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Parallax, Inc. (company)
Encyclopedia
Parallax Inc. is a privately held company in Rocklin, California
. Parallax Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells BASIC Stamp
microcontroller
s, Propeller microcontrollers, microcontroller accessories (such as LCDs, sensors,
RF modules, etc.), educational robot kits, and educational curriculum.
Parallax, although headquartered in Rocklin, also has an office in Hong Kong
. The Rocklin office employs forty-two people in Research and Development, Sales, Manufacturing, Education, Marketing, and Technical Support. Parallax Inc. has over seventy distributors around the world, including Radio Shack, Jameco Electronics, and Fry's Electronics
.
Parallax gained popularity and recognition initially for its significant success in the hobby and education markets, offering user-friendly and high-quality robotic and educational kits. Recently, however, Parallax's success in commercial markets has increased due to the 2006 release of the Propeller
.
In 1997, the Stamps in Class program was created to provide educational resources that addressed the needs of electronic students ages 14 and up. The Boe-Bot is one of the company’s most popular products and the anchor of the Stamps in Class educational program.
In 1998, Parallax, Inc. formed a partnership with Ubicom (formerly Scenix Semiconductor
) to develop tools and BASIC Stamps using their new SX microcontrollers
. Company founder Chip Gracey designed the SX-Key Programming Tool to make programming Ubicom’s SX chips affordable. And in 2005, Parallax, Inc. and Ubicom formed an agreement in which Parallax, Inc. is the exclusive supplier of the SX microcontroller.
In 2006, after eight years of development time, Parallax launched their Parallax Propeller
Microcontroller.
The Propeller 2 multicore processor is under development and is expected to be released by 2011. The Propeller 2 processor includes features commonly requested by customers such as code protect, additional RAM and more I/O pins
system that can do real-time simultaneous multiprocessing
. It uses eight 32-bit cores called cogs controlled by a bus controller called the Hub. It can be programmed in assembly, or in the interpreted Spin programming language. It comes with a software library of objects for a various sets of I/O devices, such as UART
s and a video display controller emulated fully in software. The Propeller is also supported by a third-party compiler developers who have developed platforms in C and BASIC. The Parallax Propeller
is also recognized as being easy to program.
is a programmable and reprogrammable wheeled robot that is used by educators and hobbyists.
was so named because it was about the size of a postage stamp. Programmed in PBASIC
, the BASIC Stamp found an audience in electronic hobbyists with powerful I/O commands that made it easy to connect to other electronic components. Released in 1995, the BASIC Stamp 2 is one of Parallax's most well-known and best-selling products.
robot, a simple yet versatile rolling robot that has a BASIC Stamp brain.
chip, which is very different than the BASIC Stamp microcontrollers. The Propeller
features eight 32-bit processors. The Propeller education program demonstrates how to program the microcontroller for use in process control, measurement and signal generation and robotics. The program is designed for engineering students who have product design requirements in their curriculum.
, SERVO Magazine
, Robot Magazine
, and Nuts and Volts
.
, which features do-it-yourself projects regularly, because Parallax products can be programmed for a variety of projects ranging from personal inventions to commercial products.
covered an event event hosted by the creators of Make Magazine
called Maker Faire
, in which Parallax hosted several workshops.
has written articles on Parallax robots and other products, featuring robots like the Stingray. The magazine also discusses the BASIC Stamp
and Propeller
chip online.
, at the Norwalk Community Center. The expo consists of educators, engineers, hobbyists and students setting up tables and sharing their experiments, demonstrations, and products based on or inspired by microcontrollers such as the Parallax Propeller
. The UPENE was the first of the three existing UPE's. As Parallax unofficially sponsors the expo, the company was joined by a second sponsor: the company Gadget Gangster.
.
. This UPE also offers a special educator's course hosted by Parallax's engineer and author Andy Lindsay. Also, the UPEW 2010 is a two-day, overnight event, that starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday and ends at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
can use the forums as a place to ask questions and receive direction to solve homework and projects.
Rocklin, California
Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. It shares borders with Roseville, Loomis, and Lincoln...
. Parallax Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells BASIC Stamp
BASIC Stamp
The BASIC Stamp is a microcontroller with a small, specialized BASIC interpreter built into ROM. It is made by Parallax, Inc. and has been popular with electronics hobbyists since the early 1990s because of its low threshold of learning and ease of use due to its simple to understand BASIC...
microcontroller
Microcontroller
A microcontroller is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Program memory in the form of NOR flash or OTP ROM is also often included on chip, as well as a typically small amount of RAM...
s, Propeller microcontrollers, microcontroller accessories (such as LCDs, sensors,
RF modules, etc.), educational robot kits, and educational curriculum.
