For sale.Cold fusion reactor.Home made.Not working.$2000 ONO

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
This is my first post so be gentle with me.

I'm sorry for asking such a vague question for my first post, but I'm reading the manuals, and threads, trying to put together my shopping list for my first ever venture into electronics. (I'm 44yo as well just to make things worse)

My first projects are likely to be based around my veggie garden in a glass house. I have a deep cycle 12 volt 200 amp hour lead acid battery that I run (via an inverter) as a fail-safe against power outages for pumps and air for an aquaponics* system.

I'd like to run some servos (to open vents), fans, fish feeders, pump timers and a zillion other things from the 12 volt supply.

(I have very limited finances, so take that into account with any advice)

I'm thinking ...

The development starter pack AXE091U to prototype stuff and try to learn this electronics caper.
High power project board for use out in the glasshouse.
And perhaps (if I understand this correctly) as a way to control the high power project board...



PICAXE-28X2 Module (AXE200/AXE201)
The 28X2 module is a complete PICAXE circuit in convenient 28 pin (0.6” wide)
DIL package. The module is designed to be placed in a ‘turned pin’ style IC
socket on the end user project board (e.g. socket part ICH028W)


And that says about itself ...



Power
Power can be supplied at 7-12V DC via pin 28. This is then regulated on-board
via a 5V 500mA low drop out regulator. The 5V output is available at pin 25.
Alternately a 4.5V or 5V supply can be connected directly to pin 25, leaving pin
28 unconnected

Does this mean I can power my project from my existing 12 volt deep cycle battery. My battery says it's a 12 volt battery, but lead acid batteries being what they are, I often see voltages of closer to 14 volts. Will this fry my device? Or is this a suitable power supply for this board?

As you can no doubt tell, I am totally new to this (I could perhaps build a torch on a good day, but couldn't make it it turn itself on automatically when it got dark)

If that is a suitable starting point for the glasshouse project, can I tap into the 5 volt pin to power the High power project board's control side, and then add a 12 volt supply from the 12 volt battery to the motor power side. (I have no idea if this question is even making sense :) WHAT AM I THINKING GETTING INTO THIS STUFF! :)

I don't really understand why a 14 volt battery is called a 12 volt battery.

So in short, and to recap...HELP! :)



And if anyone is still feeling generous after all that, I cant find an answer to this...

Does a resistor waste voltage, like a leak in a hose, or does it restrict voltage like a tap?



Anyone want to become a mentor to an old guy, or does anyone have some spare stem cells and a "grow yourself an extra brain" kit they no longer need.


-Bullwinkle II




*growing fish for the plate, with fish waste feeding veggies hydroponically in a closed loop as far as water goes in a small scale backyard grow house (inputs are sun, air, fish feed, and a bit of water)
 

SAborn

Senior Member
Gee you really do want to jump in the deep end of the fish pond.

Firstly i would recommend you keep the subject topics more direct to your questions on the forum and your questions a little more direct to get better help and advice.

To answer a few questions.

A lm7805 volt reg will handle up to 30 volt input and give 5 volts output, BUT there is limits on how much current (amps ) they can supply like 0.5 amp depending on the reg used and the voltage drop.

A resistor is a tap restricting the power flow not a leak in a hose.

I would recommend you start out with some smaller chips like the 08m2 and work your way up to using bigger chips in more complicated projects.

The Kiwi board would be a good universal board to start out with, and for them Peter Anderson supplies a good kit of them with ALL the parts included (and the voltage reg) not like the bare bones rubbish our local supplier sells for the same price.

Who are you calling old at 44 as it would make a lot on the forum think you are a young up start and might insult Hippy.:D

Where is SA are you?
 

fernando_g

Senior Member
Welcome to the forum! That catchy title sure caught my attention!!

"I don't really understand why a 14 volt battery is called a 12 volt battery."

For Lead-Acid batteries, a nominal 12 volt battery rises to 13.8 volts while being charged, and goes to 10 volt when discharged...you can deplete its voltage further, but could cause irreversible damage.
Therefore since lead acids change voltage so much depending on the state of charge, they are quoted at their nominal voltage.

Please note that different battery chemitries have far different voltage ranges. A similar NiMh that would provide 13.75 volts while fully charged, would be fully discharged at about 11 volts. In other words, it has a flatter discharge curve.

