Guru
Joined: 08/06/2022
Location: AustriaPosts: 523
| Posted: 01:39pm 14 May 2026 |
ebbandflow,
I wouldn't see it so negativ:
IMHO the MMBasic manual very clearly states which hardware is supported, like LCD controllers, camera types, RTC chips, Audio controllers, USB etc. Basically the available hardware IS more or less standard with occasional exceptions for very "creative" boards like the one in this thread. Even if you don't use MMBAsic it is good practice to avoid non-standard hardware. Even if drivers for e.g. Arduino or Python are provided, there are not always updates later on, so with the next major revision of whatever software you use, it may be outdated then.
So staying with standard hardware lowers the entry bar to just correct wiring ... almost, most the time at least.
I had only a problem only once with a LCD controller, but that special one was and is not supported, so my bad. And I've also purchased and used many boards and sensors from different suppliers with no issues. Sometimes you have to program around some specific "features" a little bit. Like an LCD display where the one axis has an offset of 35 ... but I wanted exactly this module and it works.
And yes, the MMBasic community is too small to be of interest for a manufacturer to create specific boards. But there are designs in this forum especially made for MMBasic and the supported hardware, with all you need like gerbers, BOM, etc ready for ordering from a manufacturer.