Picaxe 75% Off Sale at Robot Mesh

erco

Senior Member
Picaxe and more is 75% off at Robot Mesh, going out of business. I just racked up $400 of impulse purchases, and stuff is selling fast!

Picaxe: https://store.robotmesh.com/microcontrollers/picaxe Several kits under $10 include the programming cable!

More worth a look, sensors, motors, servos : https://store.robotmesh.com/microcontrollers

Don't wait, their GOoB email just came out! It's a US-based store, so it's best for us Yanks but maybe still worth UK shipping if you buy enough at this discount.

Edit: US peeps: discount code 'freeship' gets you free US shipping on orders over $150
 
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wapo54001

Senior Member
Picaxe and more is 75% off at Robot Mesh, going out of business. I just racked up $400 of impulse purchases, and stuff is selling fast!
Picaxe: https://store.robotmesh.com/microcontrollers/picaxe Several kits under $10 include the programming cable!
More worth a look, sensors, motors, servos : https://store.robotmesh.com/microcontrollers
Don't wait, their GOoB email just came out! It's a US-based store, so it's best for us Yanks but maybe still worth UK shipping if you buy enough at this discount.
And . . . there is nothing Picaxe left to buy there, all sold out. :(

Out of curiosity -- and because I have about forty Picaxe-based LDR volume control and preamp control boards that I've been thinking of finally populating with the needed 28X2, 20X2 and 08M2 chips and passing around to fellow enthusiasts -- I went to some other vendors:

Sparkfun --only chip available is the 08M2, all other Picaxe chips are "retired."
PHAnderson doesn't sell Picaxe anymore.
Robotshop USA sells only two Picaxe chips, one currently unavailable.

It appears that Picaxe in the USA is fading away; maybe time simply to recycle my boards with their passive components.
 

erco

Senior Member
A few chips and projects remain, but they did sell out of many things quickly. At least that indicates interest in Picaxe!

I got this email at 2 pm Friday, so they moved a lot of merch in under 24 hours:

Hello Robot Mesh customer!

We are closing our doors after eight years of business. Accordingly, we are having a clearance sale of all our remaining inventory. All VEX IQ, VEX EDR and Seeedstudio products 75% off. For this final clearance sale, VEX products can be shipped anywhere in the US. Free ground shipping on orders over $150.

If you have an open backorder for an out of stock item, it will be shipped to you directly from VEX Robotics when it comes back into stock.
 

inglewoodpete

Senior Member
The PICAXE 08M experimenter kit is a great starter pack for beginners (kids included). It's how I started out with PICAXE back in 2005. I've since replaced the 08M chip with an 08M2. Originally called the AXE092 "PICAXE Schools Experimenter".

It is a very useful starter because the board has 3 x LEDs, LDR, Sounder/speaker and a pushbutton switch built in. It also has provision for header strips with isolating switches for the on-board peripherals, allowing the kit to easily connect to further circuitry, including a servo.

The attached is how I built it as a "PICAXE in a box" - just add a programming cable:).

AXE092-1.jpg
 

erco

Senior Member
Good info, IWP, glad I ordered a 5-pack. Just as you said, it looks to be a great entry point to Picaxe, even with an 08M. Specs say 80 lines of code, is that ~256 bytes of memory? Plenty for beginners.

I started out with BASIC Stamps, and I have wished Rev-Ed made a PCB with an attached breadboard, similar to Parallax's Homework Board and Board of Education. I have taught using those before, a great way to teach hardware & software.

hwb.png
 

inglewoodpete

Senior Member
Good info, IWP, glad I ordered a 5-pack. Just as you said, it looks to be a great entry point to Picaxe, even with an 08M. Specs say 80 lines of code, is that ~256 bytes of memory? Plenty for beginners.
The 08M is a very capable chip for small-to-medium tasks. Just limited by it inability to use its flash to store PICAXE code. The entire EEPROM can be used for code (built up from the EEPROM's base address) or shared between code (bottom up) and permanent data storage (typical EEPROM usage, top down).
 

papaof2

Senior Member
The nice thing about the PICAXE series is the scalability. The temperature-controlled fan in the A/V equipment uses 69 of 256 bytes in an 08M and has been reading a DS18B20 and switching a transistor to run a 40mm fan as needed since Sept 2006. I've replaced the fan twice when it became noisy (they do have limited life ;-) but the PICAXE continues to labor away.
If I needed to build an MPPT solar charge controller, the code and board layouts are on the forum - just needs a chip with a little more horsepower.
 

julianE

Senior Member
Thanks Erco for "saving" me so much money. The way you can tell a difference between rich and poor is the rich have empty homes while poor have homes filled to the brim, because, you know, they can't pass up a bargain. I could not pass up the bargains at the robot mesh, should be getting a box full of goodies tomorrow. In all candor, thanks very much for alerting us to bargains and interesting products.
 

erco

Senior Member
At 75% off, you're saving $3 for every dollar you spend! :)

HTH, glad you found some stuff you "need". Since I still teach on the side, I bought some of the 5-packs dirt cheap for $6-7. Even though they come with the older 08 chip, IMHO still quite useful for educating first-timers.

