Newbie.

shamuonehundred

New Member
Hi all. I've been on the outside looking in for a while now and decided to take the plunge. I've been wanting to experiment with a microcontroller and have been researching the most suitable device to start with. I have a small amount of electronics experience and a fairly good knowledge of programming in BASIC. I was thinking of starting with an AXE090 starter kit, what does any body think? Any advice would be greatly received.
Cheers.
 

Brietech

Senior Member
Welcome! Starter kits are the easiest way to go. I personally just ordered a couple of 08M's and started to play (a download cable is pretty easy to build). Go ahead and take the plunge, though, it is easy to make some pretty neat stuff.
 

Michael 2727

Senior Member
The AXE092 or Schools Experimenter Board is
an excellent choice for a starter kit.

What config is the 090, without the D/L cable ?
I got the complete board/kit, cable and CD. You
may need the USB/232 cable if your computer
only has USB ports.

Good Luck !
 

BeanieBots

Moderator
I guess it depends on how far you picture yourself going and what sort of budget you have.
Personally, I think the AXE090 is the best way to go if you want to play with more than one breed of PICAXE and don't mind invetsing a few bucks.

I started with an AXE001 and an AXE003 before getting the AXE090.
The AXE003 would be the cheapest introduction but does limit you to only the 8-pin variety.
I still buy the odd AXE021 (just the 08 board) for 'quickies' because even at minimum wage you would have to knock up a circuit in under 12 minutes to break even!

The AXE090 has a built in 7805 regulator and DC power socket which can save a lot of tears for the inexperienced. You KNOW the download socket has been wired correctly, and it has a pull-up plus push-button on the reset line. A feature not many would bother with on a home-build but is very useful for those "won't download" moments caused by long pauses in the program.

I'd say, "Go For It". Also get a couple of 08Ms and an 18X to start with.
Once you've had a play with those, treat yourself to a 28X1.
Not sure what (or if) type of download cable comes with the AXE090 these days but you may need the USB version if your computer does not have a serial socket such as is the case with many new laptops.

Above all, have fun. PICAXE is a great intro into micros and IMHO cannot be beat by any of the competition for simplicity, support and money.
 

Matt_C

Member
Well you sound just like me and I've been playing with this kit for a couple of months and I think it's great.
A little bit of programming knowledge and a littlie bit of electronics knowledge and you are flying!
I went for the AXE090U kit and that comes with a USB download lead and an 18X so I also got a couple of 08M's and a 28X.
I am so happy I went for the AXE090U as it covers the 08, 18 and 28 microcontrollers.
Most of my tests and projects started on the 08M and I was jittery about the move to the 18X and 28X but I just flew through them with no problems.
It's all much easier then you think before you get involved with PICAXE.
I just can't wait to move on to the 40X.

The PICAXE book has been my bible and the forum a gold mine with lots of talented people that are all willing to help.
I have not posted much myself but that probably says a lot about the forum and that I found most of my answers between the bible and the forum.

I hope you have as much fun with it as I have.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Welcome to the wonderful world of PICAXE's.

The AXE090/AXE090U boards look very good to me and possibly the most flexible and cost effective development kit. Subtract the cost of the included PICAXE-18X, download cable and breadboard, and you've got a fairly reasonably priced PCB with regulator, LED's, buttons, download interface etc.

I'd also recommend getting an 08M or 14M ( or two ) to play with; always good fun to get two PICAXE's talking to each other, and you can start with the 08M in the board to minimise the cost if anything has gone wrong during assembling the board. The 28X1 is the most powerful software and hardware-wise the boards support so that is also worth serious consideration if your funds stretch to it.
 

shamuonehundred

New Member
Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome and the helpful advice. Looks like I made the right choice, more through luck than anything else!
Cheers.
 
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