seeedstudio is offering USD 19 boards..... John --- On Thu, 3/25/10, PICdude wrote: > From: PICdude > Subject: Re: [EE] Arduino > To: piclist@MIT.EDU > Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 6:45 PM > Well I'm glad you asked at this time, > because I've pretty much decided=A0 = > to pick up a couple of these for a specific purpose.=A0 > I agree with=A0 = > Mike here -- though I haven't yet actually use one, I've > been=A0 = > researching and I can't see myself using this for any > commercial=A0 = > product with any volume higher than a couple pieces, but it > seems to=A0 = > be a good teaching aid. > = > I have 4 high-schools interning with me, and we're > engineering,=A0 = > designing, and building "robotics-type" projects -- ie: > projects that=A0 = > involve some mix of mechanical, electrical, and software > aspects.=A0=A0=A0 > After some research, this seems like a nice simplish way to > get their=A0 = > feet wet with embedded control systems.=A0 The price is > low, the size is=A0 = > small (important for some of the projects we have planned), > the=A0 = > development language seems to be simple enough, and there > are a number=A0 = > of example projects that they can learn from. > = > Cheers, > -Neil. > = > = > = > = > Quoting Mike Harrison : > = > > On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:23:08 -0400, you wrote: > > > >> 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. > > > > The way I see it, it's a way to get people into > building embedded=A0=A0=A0 > > things quickly and easily - that > > has to be a good thing as some will be encouraged to > explore further. > > It is also a valuable tool for teaching, and is used > by many courses=A0 = > >=A0 where electronics & computing > > is not the core sublject - design/art type stuff. > > It is also a handy tool for quickly implementing 1-off > embedded control jobs. > > > > Personally I hate the 'sketch' term or anything that > calls a program=A0 = > >=A0 something 'less scary' (patch > > being another popular one) and never miss an > opportunity to taunt an=A0 = > >=A0 Arduinist about not using > > 'real' embedded hardware.... > > > > In the same way that software packages to make PC > programming less=A0=A0=A0 > > 'scary'=A0 have become popular > > (vvvv, max/msp, openframeworks,Processing=A0 etc., > etc.), The Arduino=A0=A0=A0 > > software is doing the same for > > hardware. > > > > These days there really is little need for=A0 > someone with a hobbyist=A0=A0=A0 > > or non-production need/desire to > > create sn embedded controller to get into low-level > programming to=A0=A0=A0 > > achieve some pretty impressive > > stuff. > > > > Of course someone has done a PIC based Arduino which > is completely=A0=A0=A0 > > missing the point - it's not > > about the hardware. > > > > My biggest criticism of the Arduino hardware is not > having put the=A0=A0=A0 > > headers on a 0.1" pitch > >=A0=A0=A0. > > > > -- > > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > > View/change your membership options at > > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > > > = > = > = > = > -- = > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > = = -- = http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist