<b>And once identified, suggest you- ahem- label them! </b> => www.picaxe.orcon.net.nz/pcxlabel.pdf <A href='http://www.picaxe.orcon.net.nz/pcxlabel.pdf ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> Moan mode engaged...
This lack of ID has been my main Picaxe gripe, & often leads to incorrect connections or novices confusing them with 555s or logic chips etc. Yeah- it STILL happens. Experiences as a multi decades educator make me appreciate learners need totally lucid instructions, as if they can confuse things they often WILL. Yes- we've even had observant students dump new 18X Picaxes, since they quite rightly thought the X scrawled on them meant " no bloody good". 08Ms showing a scrawled M can be confused as a W when viewed the other way too.<i> "What's this Picaxe 08W - there's nothing on Google about that " </i> ALL Picaxe projects here are suitably labelled ! => www.picaxe.orcon.net.nz/bread08.jpg <A href='http://www.picaxe.orcon.net.nz/bread08.jpg ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>
Military hardware is usually festooned with lucid markings too -<b> insert bullet other way round, no step, abandon in place, 7.62mm , Mk IV, ignite fuse & point sharp end at enemy </b> etc, as even trivial confusion may be lethal. It's a HUGE part of scientific & technical training of course to document, observe & identify. Typical examples of that include chemical reagents - <i>"Ah -now is this Nitric Acid or water ? " </i> ,lab samples " <i>Where's this Bird Flu sample from... </i> " & botanical specimens- the latter are catalogued in excruciating detail.
But,as I've often mentioned before, <b>"Picaxe powered" </b> promotional benefits justify a label as a marketing essential as well, especially in projects that'll get wide PR (Science Fairs etc). It's called selling the product- and it's a GREAT product- one we all are usually proud to promote!
Given the global fascination youngsters have with clothing labels etc, this'd neatly match the intended Picaxe teenage educational market too. Often even trivial items come with logos/labels/use by IDs etc that allow brand loyalty associations & consumer confidence in the product etc. Ex. canned food,soft drinks,airlines,fast food. Would you drink beer from an unlabelled can?
Our micro "rival", Parallax's Basic Stamps,ARE lucidly labelled ( => www.elexp.com/test/basic_stamp_modules.jpg <A href='http://www.elexp.com/test/basic_stamp_modules.jpg ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> & a quick Google on say <b>BS2e </b> will soon reveal how it differs from look alikes <b>BS2p BS2 BS2SX </b> . Note their use of different colours for each as well.This is not rocket science! A sheet of labels (perhaps coloured for each Picaxe type ?) could be cheaply rustled up & given away with each order. We're all big kids & can cut & stick 'em on the chips a real treat.
And finally, when away from the Picaxe editor, you could waste ages fault finding a circuit including, say, a soldered in PIC16F819, before you twigged (if at all...)that it was in fact a Picaxe enhanced 18A. Vice versa too - this forum still has posts from folks in import restricted places like Zimbabwe, wondering why their locally scrounged plain PIC12F629 doesn't "08" respond to the editor's commands.
The classic London Underground pathways map (via <b>electrical draughtsman </b> Harry Beck- 1933) <A href='http://www.londonlodgehotels.com/graphics/underground.gif ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> is of course widely praised for it's lucid presentation of a complex system. Given the Picaxe UK origins it'd perhaps be fitting to use this as a labelling incentive for the Picaxe family too. With today's design wizardry we may even be able to clarify the 08(M) "pins" & "legs" sudoku (!)...
Stan
Edited by - stan. swan on 11/03/2006 22:50:37