It's funny though, my most popular class with the parent+child set is building these simple line-followers from Ebay or Aliexpress. Not programmable but kids walk away with a working "robot", and it's a great gateway to come back for a microcontroller class.

 
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papaof2

Senior Member
An item that "does something" almost always generates more interest.

"If it can do that, can it do <whatever>?"

"Would you like to learn how to make it do <whatever>?"

And we have another convert ;-)
 

erco

Senior Member
Line followers also steal the show at the Maker Faires I have done. The constant motion and the simplicity of the PCB chassis and its 20 components in plain view captivate people.

 

julianE

Senior Member
My box of goodies came in from robotshop, christmas in august. erco did us well, true bargains,.
Hopefully one of you bought this RGB LED seems very simple. 5v, gnd, signal pin and twiddle the pots on the back to change color and i can't get it to light. i tried both grounding the signal and high, nothing.
 

Jack Burns

New Member
I don’t have one, however the following datasheet looks like it’s as simple as connecting power, signal and twiddling the pots which you have already tried.

https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/744/Seeed_104020001-786585.pdf

The Grove - Variable Color LED is an RGB LED that can be controlled by both digital and PWM signal, there are three changable resistors on board, with which you can change the color simply and quickly.

Source:
https://www.seeedstudio.com/Grove-Variable-Color-LED-V1-1.html

I did note the pots can be easily damaged if turned too far, so probably worth taking a close look at them for damage. Better still test them with a multimeter to make sure the pots are working.
 

julianE

Senior Member
I did note the pots can be easily damaged if turned too far, so probably worth taking a close look at them for damage. Better still test them with a multimeter to make sure the pots are working.
Thanks for the mouser datasheet link. Worse case I'll just de solder the LED and use it standalone.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
I don’t have one, however the following datasheet looks like it’s as simple as connecting power, signal and twiddling the pots which you have already tried.
It can be hard to find schematics of Grove modules. As best I can tell it's something like below -
Code:
    .-.  .---------------------.
SIG |O|--'  ............       |
N/C |O|     :  .--|<|--:--===--{
VCC |O|     :  }--|<|--:--===--{
GND |O|-----:--^--|<|--:--===--'
    `-'     :..........:
              RGB LED   3 x POT
So probably 'on when SIG is high', which gives digital control, and of course that could be PWM to vary brightness. What colour 'on' is gets determined by the RGB pots.

The photos of the v1.1 PCB shows a Q1, which looks like a transistor or FET, and a slightly more complicated U1, perhaps current-limiting or constant current chip.

I would guess the full circuit is more like -
Code:
              __
    .-.  .---|__|--------------------.
SIG |O|--|--.     ............       |
N/C |O|  |  |     :  .--|<|--:--===--{
VCC |O|--' _|_    :  }--|<|--:--===--{
GND |O|---|___|---:--^--|<|--:--===--'
    `-'           :..........:
           Q1       RGB LED   3 x POT
So to make it work, I would expect you need connections to VCC and GND, then pull SIG to VCC or GND, and adjust the RGB pots to get some light and colour out of it.

First thing I would do is undertake a continuity check to see what connects to what.
 

erco

Senior Member
I did not get one of these. Per RobotMesh: The color can be set by the three potentiometers on the back. The color cannot be set by the microcontroller.

So per others, it's about sleuthing down what signal is required to turn all LEDs on via transistor or mosfet, then twiddle 3 pots to adjust color. Hope you get it sorted out quickly. If you can see the part number on the transistor that would help.
 

julianE

Senior Member
thanks gents for all the effort to help. everything but the LED is SMD, tiny transistor and an odd U1. i can't read what the transistor is, next to impossible to do continuity checks everything is very close. i'll work on it some more. I tested the LED directly, it's a common anode LED I got individual colors to light up with a resistor and a 5V supply. i have 4 of these leds i might unsolder one. Tomorrow I am going through my box of goodies and testing the parts I must have over 30 picaxe chips should be set for a very long time.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Logically, that it works as part of a Grove system, GND and VCC are well defined, which only leaves SIG which is described as digital / PWM, so should be pretty easy to get working.