Parallax, although headquartered in Rocklin, also has an office in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The Rocklin office employs forty-two people in Research and Development, Sales, Manufacturing, Education, Marketing, and Technical Support. Parallax Inc. has over seventy distributors around the world, including Radio Shack, Jameco Electronics, and Fry's Electronics
Fry's Electronics
Fry's Electronics is a big-box store and retailer of software, consumer electronics, computer hardware, with in store computer repair and custom computer building services and household appliances with a chain of superstores headquartered in Silicon Valley...
.
Parallax gained popularity and recognition initially for its significant success in the hobby and education markets, offering user-friendly and high-quality robotic and educational kits. Recently, however, Parallax's success in commercial markets has increased due to the 2006 release of the Propeller
Parallax Propeller
The Parallax P8X32A Propeller chip, introduced in 2006, is a multi-core architecture parallel microcontroller with eight 32-bit RISC CPU cores....
.
History
Originally established in 1987, in Rocklin, CA, Parallax, Inc. manufactured products such as the ISEPIC, TopRAM, and the first third-party Microchip PIC Programmer. In 1992, the BASIC Stamp 1 microcontroller module was released. In 1995, the BASIC Stamp 2 module was added to the product lineup. The user base has become diverse, including everyone from scientists and hobbyists to engineers and entrepreneurs, and students from grade school to college. By 2002, there were over three million BASIC Stamp microcontrollers in use around the world.In 1997, the Stamps in Class program was created to provide educational resources that addressed the needs of electronic students ages 14 and up. The Boe-Bot is one of the company’s most popular products and the anchor of the Stamps in Class educational program.
In 1998, Parallax, Inc. formed a partnership with Ubicom (formerly Scenix Semiconductor
Scenix Semiconductor
Ubicom based in San Jose, CA, develops communications and media processor and software platforms for real-time interactive applications and multimedia content delivery in the digital home...
) to develop tools and BASIC Stamps using their new SX microcontrollers
Parallax SX
The Parallax SX line of microcontrollers were formerly made by Ubicom, who was originally Scenix, hence the SX- prefix. The SX dies are still manufactured by Ubicom, who sends them to Parallax for packaging...
. Company founder Chip Gracey designed the SX-Key Programming Tool to make programming Ubicom’s SX chips affordable. And in 2005, Parallax, Inc. and Ubicom formed an agreement in which Parallax, Inc. is the exclusive supplier of the SX microcontroller.
In 2006, after eight years of development time, Parallax launched their Parallax Propeller
Parallax Propeller
The Parallax P8X32A Propeller chip, introduced in 2006, is a multi-core architecture parallel microcontroller with eight 32-bit RISC CPU cores....
Microcontroller.
The Propeller 2 multicore processor is under development and is expected to be released by 2011. The Propeller 2 processor includes features commonly requested by customers such as code protect, additional RAM and more I/O pins
The Propeller Chip
A multicoreMulticore
Multicore may refer to:* Multi-core processor ** Multicore Association, founded in 2005, a non-profit, industry consortium focused on multicore technology* multicore cable, a generic term for an electrical cable that has multiple cores...
system that can do real-time simultaneous multiprocessing
Multiprocessing
Multiprocessing is the use of two or more central processing units within a single computer system. The term also refers to the ability of a system to support more than one processor and/or the ability to allocate tasks between them...
. It uses eight 32-bit cores called cogs controlled by a bus controller called the Hub. It can be programmed in assembly, or in the interpreted Spin programming language. It comes with a software library of objects for a various sets of I/O devices, such as UART
Universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter
A universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter, abbreviated UART , is a type of "asynchronous receiver/transmitter", a piece of computer hardware that translates data between parallel and serial forms. UARTs are commonly used in conjunction with communication standards such as EIA RS-232, RS-422 or...
s and a video display controller emulated fully in software. The Propeller is also supported by a third-party compiler developers who have developed platforms in C and BASIC. The Parallax Propeller
Parallax Propeller
The Parallax P8X32A Propeller chip, introduced in 2006, is a multi-core architecture parallel microcontroller with eight 32-bit RISC CPU cores....
is also recognized as being easy to program.