I don't know what type of low dropout regulator is used on the AXE200 board, some can withstand as high as 32 volts, but other regulators only 16. So we'll wait on technical or other poster to answer that one for us.
 

geoff07

Senior Member
Your title isn't very encouraging.

If you want to use 12v to power Picaxe projects and other logic circuits, then you would be advised to provide each project with a regulated supply. It doesn't need to be much more than a 7805 regulator (look it up) and a couple of capacitors, with maybe a heatsink if you are using power at 5v to operate valves or pumps etc.

A 12v battery is actually 6 2.2v lead-acid cells, with a nominal 12v output but actually generally found to be 13.8v when fully charged. The reg on the module is fine for powering the module but you will want to power other things as well and, although you could, as a novice it isn't worth the risk to the module to squeeze it all out of that. You will, for example, want 5v for input pull-ups, and for safety everything should be supplied by the same 5v. Otherwise you risk putting 12v on a Picaxe input by mistake via whatever you attach, and they don't like that one bit.

My suggestion is to try some simple projects, for example from the Picaxe book, and get those working. You will find it very easy once you get into it. Then you will see that your ambitions are pretty reasonable in fact. And don't worry about advice - you will get plenty of it here. But do use better titles to your questions!
 

JoeFromOzarks

Senior Member
“For sale.Cold fusion reactor.Home made.Not working.$2000 ONO”
Is your offering an indoor or outdoor unit?

If indoor, can I connect the cooling water line to the 1/4" plastic tube that also connects to my garage ice-and-water-in-door refrigerator?

Those breadboard offerings with USB interface (M/D-BUB) from Peter Anderson are very nice! You might want to pick up some additional breadboard jumpers and a couple of ULN2803’s.

Regarding the “start small with 08M2” rationale, yes, they are cheaper initially and if one releases its magic smoke you’re only out a couple of bucks, and they are great to experiment with – getting the LED to blink on and off. A 20X2 or 28X2 does everything an 08M2 does, and unless you live in a tiny apartment or recreational vehicle with extreme space constraints, there is nothing wrong with skipping up a few pins right out of the box. After all, code is code and power windows are nicer than crank ones – especially for us old folks.


“I don't really understand why a 14 volt battery is called a 12 volt battery.”
That’s okay, I’m wondering why a recipe says:
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
3 Teaspoons coarse pepper

Do I really have to dirty two measuring spoons?

Grab a pencil and a sheet of paper and sketch up a little artwork, a "flowchart" of what does what, what connects to what, what happens when and let's hear a little more about this portion of "120 Things In 20 Years."

:) joe
 

John West

Senior Member
I've figured out why there are zero Ohm resistors. Now I'm trying to figure out why one is rated at 1/8W.

Sorry to wander off the topic of home-made cold fusion reactors. I"ll stick to factory built ones. Less messy.
 
Last edited:

eclectic

Moderator
Just adding my opinion.

From post #1
"I'd like to run some servos (to open vents), fans, fish feeders,
pump timers and a zillion other things from the 12 volt supply."


120.... Only you can tell us what type of servos you need.

Can you supply some info/ datasheets of relevant units
that would work in your environment?

Then, folks can advise as to the hardware, which,
to my inexperienced eye, seems the biggest hurdle.

The coding is relatively straightforward.

For some examples, search the Forum using the term
greenhouse.

e
 

premelec

Senior Member
I use zero ohm resistors with a +/- 100% tolerance which is more than I've got... they seem to work 0k as long as they're thick enough... :)
 

Simmicht

Senior Member
Temperature Flasher for the Garden

48 and still in short pants and playing when every I am allowed.

Try something simple, the first thing I did in my hydroponic setup was to measure the temperature. If you want to open vents, I assume you too will want to do that at some set temperature. Here is a circuit and code to make a basic temperature sensor that flashes LEDs.
The Green LED should flash the current temperature, 2 long flashes and 4 short flashes is 24 deg.
The Blue LED will then flash the min temp in last 24 hours
The Red LED will then flash the max temp in lst 24 hours.
Code:
'Written/Modified 31-Aug 2011 by Terry Simmich
'Written for 28X2 (ported from 08M)
#picaxe 28X2
#terminal 9600
SetFreq M8
'Use DS18B20 as the temperature sensor 
'and displays the current Max and Min (Last 24 hours)
'-ve Temp is indicated by a series of rapid flashes initially
'Temperature is Blinked as a series of blinks for 10's followed by faster flashes for units.

