[AT] was generator=ee / tubes

[Ken Knierim]

A good site to look at for Microchip development stuff is:

http://www.melabs.com/

They sold me the PICBASIC I use, along with my introductory project
board. You can get programmers, development kits, power supplies,
books, all kinds of things. Digi-key is also one of my 2 major
suppliers of electronic components so I buy a fair amount of chips
directly from them. Gotta love their website for buying stuff. It's
easy to spend money. :)

Assembly language and machine code are interchangeable terms, Al. C is
a pretty common language used for programming a lot of systems at a
higher level with fast execution. I use BASIC because I got started on
that first but that doesn't make it a better language. I also have
done some Visual Basic (enough to really learn how to swear) on a PC
for some automated testing routines, but there are tools to help you
learn any of the languages. I have 2 programmers that do the more
complex programming for me (I'm mostly a hardware guy these days).

Hope this helps.

Ken in AZ

On 6/22/06, Thomas O. Mehrkam <tomehrkam at houston.rr.com> wrote:
> Sounds correct to me. We use the Microchip parts in many places in our
> systems. If you have limited programming capabilities then go with the
> Basic Stamp to start. The basic stamp is a actually a Microchip part
> with the basic program installed in the chip. At least that is what it
> use to be.
>
> Unless you have a local electronics store that sells these things
> Digikey is the best place to purchase this stuff.
>
> Al Walker wrote:
> > Hi Cecil,
> > As Ken mentioned, the Rabbit series is good.  Microchip has some pretty
> > good kits, but, so far, I have been using the Parallax Basic Stamp Board
> > of Education.  Arguably less complex than some but the books explain
> > each step pretty well.  The microcontrollers themselves are more
> > expensive that Microchip but most excellant for experimenting, proof of
> > concept,  and prototyping.  If you are going to do mass production, you
> > would want the low priced chips  from Microchip and others.  Parallax
> > uses a programming language called P-Basic, a version of Basic.
> > Microchip and others commonly use a language called C or C++.  If you
> > want to get down to each nit-picking detail, many elect to use assembly
> > language, which, I believe, is one step above machine code, or 1's and
> > 0's. All of these products and more are available from www.digikey.com .
> > You EE's please correct me where I'm wrong or off base.
> > Thanks,
> > Al in NW MN
> >
> >
> > Cecil Bearden wrote:
> >
> >> Al:
> >> I would also love to learn to program those microcontrollers.  I keep
> >> heaing that a 6 year old can program them, but I can never get just
> >> the information I need to buy a kit for programming them.  I am making
> >> some gate openers that would work great for micro control, instead of
> >> so many wires and switches....
> >>
> >> Here we go again with the complication.....
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>
> >>> Since I currently work in electonics distribution, I have found this
> >>> thread most interesting. I have been taking classes to learn how to
> >>> program those microcontrollers so that somewhere down the road, when
> >>> very few others know how to fix their "old" electronic tractors and
> >>> haulers, maybe I will be able to do so. Or maybe rig up some fancy
> >>> shcmancy LED light strings to hang on one of my tractors for
> >>> Christmas. Carry on, EE's. I can certainly learn from your knowledge.
> >>>
> >>> Al in NW MN
> >>
> >>
> > <snip>
> > _______________________________________________
> > AT mailing list
> > Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
> > http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>