Author Topic: Affordable Microcontrollers (Read 4649 times)

Jazonxyz · « **on:** June 28, 2007, 12:21:35 PM »

I was wondering if there are any affordable microcontrollers with all the simple functions like reading input and sending electrical pulses.
If there are, please provide me with the information. All I have right now is the BASIC stamp but it costs 50 bucks a piece, a bit too expensive.

Del · « **Reply #1 on:** June 28, 2007, 12:42:07 PM »

You might be interested in the PICAxe microcontrollers:

http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?cPath=51_124

Steve Joblin · « **Reply #2 on:** June 28, 2007, 12:51:00 PM »

I've been a big fan of Parallax Basic Stamps, but yes, the price does get to you a bit after you start buying a few of them...

Two thoughts... I actually built my own BS2 (I purchased a BASIC Stamp 2 Interpreter Chip (DIP) for $11, a 2048-byte EEPROM (Stamp 2-DIP) for $5 and a resonator for $2.48... that is only $18.48. You of course need the Serial Interface circuit portion, but $20 is not a bad deal for a Stamp II.

The other thought is to purchase PICAXE chips. they are very similar to Parallax Stamps, offer a free programming editor, but way less expensive... a PICAXE-08 is only $3. You can find out more about picaxe at (yes, you guessed it!) www.picaxe.com Sparkfun is now selling them.

ed1380 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 28, 2007, 01:06:52 PM »

arduino, butterfly, those are development boards, so they have pretty much everything.

megaman935 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 28, 2007, 03:04:37 PM »

I recommend the Arduino Usb Board from Sparkfun Electronics. $34.99 but no need for a programmer. The dimensions are: 2.7"x2.1" and it is 0.5" tall.

Hal9000 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 28, 2007, 03:51:00 PM »

PICaxe is as simple as it gets.

megaman935 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 28, 2007, 04:35:22 PM »

Yes but Arduino has an awesome website and it does almost
Everything.

Admin · « **Reply #7 on:** July 12, 2007, 07:26:32 AM »

Check out these:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_parts_list_microcontrollers.shtml

Brandon121233 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 12, 2007, 10:21:28 AM »

I second (or third I can never be sure) the Arduino as a good choice.

KambeiX · « **Reply #9 on:** July 12, 2007, 11:42:12 AM »

at89s52 is very inexpensive and it has many I/O but it doesn´t have advanced features like analog inputs or PWM outputs.

It has many comercial and free software available.

$2 at digikey

You also have many atmel and PICs for about the same price with advanced features but less I/O

Hal9000 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 25, 2007, 06:55:08 AM »

Quote from: KambeiX on July 12, 2007, 11:42:12 AM

at89s52 is very inexpensive and it has many I/O but it doesn´t have advanced features like analog inputs or PWM outputs.

It has many comercial and free software available.

$2 at digikey

You also have many atmel and PICs for about the same price with advanced features but less I/O

isnt at89s52 from atmel?

extreme.aly · « **Reply #11 on:** July 31, 2007, 01:07:42 PM »

hello guyz, i'm new to hardware elecctronic... i want to ask that do we need different hardware to burn the code to a microcontroller.. if yes, even if no, tell me how can i burn a code to PICAXE-14M microcontroller.. and is this a good microcontroller?

thanks

Admin · « **Reply #12 on:** August 01, 2007, 05:36:32 AM »

extreme.aly (and everyone)

I choose my microcontroller not by 'how good is it' but by what features I need and programmability.

For example, if I want 8 sensors and 22 servos on my robot, this really narrows down my choice of microcontrollers . . .

Sometimes you might want ultra speed, or ultra cheap, or ultra small.

I recommend reading up on the features of the microcontrollers, and deciding what you need on your robot, before buying a microcontroller

As for programmability . . . some microcontrollers require expensive compilation software or programming hardware that I tend to avoid . . .

And then there is the amount of source code and support community size out there to consider, too.

Hal9000 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 01, 2007, 05:45:33 AM »

as an addition to this..........

when you are buying a programmer you need (in some cases) to consider how expandable it is.

Will it do many chips or not-so-many different types of chip etc etc.

extreme.aly · « **Reply #14 on:** August 01, 2007, 06:10:17 AM »

so a atmega8 microchip includes what features.. and how do we know that how many i/o are there? sorry, iknow that this is a very stupid question but i'm just 1 week old in this work...

dunk · « **Reply #15 on:** August 01, 2007, 07:01:56 AM »

http://www.google.com/search?q=atmega8
showed me
http://www.avrfreaks.net/index.php?module=Freaks%20Devices&func=displayDev&objectid=52
and
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?part_id=2004
with in the first 3 links.

dunk.

fritsl · « **Reply #16 on:** March 12, 2008, 10:02:21 AM »

"affordable microcontrollers with all the simple functions like reading input and sending electrical pulse"?

Well, you can get a complete board with microcontroller and free programmer for 20 USD! All you need is a cable to download data from your PC, and you are go. This is the most light weight Picaxe, but it has access to an extremely vast language-library, and you can build robots with it: http://letsmakerobots.com/node/87

Arduino vs Picaxe:
http://letsmakerobots.com/node/80

- Most of the projects on this site is pure Picaxe: http://letsmakerobots.com/

I think that because Picaxe is not having a large community (not Open Source) and does not have a large sales organisation (They are made dirt cheap for education) - they are not that well known.

I cannot understand how they can sell things like the basicStamp etc, it does not even come close to compare with Picaxe in value for money!

paulstreats · « **Reply #17 on:** March 13, 2008, 10:51:13 AM »

The basic stamp is one of the most successful augmentd microcontrollers around in terms of sales. It comes with its own prograaming language and i think it can be programmed without any extra hardware other than a cable.

The picaxe is just a mcu chip unaugmented(augmented ones can cost even more than a basic stamp) and they need you to buy programming hardware etc to use them

Steve Joblin · « **Reply #18 on:** March 13, 2008, 11:20:06 AM »

Quote from: paulstreats on March 13, 2008, 10:51:13 AM

The picaxe is just a mcu chip unaugmented(augmented ones can cost even more than a basic stamp) and they need you to buy programming hardware etc to use them

This is NOT correct... the PICAXE is fully self contained... the only extras are a 10k and a 22k resistor. the IDE (the software you use to write and download your programs is free).

paulstreats · « **Reply #19 on:** March 13, 2008, 04:21:20 PM »

The picaxe IS just an mcu. Its actually a pic16 mcu that has been preloaded with a bootloader (if it wasnt for this you would need a regular pic programmer). Even so with the bootlader, you will still need some type of hardware to program it since its not reasonably possible to connect a cable to one of these http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/picaxe/ which are the cheap $2 - $4 etc.. picaxes. An augmented picaxe development system similar to a stamp will cost around $30 - $40

fritsl · « **Reply #20 on:** March 15, 2008, 01:20:43 AM »

Paulstreats: you are really on a strange off-beat here, it's more like you are into winning a religion than on the facts or something, I am sorry.

This was the question: "I was wondering if there are any affordable microcontrollers with all the simple functions like reading input and sending electrical pulses."

It is $20 for a complete board including a motor-controller.

http://194.201.138.187/epages/Store.storefront/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Store.TechSupplies/Products/AXE023

And the programming editor is free.

First time you have to buy a serial-to jack cable, which is $6 - and that is all there is to it.

With this setup you even do not have to solder to make a robot; you can just screw on the motor to the nice clips on the board.

Do you not think that answers the question? Or would you rather see your favorite system "win some batle", argue weather it is a MCU etc? That was not the question in this thread.

News:

Author Topic: Affordable Microcontrollers (Read 4649 times)

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