on price or relase date.
>
>http://www.parallax.com/propeller/
>
>What can you do with eight 32-bit processors (COGs) in one chip?

Make a gun that wont shoot at lawyers?


martin

I doubt it's an April fool's gag.

They will sell as seperate USB to Serial device for loading programs
($29).  I agree. It looks to be an FPGA design that has been hard wired.

KenLem =D0=BD=D0=B0=D0=BF=D0=B8=D1=81=D0=B0:
> I doubt it's an April fool's gag.
>
> They will sell as seperate USB to Serial device for loading programs
> ($29).  I agree. It looks to be an FPGA design that has been hard wired.

I hope they will not make it as FPGA stamp programed with multitasking
Basic :)

KenLem wrote:
> Still can't believe it... It has 8 custom processor. One can generate
> color video while the other 7 each do a task.  Slight modification
> allows the video to be broadcast.  Can this thing be for real?
>
> No word on price or relase date.
>
> http://www.parallax.com/propeller/
>
> What can you do with eight 32-bit processors (COGs) in one chip? Real
> simultaneous multi-processing! The new Propeller chip is the result of
> our internal design team working for eight years straight. The
> Propeller chip was designed at the transistor level by schematic using
> our own Altera Stratix tools to prototype. Propeller is programmed in
> both a high-level language, called Spin=99, and low-level (assembly)
> language. With the set of pre-built Parallax "objects" for video,
> mice, keyboards, RF, LCDs, stepper motors and sensors your Propeller
> Application is a matter of high-level integration.
>
> Propeller represents the first custom all-silicon product designed by
> Parallax.

Not that impressive nowadays... 80 MHz clocked CPUs with fairly
limited capabilities in a 40 pin case at $29 - well, at about that
price you get fullblown PPC based products clocked at 400 MHz
and up - DDR controllers, USB, Ethernet, all sorts of things
included...

Dimiter

------------------------------------------------------
Dimiter Popoff               Transgalactic Instruments

http://www.tgi-sci.com
------------------------------------------------------

Can you provide a link to a 400Mhz multicore chip for $29?

KenLem wrote:
> Can you provide a link to a 400Mhz multicore chip for $29?

Not multicore - this was neither said nor implied.

BTW, I can hardly see an application where a 400 MHz PPC
(single core) will not be able to do what you can do with the
multi-core which this is about - and probably faster.

Dimiter

------------------------------------------------------
Dimiter Popoff               Transgalactic Instruments

http://www.tgi-sci.com
------------------------------------------------------

Hello all. I just got back from Parallax, where they showed off their
chip. This is a very impressive unit, and a real threat to other
mainstream chips. There are soo many applications that can be made,
that it is really head-spinning. It can be programmed in ASM, or a HLL
developed just for this chip called Spin. I think you are all in for a
huge surprise.