I'm sure the SX's will be back in stock...but you should know (if you didn't already) the SX is a EOL product (End Of Life).

They are going to stop producing the SX. You may want to start a redesign now.....to handle when the SX is gone.

Parallax has stated they are going to buy enough for a couple of years ( I can't remember how long they guesstimated), but if it were me, I wouldn't take any chances.

That way when the SX's are gone, you just switch over to your new design......

[Quoting: "eagletalontim"]Well dang, that sucks.  I don't know of any chip that I can replace my current one with :(

Does anyone have any suggestions that I could use for a new chip to use?  It has to be through hole style chip since I do not have the capabilities to solder surface mount chips.  The programming is very small and simple, basically 2 pins are on/off depending on a specific sequence.  Two buttons change the sequence, and an 7 segment LED displays numbers 1 though 9.  So all in all, 11 pins are used on the chip.

There are lots and lots of 16 to 20 pin PICs and AVRs out there that would work.  You'd have to buy a new programmer and there are some free to inexpensive programming tools.  I used to use a PIC12F683 for an 8-pin device and a PIC16F690 for a 20-pin device.  Both are supported by the PicKit2 programmer and you can use PICbasic (not free, but cheap) to program it (or assembly).

[Quoting: "eagletalontim"]Does anyone have any suggestions that I could use for a new chip to use?  It has to be through hole style chip since I do not have the capabilities to solder surface mount chips.  The programming is very small and simple, basically 2 pins are on/off depending on a specific sequence.  Two buttons change the sequence, and an 7 segment LED displays numbers 1 though 9.  So all in all, 11 pins are used on the chip.

I don't know of any, but if you get the specifications out there...someone may be able to recommend a chip.

I did some research on the PIC chips that you are talking about, but cannot find any good sources for how to program them or any support on them.  I need something similar to parallax's setup if at all possible with good support.  Since I don't have alot of experience in programming IC chips, I would really need alot of help :p   I don't mind spending extra money to get something better to match my needs since my business stands on these chips.

The Spin Stamp might work for you at $40 in 20 quantities.  It uses the Propeller which will be around for a long time.  It's a 24-pin through hole 0.6" wide module, a little wider than the SX, but it includes a regulator like the Stamps that provides +5V for external use which is further regulated to 3.3V.  Because it's a Propeller, the I/O pins are 3.3V, so you may need to change the button circuitry.  The rest (LED and outputs) should work fine.

just out of curiosity, would the Propeller chips possibly work in my application?  If I have to learn how to solder surface mount chips, I will do that in a heartbeat :p  I did not see that they are at an EOL.  My product is used inside vehicles and the other projects will also be used in vehicles as well.

It would certainly be cheaper to use a surface mount Propeller.  You wouldn't need a crystal because you don't need precise frequency control, but you'd need a 24LC256 EEPROM since the Propeller doesn't have built-in flash memory.

What would the EEprom be for?  Is the propeller not able to save temporary variables while it is running like the SX?

Back to the poster's question. The SX28AC/DP-G wafers are being finished in Taiwan next week and we take delivery of them first week of November. We should have a quarter-million of them at Parallax around December 1st.

Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.

The Propeller has plenty of memory for variables while it's running.  It shares 32K between the running program and its variables, but this is SRAM.  Its contents goes away when the power goes off.  The Propeller copies the program from the EEPROM to the SRAM when it's reset like on power up.  When you download a new program using the development environment (the Propeller Tool), it gets copied to the EEPROM by the Propeller.

hmmm.  interesting.  so the Propeller does not hold the program on power off.  I would have to have an EEprom for this to work in my application.  It is good to know that the chips will be in December!  It is a little far out and sales are waiting :(  Hopefully something will work out soon.  I am kind of interested in getting into the propeller chip though.  looks more complicated though, especially needing an eeprom.

