CHAPTER 4

Programming the Parallax Propeller Chip

Introduction

The Parallax Propeller chip that was introduced in Chapter 1 will be discussed in this chapter from hardware and software perspectives. I will also refer to the chip as the Prop from now on for brevity’s sake.

The Prop was developed by Parallax engineers solely for an extended project that started in the late 1990s and ran to its market introduction in 2006. It is still the only available multicore processor designed specifically for the technical/hobbyist market. Intel and AMD multicore processors are distinctly different technologies designed for PC and server applications. The Prop also has a much lower clock speed than Intel processors, which is not an issue because it serves ...

Get Build Your Own Quadcopter: Power Up Your Designs with the Parallax Elev-8 now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.