'NOTE wait till LEDS start blink to re-program (F5)
'NOTE cant program while in a sleep mode.

SYMBOL  RedLED  = B.2   'Output 2 = PIN 23 connected to Red LED
SYMBOL  BlueLED  = B.1   'Output 1 = PIN 22 connected to Blue LED
SYMBOL  GreenLED  = B.0   'Output 2 = PIN 21 connected to Green LED
SYMBOL  TempPin   = C.0   'Input  0 = PIN 11 connected to DS18B20 Temp Sensor

SYMBOL BucketAdr  = B13
SYMBOL GMin  = B12
SYMBOL GMax  = B11
SYMBOL LMin  = B10
SYMBOL LMax  = B9
SYMBOL LoopCount  = W3
SYMBOL Temp  = B0
GOSUB ReadDS18B20    'Read current temperature
FOR B1 = 80 TO 127   '48 buckets, 24 for each hour Max and Min
 POKE B1,Temp   'Fill with default Initial Temp
NEXT B1     'Uses RAM addresses from 80 to 127 on a 08M
GMax=Temp     'Initilise these
GMin=Temp     
Goto StartHere
LOOP1: 
SLEEP 12 '30 Sec       'Drain drops to 170uA when napping
GOSUB ReadDS18B20    'Read current temperature
IF Temp < LMax THEN NoNewMax1  'Chech for a new Max or Min
 LMax = Temp    '60 min Max
NoNewMax1:
IF Temp > LMin THEN NoNewMin1
 LMin = Temp    '60 min Min
NoNewMin1:

GMax=LMax     'Set Max and Min to Current Max Min
GMin=LMin     'New 24 hour Max and Min
FOR B1 = 80 TO 103   'Calculate Max and Minfor last 24 hours
 PEEK B1,B2    'Get Temp value into B2
 IF B2 < GMax THEN NoNewMax
  GMax = B2
NoNewMax:
 B5= B1+24
 PEEK B5,B2    'Get Temp value into B2
 IF B2>GMin THEN NoNewMin
  GMin = B2
NoNewMin:
NEXT B1
 
LoopCount = LoopCount + 1
IF LoopCount < 76 THEN FlashLEDs 'Change 76 for how often a new bucket is used
 BucketAdr = BucketAdr + 1 'Start a new 1 hour block
 IF BucketAdr < 104 AND BucketAdr > 80 THEN NoMod
  BucketAdr = 80
NoMod:
 POKE BucketAdr,LMax  'Save Max Temp
 B5 = BucketAdr + 24  'offset to the Min-array
 POKE B5       ,LMin  'Save Min Temp
StartHere:     'Time for a new bucket every 
 LoopCount = 0   '24 hours/24+1 bucket=3456 /45sec= 76 loops
 LMax = Temp    'Reset ~60min MAX MINs 30 sec sleep and 10-15 for flashing
 LMin = Temp
 
FlashLEDs:
B3 = Temp
B7 = GreenLED
GOSUB DisplayTEMP    'Requires Temp in B3
B3 = GMin
B7 = BlueLED
GOSUB DisplayTEMP    'Requires Temp in B3
B3 = GMax
B7 = RedLED
GOSUB DisplayTEMP    'Requires Temp in B3

