My answers are below. --- On Thu, 3/25/10, M.L. wrote: > From: M.L. > Subject: [EE] Arduino > To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." > Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 3:53 AM > The "Arduino" has been around for a > while now. For those who don't > know, the Arduino is an Atmel microcontroller on a board > with an FTDI > USB->RS232 chip and preloaded bootloader. The system > also includes > (but is not limited to) host software with which people > write very > high-level code called sketches (AKA firmware to the > engineers in the > room.) > > What function do you see the Arduino serving? It basically > seems like > it could be a learning tool and/or a simple means to an > end. There is > quite an active group of people using Arduinos here around > Boston. > > There seem to be a few conflicting feelings I get from the > Arduino: > > 1. I don't know if people are actually learning anything. > You seem to > get enthusiasts who know a LOT about the Arduino as a unit, > who don't > care that an Arduino is a microcontroller on a board that > runs machine > code from flash memory. > Yes..... > 2. But: It seems like a lot of people who wouldn't have the > background > to get into electronics for whatever reason are able to do > really cool > things using the Arduino. > Yes... But thanks for plugins.... > 3. However: I wonder if the Make culture steals enthusiasm > from > hobbyists who might have become e.g. readers of Circuit > Cellar, Nuts > and Volts, CQ, thus replacing their > resistors-and-transistors > knowledge with "sparkfun sells a board for that" > mentality. > Yeah. But that is another route. Expensive that is. Personal note. Arduino are cheap. Real cheap for development boards. BUT I only use it for a development board. Haven't used the Arduino IDE but the standard WINAVR IDE. So yeah. It has some good points to it. John -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist