[AccessD] OT: Is anyone into controllers?

Jim Dettman jimdettman at verizon.net
Mon Sep 25 13:18:02 CDT 2006


John,

<<I am just tired of Access / SQL Server / Databases.  I do it, I make good
money at it, but I want to be able to do something else in my spare time.>>

  Ditto that.  I've been hunting for the "next best thing" for a while now.
Been at Access since version 1 and business apps for 22 years.  It's getting
old<g>.  At 46, I am the point where if I don't do something soon, I'm going
to have a hard time making a switch.

  Was thinking about teaching, but I'd have to go back for my masters.  But
right now, I've got four kids that are either going through college or will
be in the next few years.  The bill is already starting to add up enough<g>.

Jim.

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of JWColby
Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 1:26 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Is anyone into controllers?

>I've done some PLC work with the TI series for some factory floor
automation, but that was years ago.  Haven't done any embedded stuff like
your talking about.

You should see what the controllers can do now.  And CHEAP!!! At least for
the part itself.  The programming / debugging hardware are fairly cheap too,
anywhere from $40 up to $250 or so depending on what you want.  The software
can be free - the dev environment I am using is completely free - or up to
$200 or so for a Basic or C compiler.

I bought a handful of parts for under $40, a programmer / "ICE" for about 50
that handles all of the parts that ATMEL sells, and the free software.  All
told, under $100 to get back in and start playing.  Yea, I still really need
to go buy a prototype board ($20-$30) and a couple of cabinets of resisters
/ caps / transistors ($50-$100) but you can play without that stuff.  Atmel
sells what they call the Butterfly which is a demo board 

http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools_card.asp?tool_id=3146

It is a fully functional board that actually works as it is, but can then be
hooked up to a programmer and used as a prototyping board.  $20!!!  This is
a pretty cheap hobby all things considered.  

>Wish I had time to do stuff like that again.  But time is very short these
paste few years.  Been working 10-12 hour days, weekends, etc and still
can't keep up.

LOL, yea, I know about that.  I just loved doing it and want to get back in.
I started in electronics back in the 70s when you actually needed an o'scope
and soldering iron to fix a computer.  Now you throw away an entire
motherboard because the skills to troubleshoot it and time required don't
make sense any more.  

I can read schematics though, I even designed circuit boards back in the mid
80s for simple component testing stuff (using OrCad).  Since the uC now does
most of the work, the circuits are much simpler, and the software is where
all the action is.  

With modern technology, you can design a schematic, route it, create Gerber
/ drill files, send the files to a board fab house and get back a finished
PC ready to stuff.  Other than your time to do all that stuff, the cost is
quite low.  A few hundred for the CAD software for the board design, a few
hundred for the uC programming hardware / software / ICE.  The PC boards can
be as low as a few dollars if they are simple and you order a bunch in one
board.  A hundred or two can buy a bunch of simple printed circuit cards.
Want to design a product to sell on your web site / eBay?  $1000 and you are
in business.  Amazing when you think about it.

Of course I haven't done that stuff for almost 20 years.  But why not?
Something to do in my copious spare time.

I am just tired of Access / SQL Server / Databases.  I do it, I make good
money at it, but I want to be able to do something else in my spare time.

Controllers are fun.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jim Dettman
Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 12:39 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Is anyone into controllers?

John,

  I've done some PLC work with the TI series for some factory floor
automation, but that was years ago.  Haven't done any embedded stuff like
your talking about.

  Was a lot of fun though!  

  Wish I had time to do stuff like that again.  But time is very short these
paste few years.  Been working 10-12 hour days, weekends, etc and still
can't keep up.

Jim. 

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of JWColby
Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 1:09 AM
To: Tech - Database Advisors Inc.; 'Access Developers discussion and problem
solving'
Subject: [AccessD] 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> 
AVR+&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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