GOTO LOOP1

'================================================================
ReadDS18B20:
READTEMP TempPin, Temp
IF Temp > 127 THEN Neg1   'Add 100 to temp to make
 Temp = Temp + 100   'Comparisons easier for -ve numbers
RETURN
Neg1:
Temp = 100 - Temp - 128   'Add 100 to temp to make
RETURN     'Comparisons easier for -ve numbers
'================================================================
DisplayTEMP:    'Flash out the temperature 
IF B3 > 100 THEN SkipNeg  'Zero is flashes flooowed by nothing
B3 = 100 - B3 + 100   'Neg becomes Positive
FOR B8 = 1 TO 40    'Show Neg flashes really fast
 TOGGLE B7 : PAUSE 15  'Turn if ON/OFF
NEXT B8
SkipNeg:
B3 = B3 -100
B1 = B3 /10     'Tens value
W2 = 500
GOSUB Blink
B1 = B3 //10    'Units value
W2 = 150
GOSUB Blink
RETURN
'================================================================
Blink:
PAUSE 500
B2 = B1 - 4
Blink2:
IF B1=0 THEN NoBlink   'Pre-tested loop 0 to 9 blinks
 HIGH B7 : PAUSE W2  'Turn if ON
 IF B1 <> B2 THEN SkipExtraDelay
  PAUSE 150   'Extra Delay for the 5th flash
SkipExtraDelay:
      LOW  B7 : PAUSE W2  'Turn if OFF
 B1 = B1 - 1
Goto Blink2
NoBlink:
RETURN
'================================================================
Temperature Flasher.png
 

billacj

Member
In Regards to Servos for your project, google 'Linear actuator' as they have far more power and range of movement. Also, one can be easily constructed and powered from a low power geared motor from 3 to 12 volts. Start learning with a PICAXE 08 (kit available) and a small 3 volt hobby motor. First you'll learn how to use the PICAXE program editor, upload/download programs and learn the content of Manuals 1,2 and 3. Start with a simple LED blink program using the IN and Out commands and a pause between. The commands learned are fully applicable across the range of PICAXE processors. Learn to blink a LED off / On then learn how to use the PWM command to dim the LED. Once you are able to control a LED then use the same commands to control the hobby motor. You might scrounge an old VCR as they are loaded with good parts. Later attach a H-Switch to your PICAXE to control the direction of the motor. Use a variable resistor as input to control the speed of the motor or intensity of a LED. Obtain a LM34 temperature sensor and let it control the hobby motor power on/off or speed. These are important basics and apply across the range of robotic related projects. Yeah, opening the air vents on the garden hot house is a form of robotics.

sounds great, I want to know more about hydroponics myself, I would like to grow Salsa Vegies year round but its foggy here along the California coast . Billacj
 

fernando_g

Senior Member
John - the last reel of SMD 1206 zero ohm resistors I bought are marked at 5% tolerance...
A
If you find some of those in the -5% range, then you have got a negative resistance! :p

A negative resistor and a capacitor, and you have got a simple relaxation oscillator.
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
Gee you really do want to jump in the deep end of the fish pond.

Firstly i would recommend you keep the subject topics more direct to your questions on the forum and your questions a little more direct to get better help and advice.
Thanks for the response in spite of the title.

And sorry, that was my working title, and it seems you cant edit the title after you prematurely hit the return key. I have done a lot of first posts to new forums over the last year and a half, and get a little nervous. My working titles are to relax me until I know what my title should be. Sometimes relaxation can be really stressful :)

Someone else is buying the kit for me as a present so I think I'll still get the development starter pack, but take your point of starting small. I have no electronic components kicking around so having a few lights and switches built in will at least let me know that the problem is in my code, and nothing to do with the fact that I haven't ever done any soldering.

Thanks again for the response. The number of answers is amazing. I thought I'd ask the question about what to buy, then wander off and read manuals for a few days before anyone would answer.

Where is SA are you?
Modbury
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
[Suff deleted]
Thanks

I'm finding it difficult to wrap my head around things like the tolerances allowed.

This is such a huge topic. It's a strange feeling when starting out on a brand new skill set, knowing that if you just keep reading even when it doesn't all make sense, it eventually starts to seep into your head.

I get the feeling this is one of those skill sets that actually change the way you think.
 

SAborn

Senior Member
Pitty or maybe that is lucky?? I am on the other side of town.

A really good place to get electronic parts is Aztronics in Sturt street in the city, about one of the last real electronic suppliers left in town that still sell almost anything and not a shop full of per made Chinese rubbish.

A good soldering iron should be your next wish item and dont buy some cheap rubbish as you will forever curse the thing.
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
Your title isn't very encouraging.

If you want to use 12v to power Picaxe projects and other logic circuits, then you would be advised to provide each project with a regulated supply. It doesn't need to be much more than a 7805 regulator (look it up) and a couple of capacitors, with maybe a heatsink if you are using power at 5v to operate valves or pumps etc.
Is wikipedia a suitable place to look this stuff up? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/78xx or can you recommend something better.