The only thing I can think of is the fourth pin isn't N/C but some other kind of enable. It may have high-side and low-side switches with a separate enable for each and both must be enabled to make it work.
 

julianE

Senior Member
I found a schematic for the earlier version of the LED circuit.
25484

the transistor is a SI2305 a p channel mosfet. i'll post the link to the eagle cad files when i find them again.
 

julianE

Senior Member
I have it working but doubt it's proper, found the gate by measuring out the R7 resistor, one end is VCC and the other gate. If i ground the Gate the LED lights. I'll have to kludge a connection to it. I have no idea what the U1 does but that's for another time.
 

erco

Senior Member
Just a few Picaxe kits remain: https://store.robotmesh.com/microcontrollers/picaxe

5-packs of kits: Dice, Alarm, Safety light
Various project boards & protoboards

All Picaxe chips have sold, IIRC the last to go were 18M2s, both DIP and SMT

But still lots of other misc electronics if you surf around a bit. I placed another order for non-Picaxe stuff and managed to get to $150 for the free ship option.
 

erco

Senior Member
Slim pickings but now 90% off. Still free shipping over $150. Stock up on cables, sensors, components and misc supplies for life! The only real bargains I have seen in 2022. :)

We’re approaching the end of our overstock sale. And now offering 90% off DFRobot, SeeedStudio etc. parts on https://store.robotmesh.com/microcontrollers

Sale will end at the end of the day Sunday 8/28.
 

julianE

Senior Member
Slim pickings but now 90% off. Still free shipping over $150. Stock up on cables, sensors, components and misc supplies for life! The only real bargains I have seen in 2022. :)

We’re approaching the end of our overstock sale. And now offering 90% off DFRobot, SeeedStudio etc. parts on https://store.robotmesh.com/microcontrollers

Sale will end at the end of the day Sunday 8/28.
Thanks Erco for "saving" me yet more money :)
 

erco

Senior Member
I built one kit from my Robot Mesh booty, an AXE105 Dice board. Nice little kit, works great. I know this is an older kit, some LED pins were tarnished and needed scraping before soldering. The date on the AXE105 PDF is 2002-2010, which describes using a simple 08 chip. I never used an 08 since I only came to Picaxe when the M2 chips were released. But now I like minimalism and was actually looking forward to trying some of these older chips. But surprisingly, the kits contained 08M2s. Good and bad.

I also got a few 40X1 and 28X1 chips to play with. Both report the firmware version is A.6. Is that the latest?

IMG_6243.JPG
 
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julianE

Senior Member
I'm looking forward to my bounty, should be here soon. I'm thinking of repurposing the data logger, thinking of adding a nextion display should make the logger even more usefull. Thanks for the heads up on the bargains.
 

inglewoodpete

Senior Member
I also got a few 40X1 and 28X1 chips to play with. Both report the firmware version is A.6. Is that the latest?
The latest firmware for the current chips is published on their individual pages (like " PICAXE-28X2 microcontroller (AXE010X2) - Hardware - PICAXE "). Unfortunately, the 28X1 and 40X1 chips are so old the Rev-Ed no longer supports them on their website.

Back in 2008 to 2011 I networked up to 45 x 28X1s in a "semi-living" robot*, which was exhibited around the world. Rev-Ed was in the process of developing the i2c slave functionality and there were several revisions of the X1 firmware before i2c slave functionality was perfected. I can't remember whether A.6 or A.7 was the last firmware revision. The only firmware limitations that I can recall for the X1s were i2c slave (finally resolved) and turning off servo control (to save power). I have SFR workaround code archived somewhere to get servos to "relax" (deenergise), if you require it.

* I just had another look at the videos on You Tube - wow, we were so much younger then! But that's another subject.
 
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julianE

Senior Member
The PICAXE 08M experimenter kit is a great starter pack for beginners (kids included). It's how I started out with PICAXE back in 2005. I've since replaced the 08M chip with an 08M2. Originally called the AXE092 "PICAXE Schools Experimenter".

It is a very useful starter because the board has 3 x LEDs, LDR, Sounder/speaker and a pushbutton switch built in. It also has provision for header strips with isolating switches for the on-board peripherals, allowing the kit to easily connect to further circuitry, including a servo.
Surprisingly mine came with 08M2, made AXE092 the biggest bargain of all my purchases. Many thanks to Erco for alerting us.
 

erco

Senior Member
Surprisingly mine came with 08M2, made AXE092 the biggest bargain of all my purchases.
Excellent news! I have only inventoried my boxes of stuff for contents, have not examined everything closely yet. Pretty sure I got some AXE092s in there somewhere.

julianE, are you US or UK based?
 

julianE

Senior Member
Excellent news! I have only inventoried my boxes of stuff for contents, have not examined everything closely yet. Pretty sure I got some AXE092s in there somewhere.

julianE, are you US or UK based?
US, middle west, where corn is high, terrain is flat and everyone is above average :)
 
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