The Boe-Bot
One of Parallax, Inc.'s all time best-selling robots. The Boe-BotBoe-Bot
BOE–Bot is short for Board of Education robot. It is the trade name of a robot kit that is used in college and high school robotics classes. It consists of a main circuit board , a plug–in microcontroller, two small servo motors to drive the wheels, a bread board and a small aluminum chassis that...
is a programmable and reprogrammable wheeled robot that is used by educators and hobbyists.
The BASIC Stamp and BASIC Stamp 2
The BASIC StampBASIC Stamp
The BASIC Stamp is a microcontroller with a small, specialized BASIC interpreter built into ROM. It is made by Parallax, Inc. and has been popular with electronics hobbyists since the early 1990s because of its low threshold of learning and ease of use due to its simple to understand BASIC...
was so named because it was about the size of a postage stamp. Programmed in PBASIC
PBASIC
PBASIC is a microcontroller based version of BASIC created by Parallax, Inc. The language was created to bring ease of use to the microcontroller and embedded processor world. PBASIC is used for writing code for the BASIC Stamp microcontrollers. After the code is written it is tokenized and...
, the BASIC Stamp found an audience in electronic hobbyists with powerful I/O commands that made it easy to connect to other electronic components. Released in 1995, the BASIC Stamp 2 is one of Parallax's most well-known and best-selling products.
Sensors
Parallax manufactures sensors to measure color, humidity, temperature, pressure, RPMs, heat, and altitude. These sensors are either surface-mounted components on a printed circuit board or in packages that are readily acceptable for breadboard-style mounting. Each sensor is supported with educational curriculum and documentation.Stamps in Class
Stamps In Class curriculum was designed to introduce students and educators to BASIC Stamp microcontrollers using software basics and simple hardware, integrating the two without a tremendous financial investment. One popular tutorial in the Stamps in Class series is the Boe-BotBoe-Bot
BOE–Bot is short for Board of Education robot. It is the trade name of a robot kit that is used in college and high school robotics classes. It consists of a main circuit board , a plug–in microcontroller, two small servo motors to drive the wheels, a bread board and a small aluminum chassis that...
robot, a simple yet versatile rolling robot that has a BASIC Stamp brain.
Propeller Education Labs
The Propeller Education was developed to teach how to operate the PropellerPropeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
chip, which is very different than the BASIC Stamp microcontrollers. The Propeller
Parallax Propeller
The Parallax P8X32A Propeller chip, introduced in 2006, is a multi-core architecture parallel microcontroller with eight 32-bit RISC CPU cores....
features eight 32-bit processors. The Propeller education program demonstrates how to program the microcontroller for use in process control, measurement and signal generation and robotics. The program is designed for engineering students who have product design requirements in their curriculum.
Featured in Magazines
Filling a niche in the technology market by offering robotics for hobbyists, enthusiasts, and students, Parallax has been extensively featured in magazines including: Make MagazineMake (magazine)
Make is an American quarterly magazine published by O'Reilly Media which focuses on do it yourself and/or DIWO projects involving computers, electronics, robotics, metalworking, woodworking and other disciplines...
, SERVO Magazine
SERVO Magazine
SERVO Magazine is a monthly robotics publication produced by T&L Publications. The first issue appeared in November 2003. SERVO Magazine was a primary sponsor behind the Tetsujin competition, a contest where teams were challenged to design robotic exoskeletons capable of lifting...
, Robot Magazine
Robot Magazine
Robot Magazine is an American bi-monthly robotics publication produced by the Maplegate Media Group. The first issue appeared in November 2003...
, and Nuts and Volts
Nuts and Volts
Nuts and Volts is a monthly American magazine for the hands-on hobbyist, design engineer, technician, and experimenter. It has been published by T&L Publications since 1980 and leans heavily toward microcontroller and digital electronics projects-History:...
.
Make Magazine
Parallax has been featured in Make MagazineMake (magazine)
Make is an American quarterly magazine published by O'Reilly Media which focuses on do it yourself and/or DIWO projects involving computers, electronics, robotics, metalworking, woodworking and other disciplines...
, which features do-it-yourself projects regularly, because Parallax products can be programmed for a variety of projects ranging from personal inventions to commercial products.
Robot Magazine
Robot MagazineRobot Magazine
Robot Magazine is an American bi-monthly robotics publication produced by the Maplegate Media Group. The first issue appeared in November 2003...
covered an event event hosted by the creators of Make Magazine
Make (magazine)
Make is an American quarterly magazine published by O'Reilly Media which focuses on do it yourself and/or DIWO projects involving computers, electronics, robotics, metalworking, woodworking and other disciplines...
called Maker Faire
Maker Faire
Maker Faire is an event created by Make magazine to "celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself mindset".-Past events:The first was held April 22 – 23, 2006, at the San Mateo Fairgrounds...