A 12v battery is actually 6 2.2v lead-acid cells, with a nominal 12v output but actually generally found to be 13.8v when fully charged. The reg on the module is fine for powering the module but you will want to power other things as well and, although you could, as a novice it isn't worth the risk to the module to squeeze it all out of that. You will, for example, want 5v for input pull-ups, and for safety everything should be supplied by the same 5v. Otherwise you risk putting 12v on a Picaxe input by mistake via whatever you attach, and they don't like that one bit.

My suggestion is to try some simple projects, for example from the Picaxe book, and get those working. You will find it very easy once you get into it. Then you will see that your ambitions are pretty reasonable in fact. And don't worry about advice - you will get plenty of it here. But do use better titles to your questions!
All advice taken, thanks.
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
[stuff deleted]

Grab a pencil and a sheet of paper and sketch up a little artwork, a "flowchart" of what does what, what connects to what, what happens when and let's hear a little more about this portion of "120 Things In 20 Years."

:) joe
I have to learn something first :)

This is only day 5 of what I'm guessing is a good 10 years worth of burning small components. Perhaps I should start a simultaneous art project of fused found objects from my workbench. Wonder if there is some government funding for that.

Part of the problem is there doesn't seem to be anyone in Adelaide that sells the full range of PICAXE stuff. I'd love to be able to drop into a shop and chat to someone about this stuff. And to actually see it as well.

It's interesting to look something up like the 7805 regulator mentioned previously and think, I recognise that from breaking something apart in the past. Once you've seen it it sticks in your head a little, and for me at least, only after I use something it sticks in my head a little more. Only a little more but its a start.

There is so very much to this electronics caper.
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
Just adding my opinion.

From post #1
"I'd like to run some servos (to open vents), fans, fish feeders,
pump timers and a zillion other things from the 12 volt supply."


120.... Only you can tell us what type of servos you need.

Can you supply some info/ datasheets of relevant units
that would work in your environment?

Then, folks can advise as to the hardware, which,
to my inexperienced eye, seems the biggest hurdle.

The coding is relatively straightforward.

For some examples, search the Forum using the term
greenhouse.

e
Thanks electic,

I guess once again I'll just need to learn more before I know enough to ask questions that mean anything. I don't even know enough to know what can be done. So anything I buy is to find out what it does as much as anything. Like I said, this really is only day 5 of what looks like being a lifelong educational project.

From what little I've leant so far I can safely say this is the most responsive forum I've ever joined, and given my shaky start, forgiving as well. I just cant get over the number of replies.
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
There are LONG pants now? When did that happen?

I just feel old. I figure your age isn't measured by how long you've lived, but rather by how long it feels you have left to live, and how much you've punished your body in those years already spent :)
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
Pitty or maybe that is lucky?? I am on the other side of town.

A really good place to get electronic parts is Aztronics in Sturt street in the city, about one of the last real electronic suppliers left in town that still sell almost anything and not a shop full of per made Chinese rubbish.
Do they sell PICAXE stuff?

A good soldering iron should be your next wish item and dont buy some cheap rubbish as you will forever curse the thing.
I just bought a curseable one and some solder out of a bargain bin at a hardware :(

I'll use it a bit on random bits of wire, and then will at least know why I shouldn't have bought it.

Can you recommend one that I should buy next? I thought a soldering iron was a hot stick, pretty much like any other hot stick.

I need a nanny

Thanks again for your input. I owe you a beer/cup of tea/glass of water.
 
Last edited:

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
Thanks Simmicht

And billacj, The glasshouse is a real winner. Both increasing temperatures, and also in maintaining consistency. The consistency is the bit that surprised me. Once the concrete and the water heated up it maintains a decent temperature over night. My silver perch wake up at around 16 degrees c and start feeding again, so seeing 16 c at least for some time each day makes a huge difference to their growth rates.

Monitoring these temperatures is part of what I want to be able to do, as taking them by hand is a full time occupation. Much of the required data is in the middle of the night, as I start playing with phase change materials to store overnight heat, I'd love to know what's happening while I sleep, and if whatever experiment I'm doing is actually working.

