Guru
Joined: 09/06/2011
Location: AustraliaPosts: 1314
| Posted: 08:33am 09 Jun 2011 |
G'day Brian, thanks.
Newbies used to ask me "what is the best way of getting into micros?"
And depending on the current situation, and cost of compilers, I would usually directed them towards PICs or AVRs and up until recently, I was able to supply them with a full kit that included a range of my SimmStick gear, then sell them a Basic or C compiler on top of that.
However, SimmStick is now old hat, and I am selling bare boards for $1 to $2 each, just to get rid of them. Mind you, most are based on Serial and Parallel interfacing, and today the world is USB.
SimmStick Reference See:
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/simmstick-fifteen-years-on.ht ml
Yes, you could interface SimmStick Relays, LEDs and switch boards, etc., to the 20 pin bus with a little bit of work. Certainly cheap.
Last time someone asked me about getting into micros, I had to say, "Buy a Maximite".
And I didn't have anything to sell him.
It is the quickest, and cheapest way of getting started today. You don't even need to buy a Basic Compiler. An old VGA screen, who hasn't got one of those, or can get one free or cheap, and a PS2 keyboard. I'll bet you can get one posted from honkers for $10 including post, if you don't have one.
Sure I will have something soon I hope, and I will help to develop I/O boards for Maximite.
To be very honest, I see an $8 micro being used in place of what a $4 to $12 micros were doing in the past. There will always be room for a 20 cent to $2 micro for mini applications, and ARM for specific larger apps.
Geoff's Maximite Computer will be filling a lot of gaps, and new developments will junk a lot of 8 and 16 bit micros.
His new mini Maximite that Geoff will be working on in a few months time, will be a very good companion for the larger version.
Anyway, just my opinion.
Cheers Don...
https://www.dontronics.com