I bought a Pic Proto board (but you can go to Radio Shack and buy a PCB board for $1.19) and put a socket for a 16F84, crystal, caps, regulator and reset button and Presto! you almost have a Basic Stamp :) A suggestion is to get some index cards and write down basic routines. For example, to make a pin high/low, to check if one file is greater/less/equal than another file. You can make macros that can duplicate Basic Stamp instructions. But I do use the BasicStampII in some of my development work. For example, I used a 12CE674-04/JW which is a windowed part. MPLAB simulation does not cover the 8-bit A/D register (ADRES). So I used a BSII, an external 8-bit A/D, and constructed a BSII-A/D harness terminated with an 8-pin header to fit into my project. I wrote the code in PBASIC and used BSII's most valuable feature: the DEBUG Terminal. I could display the A/D register, pin I/0, on the monitor, to prove out both my circuits hardware and the Program Algorithm. With the BSII, I discovered a harware issue using the DEBUG terminal. The BSII language and DEBUG is faster to develop than PIC, albeit more limited. You can change code and reload in just a few seconds. I then just bounced the PBASIC code routine by routine into PIC assembly. I just agree with Mike that PIC is not so hard to learn, plus it offers a lot more features like A/D, more memory for program and data. You can always add a DTMF chip if you like. The thing I hate most about PIC is Bank switching. But at $3-4 dollars per chip versus $34.00, I will deal with the Bank switching. Expecially if you keep the suggested Cheat Sheet nearby... Mike M wrote: > > actually as much as im against the basic stamp and the whole mark up your prod uct 95% coorporate world...i would have to say the answer is YES. their languag e is real simple, the entire device is a nice small size with basically all onbo ard hardware. However i just rather take my time and learn the PIC instruction set (which isnt that hard to get goin) and prog chips at around $4.00 a peice in stead of a $70 stamp (or however much they are) > > mIkE > > On Sat, 6 Nov 1999 17:39:13 -0800 Darren King wrote : > >So would basic stamps be more useful to people who don't know how to program > >in the assembly or are the just more convient cause they have the on board > >power regulator and what not? what is STI-64. Some roll you own PIC Code? > > > >Darren King > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: John Mullan > >To: > >Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 7:47 PM > >Subject: Re: BASIC STAMPS? > > > > > >> Well Don this sounds promising. I may get around to trying it. However, > >> at the moment I have a 4 dozen 16C84 chips that I would like to put to > >good > >> use and was hoping for source that works in it (utilizing the serial > >EEPROM > >> of course). > >> > >> I'll keep my eyes open for the updated STI-64 though. > >> > >> Reguards, > >> > >> John Mullan > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Don McKenzie [SMTP:don@DONTRONICS.COM] > >> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 10:09 PM > >> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU > >> Subject: Re: BASIC STAMPS? > >> > >> John Mullan wrote: > >> > > >> > I like the idea of rolling my own "basic stamp". I've been meaning to > >> give > >> > STI-64 a try. But I would like to see it use external SEEPROM. > >> > > >> > Has anyone modified the code to do this yet?? > >> > >> It will be done some time in the future along with a few other > >> enhancements, however in the meantime perhaps you would like to look at: > >> http://www.dontronics.com/tiny51.html > >> as an alternative. > >> > >> Again this is a future product, but this one I would imagine will be > >> available Jan-00 or before. Should that be "2000". I guess I better > >> start using four digits before my keyboard falls out of the sky, or I > >> fall off my rocking chair. :-) > >> > >> Don McKenzie mailto:don@dontronics.com http://www.dontronics.com > >> > >> Don's Download Dungeon: http://www.dontronics.com/download.html > >> World's Largest Range of Atmel and PICmicro Hardware and Software > >> > > > > Send someone a cool Dynamitemail flashcard greeting!! And get rewarded. > GO AHEAD! http://cards.dynamitemail.com/index.php3?rid=fc-41 -- Jason ======================================== Website: http://www.execpc.com/~milsumai E-Mail: milsumai@execpc.com ICQ # : 12978762 ======================================== .:::. ,,, _(- -)_ / ( ) \ \_/ : \_/ |_/ \_| | | | -TRY PRAYER-