Temps are in deg c, "morning" and "afternoon" are fish tank temperatures, and thin lines represent data from the weather man. Straight lines are means. The break in the data is me going for a drive for a few days. But it does show decent temperature gains, and stability.

FT temps.jpg
 

SAborn

Senior Member
Do they sell PICAXE stuff?
The short answer is picxae chips only, and 1 or 2 low level educational picaxe kits.

But there is a lot more to circuits than a picaxe chip, and given time you will need other components like.... resistors, capacitors, diodes,ic sockets, leds, other IC's, transistors, relays, sensors, voltage regs, LCD displays, and the list goes on................................

Electronics is a expensive hobby in some ways but a very rewarding one, you never stop learning in it.

If you go into Aztronics for a look, what you see up front is only a small fraction of what is out the back in the stock area.
Also introduce your self and tell them what you are wanting to do and say Pete sent you in, they know me well and should look after you.
 

Dippy

Moderator
Nick, I think fernando_g was having a joke.

He's been around quite a while, he knows his stuff - even though he still wears short pants :)
Maybe the thread title spurred him onto thinking about getting something for nothing...
 

eclectic

Moderator
snip
Someone else is buying the kit for me as a present so I think I'll still get the development starter pack, but take your point of starting small.
How much money are they prepared to spend. :)

The AXE091 plus a few Picaxe chips would be an excellent start.
Then, you could buy the rest of your kit locally.

Just a couple of examples

http://www.techsupplies.co.uk/epages/Store.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Store.TechSupplies&ViewAction=DetailSearchProducts

http://www.microzed.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1

e
 
Last edited:

eclectic

Moderator
Thank you for pointing out the error.

1. My browser may have got its NiCd's in a twist.

2. Mea Culpa. I should have checked the link immediately after posting.

e
 

nick12ab

Senior Member
1. My browser may have got its NiCd's in a twist.
Note: if I'm misunderstanding a joke, point that out.

The problem isn't the fault of your browser, it's how Techsupplies does its searches. Google, for example, has whatever you search for in the URL of the search results page so you can bookmark it and come back later - but not with Techsupplies.
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
The short answer is picxae chips only, and 1 or 2 low level educational picaxe kits.

But there is a lot more to circuits than a picaxe chip, and given time you will need other components like.... resistors, capacitors, diodes,ic sockets, leds, other IC's, transistors, relays, sensors, voltage regs, LCD displays, and the list goes on................................

Electronics is a expensive hobby in some ways but a very rewarding one, you never stop learning in it.

If you go into Aztronics for a look, what you see up front is only a small fraction of what is out the back in the stock area.
Also introduce your self and tell them what you are wanting to do and say Pete sent you in, they know me well and should look after you.
Excellent, thanks even more.

I'll go in today.
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
How much money are they prepared to spend. :)

The AXE091 plus a few Picaxe chips would be an excellent start.
Then, you could buy the rest of your kit locally.

Just a couple of examples

http://www.techsupplies.co.uk/epages/Store.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Store.TechSupplies&ViewAction=DetailSearchProducts

http://www.microzed.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1

e
Yeah that was the plan. I've already got my wishlist in at techsupplies but after all this advice, I think I'm going to start smaller.

So now I think I'll just buy one of the starter packs locally and see what it is I really want. Time and education will tell.

Amazing forum you people have here.
 

Bill.b

Senior Member
hi it is cheaper to by Picaxe chips, axe091 and other components in small quatities directly from techsupplies uk
delivery is usually 8 days.

Dick Smith stores are currently advertising a temperture controlled soldering iron for au$ 49.00
 

120ThingsIn20Years

Senior Member
hi it is cheaper to by Picaxe chips, axe091 and other components in small quatities directly from techsupplies uk
delivery is usually 8 days.

Dick Smith stores are currently advertising a temperture controlled soldering iron for au$ 49.00
Cool, but for now at least I think I'll talk to a human at the store Pete suggested.

I need all the help I can get :)

8 days is good, I almost have enough patience for that.



And I've just discovered the PICAXE shield base that's Arduino compatible. I was looking at Arduino after someone brought it to my attention just as I was about to commit to PICAXE as my starting point.

I could have saved a lot of reading up on Arduino if I'd known that a bit earlier. It was pointless research anyway as it tuns out, but I had even less idea how all this stuff worked than I do on day 6.
 
Top