[dba-Tech] OT: Is anyone into controllers?

MartyConnelly martyconnelly at shaw.ca
Mon Sep 25 11:49:37 CDT 2006


Here is another starter method to do it with VB.Net, However it makes use
of  PBASIC (Parallax Basic) language for the controller.
    
Turn Your PC Into a Motion Sensing Security Device with .NET
http://www.devx.com/dotnet/Article/32278

I got into controllers by mistake once, writing code in PL/M
for remote weather stations for DOT in Canada, It was used
with Intel 8036 8K chips. Somebody  misread my resume
and assumed PL/M  was a subset of IBM PL1. Luckily
I had some assembler experience.

Lembit Soobik wrote:

>YES, yes, here!
>
>I have been working since a few weeks on this and finished a program which 
>reads from my EIB bus and displays the results on a 2 x 16 LCD. Things like 
>Window in basement is open or such.
>It was pretty easy to get started.
>I am using assembly language and am surprised how easy it was.
>I have still a lot of plans with this and things that I have not found a 
>good answer for, like communication with a PC,...
>
>I am using Microchip. I have got the ICD2 (debugger) and PICDEM 2 PLUS demo 
>board, which I am using for programming.
>I have buildt the circuit hardware with one of these universal boards. have 
>not yet made a pc-board.
>
>Right now I am building an Access db, which reads the .asm file and modifies 
>it to insert customized message-texts.
>
>Microchip has forums and also a 7/24 support group (free).
>
>I am interested in participating in your forum.
>
>Lembit
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "JWColby" <jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com>
>To: "Tech - Database Advisors Inc." <Dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com>; 
>"'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'" 
><accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
>Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 7:08 AM
>Subject: [dba-Tech] OT: Is anyone into controllers?
>
>
>  
>
>>Well, I did it; I ordered most of the stuff required to build a controller
>>project.
>>
>>Back in 1997 or so, while I was living in Puebla Mexico, I was tasked with
>>building a controller based phone debit card vending machine.  I designed 
>>it
>>from the ground up, specing the micro-controller (a zworld z8xxx based 
>>SBC),
>>using a bill acceptor and a custom built vending hopper to vend the debit
>>cards.  The micro was a ready built board with a ton of i/o pins, rs488,
>>rs232 etc.  It cost $180 qty 1.  The language was a custom 'C' dialect
>>written for ZWorld for use on their boards.  In the end, 250 of the 
>>machines
>>were produced, about 100 actually went into use around Puebla and in the
>>subway in Mexico DF.  Eventually the company went under, I found AccessD
>>(1997) and I have been in this world ever since.
>>
>>It was the most fun I have ever had on a job, and I have been itching to 
>>get
>>back in to controllers ever since.
>>
>>This time around I did the research and selected the Atmel family,
>>specifically the AVR line
>>
>>http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/devices.asp?family_id=607
>>
>>These are extremely cheap, extremely powerful u-controllers.  I purchased 
>>a
>>handful of them as well as a programmer / debugger board and a demo board
>>
>>http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools_card.asp?family_id=607
>><http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools_card.asp?family_id=607&family_name=
>>AVR+8%2DBit+RISC+&tool_id=3146> 
>>&family_name=AVR+8%2DBit+RISC+&tool_id=3146
>>
>>which can be (re) programmed.
>>
>>I briefly considered the PIC family of controllers but they are pretty
>>archaic and once I discovered the AVR I was sold.
>>
>>Life is cool again.  Of course it is a learning curve reminiscent of .Net.
>>I have been out of the controller world for many years and have to learn
>>everything from scratch, the chips, the IDE, the 'C' compiler, the
>>programmer / debugger.  The tools so far are sooooo cool.  There is a free
>>IDE, assembler, 'C' language etc.  The emulator actually allows you to 
>>watch
>>the program run (I have written my first assembler program, though I don't
>>have hardware yet), watch the registers, I/O pins etc, do all of the 
>>things
>>you need to do to program - breakpoints, watchpoints etc.  Of course I
>>haven't written 'C' code since 1997...
>>
>>Controllers are a gas though, and once mastered allow you to do so many 
>>cool
>>things with very simple circuits and some code.  In this case I am looking
>>to build a PWM motor controller for my son's ride-on Gator.  From there, 
>>the
>>moon.  As my son gets older perhaps we can do some robotics stuff 
>>together.
>>
>>So is anyone out there doing anything with controllers, want to chat about
>>it?  Anyone want to get into it?  It is really neat stuff and these chips
>>are cheap and immensely powerful.  How about 40 pins, 16 MIPS, 32K 
>>program,
>>eerom, ram etc for $13 for the controller?  Or 8 pins, 2K program, eerom,
>>ram, etc for $2.  A breadboard, some resistors / LEDs (or even LCDs)  and
>>you are off and running.
>>
>>Want to build a sun tracker for your solar array?  A robot that will 
>>follow
>>a line on the floor?  An alarm system for your house?  A battle bot?
>>
>>Should be fun.  I have a forum on my web site we can use if anyone wants 
>>to
>>join the fun.
>>
>>John W. Colby
>>Colby Consulting
>>www.ColbyConsulting.com
>>
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>>
>>    
>>
>
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-- 
Marty Connelly
Victoria, B.C.
Canada




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