The minimum parts for a Propeller include the Propeller, a 24LC256 EEPROM or equivalent, one 10K resistor (for the EEPROM's SDA signal line), and a source of regulated +3.3V at a few milliAmps plus whatever the external circuitry needs.

[Quoting: "Ken Gracey (Parallax)"]
Back to the poster's question. The SX28AC/DP-G wafers are being finished in Taiwan next week and we take delivery of them first week of November. We should have a quarter-million of them at Parallax around December 1st.

Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.

If your need is immediate and short-term, and if you don't mind spending extra for it, you could reprogram an OEM BASIC Stamp 2e Interpreter Chip, which is a pre-programmed SX28.

@Dan, that'll be the end of supply. All total, there are about 750K SX chips in the pipeline. Done our best around here to make sure that all customers were contacted so we could meet their needs. We even bought over their estimated needs as much as we could afford to purchase without taking on risk.

Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.

So are there any SX48 chips in the pipeline too or just the SX28 chips?  I could use some more SX48 chips and should probably make sure I have enough to finish of the little SX48 OEM module kits and at least have enough to match the remaining PCB's.

ok, just out of curiosity..... If I did get the Propeller 44pin QFP chip, what eeprom would I need to match the SX28's programmable memory?  Most of my programs will fit on just one SX28, but a few need 2 which transfer data back and forth.   Hopefully I can do all the same with the Propeller.  I don't sell a whole bunch of these items but I sell enough to keep 10 to 15 items in stock at all times.  All I would need to do is be able to possibly fill the area where the SX used to be and I may even be able to improve my design by going with SM components if they can handle the 1 amp current from a 7805 regulator.

[Quoting: "eagletalontim"]ok, just out of curiosity..... If I did get the Propeller 44pin QFP chip, what eeprom would I need to match the SX28's programmable memory?  Most of my programs will fit on just one SX28, but a few need 2 which transfer data back and forth.   Hopefully I can do all the same with the Propeller.  I don't sell a whole bunch of these items but I sell enough to keep 10 to 15 items in stock at all times.  All I would need to do is be able to possibly fill the area where the SX used to be and I may even be able to improve my design by going with SM components if they can handle the 1 amp current from a 7805 regulator.

I thought that may be important to your considerations.

[Quoting: "eagletalontim"]ok, just out of curiosity..... If I did get the Propeller 44pin QFP chip, what eeprom would I need to match the SX28's programmable memory?  Most of my programs will fit on just one SX28, but a few need 2 which transfer data back and forth.   Hopefully I can do all the same with the Propeller.  I don't sell a whole bunch of these items but I sell enough to keep 10 to 15 items in stock at all times.  All I would need to do is be able to possibly fill the area where the SX used to be and I may even be able to improve my design by going with SM components if they can handle the 1 amp current from a 7805 regulator.

Don't worry about the reduction in instructions within a cog -- PASM is far more powerful than SX assembly.  Give the Propeller  a try; you'll find that integrating code written by others is simpler.

That will take some time to learn about the cogs.  I tried to learn about them by reading the Propeller manual but still got lost :p  I did see a huge difference in the coding between the SX and the Propeller so hopefully I can pick up on the new language soon.  I have already ordered a Propeller Protoboard and the Prop Plug.  Now I just have to wait....

@Robert, yes, same for SX48s. Is 500K units enough? I don't know how quickly they will sell out, however.

Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.

[Quoting: "eagletalontim"]That will take some time to learn about the cogs.  I tried to learn about them by reading the Propeller manual but still got lost :p  I did see a huge difference in the coding between the SX and the Propeller so hopefully I can pick up on the new language soon.  I have already ordered a Propeller Protoboard and the Prop Plug.  Now I just have to wait....

wow, that sounds interesting!  It looks like it will be easier to accomplish my new design with the propeller since multitasking will be easier :)  I have started a thread in the propeller forums and will probably be posting alot more in there after I do some research and experimenting with my protoboard.