SimpleIDE is an open source programming tool for Propeller C. It's designed to be easy for beginners to use, yet also includes features that experienced programmers will appreciate.
This quick tutorial will help you:
Windows [1]
Mac [2]
Linux [3]
Raspberry Pi [4]
For platform-specific version information, click here [5].
SimpleIDE is the official programming interface for Parallax's Propeller C Educational program. Like many modern software programs, SimpleIDE is an open source offering. Parallax maintains an official distribution branch of the project to be released as Parallax approved software on this website. Parallax strives to keep the features and functions of this distribution of SimpleIDE in-line with the needs of educational institutions to provide a consistent and trustworthy user experience. SimpleIDE installers are available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
No approval is required from Parallax to install the SimpleIDE software on your institution's computers. In fact, this is the intended audience for SimpleIDE. Please feel free to contact our educational team if you need any further verification on the subject.
The C libraries for the Propeller C Tutorial program are offered under the MIT License [6].
Links for the two open-source software projects that make up the foundation of the Propeller C Tutorials are available below.
3-position Switch
If your board has a 3-position switch, you can set it to 1 or 2. 1 will power the microcontroller and the sockets alongside the white breadboard. 2 will also power the 3-pin headers above the breadboard.
Need help? Email support@parallax.com [11], visit the Learn Forum [12].
Found a bug? Please report it to the SimpleIDE Open Source Project [13] site's Issues [14]page.
3-position Switch
If your board has a 3-position switch, you can set it to 1 or 2. 1 will power the microcontroller and the sockets alongside the white breadboard. 2 will also power the 3-pin headers above the breadboard.
Need help? Email support@parallax.com [17], or visit the Learn Forum [12].
Found a bug? Please report it to the SimpleIDE Open Source Project [13] site's Issues [14]page.
QuickStart Rev A Note: “Error: load fail” messages are occasionally seen when using the QuickStart Rev A with the SimpleIDE programming software. To remedy this, insert a 10 k-ohm pull-up resistor into the Accessory Socket as shown below. This is not necessary with QuickStart Rev B boards.
Linux users can compile from the repository source code on GitHub. The download link below will take you to the SimpleIDE GitHub repository.
If you try it and find something you think might be a bug, please report it to the SimpleIDE Open Source Project [13] site's Issues [20] page.
3-position Switch
If your board has a 3-position switch, you can set it to 1 or 2. 1 will power the microcontroller and the sockets alongside the white breadboard. 2 will also power the 3-pin headers above the breadboard.
Raspberry Pi users users can compile from the repository source code on GitHub. The download link below will take you to the SimpleIDE GitHub repository.
If you try it and find something you think might be a bug, please report it to the SimpleIDE Open Source Project [13] site's Issues [20] page.
NOTE: THIS IS AN OPEN-SOURCE, COMMUNITY-INSPIRED PROJECT. INSTALLATION AND USAGE SUPPORT BEYOND THE STEPS LISTED HERE ARE PROVIDED BY OUR FORUM COMMUNITY AND NOT THE PARALLAX TECH SUPPORT TEAM.
In addition to other development platforms, the Propeller microcontroller is programmable in C/C++ using a low-cost Raspberry Pi Single Board Computer. This tutorial demonstrates how to set up the necessary hardware and software assuming you are starting from scratch without any Raspberry Pi experience. Watch the video and refer to the instructions below as necessary.
A complete stand-alone Raspberry Pi system connected to a Propeller Activity Board looks like this:
For a complete stand-alone configuration, you need these parts:
Do not plug the USB Hub’s power supply into the wall yet. Leave the USB Hub’s power supply disconnected until you’re ready to power up the Raspberry Pi.
For the best experience, use the New Out Of Box Software (NOOBS) to install the operating system image. There are many Linux distributions for Raspberry Pi, but NOOBS makes it easy to try them all from a single SD image.
Keep default settings but set GUI desktop to start automatically. At the end of the first reboot, the Raspberry Pi Software Configuration Tool will appear. All the defaults are fine, except we recommend setting the GUI desktop to automatically start up after boot.
Many thanks go to jazzed, Heater, Oldbitcollector, mindrobots, Roy Eltham, Bill Henning, and others for their contributions that made this happen!
The Learn folder contains C code in the Simple Libraries and Examples folders that you will need for the Propeller C Tutorials. There are two options, a .zipside file, and a .zip file. Instructions for using both are below; the choice is yours.
Download the Latest Learn Folder (offsite) [24]
SimpleIDE's Update Workspace feature will first archive your existing files in a Documents\SimpleIDE_Backups folder, and then selectivey update files in your SimpleIDE/Learn folder.
You are now ready to try Propeller C - Start Simple [25].
MIT License — The C libraries distributed in the Learn folder are offered under the MIT license [26], which is included with each library.
These Libraries are a Parallax Open Source Project. If you are looking for the latest experimental branches or an older version of the Learn Library, see the Simple-Libraries project on GitHub [27].
Links
[1] https://learn.parallax.com/propeller-c-set-simpleide/windows
[2] http://learn.parallax.com/propeller-c-set-simpleide/mac
[3] https://learn.parallax.com/propeller-c-set-simpleide/linux
[4] https://learn.parallax.com/propeller-c-set-simpleide/raspberrypi
[5] https://learn.parallax.com/C/simpleide-version-info
[6] https://learn.parallax.com/reference/mit-license
[7] http://code.google.com/p/propside/
[8] http://code.google.com/p/propgcc/
[9] https://www.parallax.com/package/simpleide-software-for-windows-propeller-c/
[10] http://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/language/propeller-c/propeller-c-set-simpleide/update-your-learn-folder
[11] mailto:support@parallax.com?subject=Help%20with%20SimpleIDE%20Windows%20Installation
[12] http://forums.parallax.com
[13] https://code.google.com/p/propside/
[14] http://code.google.com/p/propside/issues/list
[15] https://www.parallax.com/package/simpleide-software-for-mac-propeller-c/
[16] https://learn.parallax.com/tutorials/language/propeller-c/propeller-c-set-simpleide/update-your-learn-folder
[17] mailto:support@parallax.com?subject=Help%20with%20SimpleIDE%20Mac%20Installation
[18] https://github.com/parallaxinc/SimpleIDE
[19] http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
[20] https://code.google.com/p/propside/issues/list
[21] https://learn.parallax.com/node/658
[22] http://elinux.org/RPi_SD_cards
[23] http://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads
[24] https://www.parallax.com/package/propeller-c-learn-folder/
[25] http://learn.parallax.com/propeller-c-start-simple
[26] http://learn.parallax.com/reference/mit-license
[27] https://github.com/parallaxinc/Simple-Libraries