, in which Parallax hosted several workshops.
Nuts and Volts
Nuts and VoltsNuts and Volts
Nuts and Volts is a monthly American magazine for the hands-on hobbyist, design engineer, technician, and experimenter. It has been published by T&L Publications since 1980 and leans heavily toward microcontroller and digital electronics projects-History:...
has written articles on Parallax robots and other products, featuring robots like the Stingray. The magazine also discusses the BASIC Stamp
BASIC Stamp
The BASIC Stamp is a microcontroller with a small, specialized BASIC interpreter built into ROM. It is made by Parallax, Inc. and has been popular with electronics hobbyists since the early 1990s because of its low threshold of learning and ease of use due to its simple to understand BASIC...
and Propeller
Parallax Propeller
The Parallax P8X32A Propeller chip, introduced in 2006, is a multi-core architecture parallel microcontroller with eight 32-bit RISC CPU cores....
chip online.
History
The original UPE, the Unofficial Propeller Expo North East (UPENE) is hosted by a long time Parallax Forum member, "Oldbitcollector." He labeled it "Unofficial" so hobbyists could meet and exchange projects, ideas, and advice about Parallax robotics without getting permission to have or not have an "Official Propeller Expo." However, Parallax came on board and now many Parallax employees can be found at each expo, talking with hobbyists, students, and inventors.Unofficial Propeller Expo North East (UPENE)
The UPENE is an annual event located in Norwalk, OhioNorwalk, Ohio
At the 2000 census, there were 16,238 people, 6,377 households and 4,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,950.3 per square mile . There were 6,687 housing units at an average density of 803.1 per square mile...
, at the Norwalk Community Center. The expo consists of educators, engineers, hobbyists and students setting up tables and sharing their experiments, demonstrations, and products based on or inspired by microcontrollers such as the Parallax Propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
. The UPENE was the first of the three existing UPE's. As Parallax unofficially sponsors the expo, the company was joined by a second sponsor: the company Gadget Gangster.
Unofficial Propeller Expo Chicago (UPEC)
The UPEC, also known as the "Chicagoland Propeller Expo," is a one-day event held at the 807 Building in Ottawa, IllinoisOttawa, Illinois
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,786...
.
Unofficial Propeller Expo West (UPEW)
The UPEW, also annual, is the only one of the three UPE's to be located at Parallax's offices in Rocklin, CaliforniaRocklin, California
Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. It shares borders with Roseville, Loomis, and Lincoln...
. This UPE also offers a special educator's course hosted by Parallax's engineer and author Andy Lindsay. Also, the UPEW 2010 is a two-day, overnight event, that starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday and ends at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
The Parallax Forum
Before 2004, the Parallax product user support forum was hosted in Yahoo! Discussion Groups. In 2004, this discussion group was moved from Yahoo! to Parallax Forums, located through Parallax's website. With more than 20,000 registered members on the forum, members frequently discuss and trade software, information, and products designed around the BASIC Stamp and Propeller Chip. Also, students learning the Boe-BotBoe-Bot
BOE–Bot is short for Board of Education robot. It is the trade name of a robot kit that is used in college and high school robotics classes. It consists of a main circuit board , a plug–in microcontroller, two small servo motors to drive the wheels, a bread board and a small aluminum chassis that...
can use the forums as a place to ask questions and receive direction to solve homework and projects.
Discontinued Robots and Products
- The Scribbler
- The Penguin Robot
- HexCrawler -Parallax had teamed up with Crust Crawler Robotics to create the HexCrawler.
- The Toddler
- Parallax SXParallax SXThe Parallax SX line of microcontrollers were formerly made by Ubicom, who was originally Scenix, hence the SX- prefix. The SX dies are still manufactured by Ubicom, who sends them to Parallax for packaging...
- Javelin StampBASIC StampThe BASIC Stamp is a microcontroller with a small, specialized BASIC interpreter built into ROM. It is made by Parallax, Inc. and has been popular with electronics hobbyists since the early 1990s because of its low threshold of learning and ease of use due to its simple to understand BASIC...
- Spin StampBASIC StampThe BASIC Stamp is a microcontroller with a small, specialized BASIC interpreter built into ROM. It is made by Parallax, Inc. and has been popular with electronics hobbyists since the early 1990s because of its low threshold of learning and ease of use due to its simple to understand BASIC...