Telemetry article
- Thread starter xstamp
- Start date
Yah - it;s about time Elektor ran with Picaxes- I've sent them material in the past to no avail. This telemetry article ( which costs £1 to download) relates to model rocket telemetry via an 18X ,AWM630-TX (Low Power Radio Solutions)& Stamp Plot. All pretty standard for us Picaxers, but sure to excite the curiosity of readers who are not yet in the know. Stan
Stan...I am sure we all agree that its about time the PICAXE started to get more coverage. Lets hope the Elektor article (which does in fact use some orignal techniques) will help European sales. As I understand that Elektor sells around 100,000 copies a month and has four languages editions.
The January issue of Nuts & Volts has the first of a introductory series on the PICAXE by Ron Hackett and this should also help sales in North America.
The January issue of Nuts & Volts has the first of a introductory series on the PICAXE by Ron Hackett and this should also help sales in North America.
N&V <A href='http://www.nutsvolts.com/ ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> as well- even better! I'd also sent a intro. article to N&V back in ~2003-4, but after enthusiastic editing they most annoyingly shelved it. I assumed, given their legendary Basic Stamp slant,that a "conflict of interest" had arisen...
puddlehaven
Member
FWIW, I started visiting the PICAXE forums after reading the Nuts and Volts article and bought my first to PICAXIM a week later.
I bought an 18X to go with the article (a simple serial terminal project) and an 8M development board to play with.
I showed the article to my 9-year-old son, he said "Look Dad, instead of a computer that fits in the palm of your hand, its a computer that fits on the end of your finger."
After he said that I had to buy one.
I'm fascinated by all the things that people are doing with these little chips, and am looking forward to trying some of the ideas out myself. It's great that there is such a large active community around the PICAXE, most of the questions I have are already answered somewhere in the forums and the new conversations are answering questions I didn't even know I had.
It's fun.
I bought an 18X to go with the article (a simple serial terminal project) and an 8M development board to play with.
I showed the article to my 9-year-old son, he said "Look Dad, instead of a computer that fits in the palm of your hand, its a computer that fits on the end of your finger."
After he said that I had to buy one.
I'm fascinated by all the things that people are doing with these little chips, and am looking forward to trying some of the ideas out myself. It's great that there is such a large active community around the PICAXE, most of the questions I have are already answered somewhere in the forums and the new conversations are answering questions I didn't even know I had.
It's fun.
Like puddlehaven, I didn't know these things existed until I saw the Nuts and Volts article. Now I'm kinda hooked on them. I tried real hard to learn AVR's and C code but I just can't wrap my head around those things.
The Picaxe looks like something I have a better shot at understanding. Free software is a nice feature too!
The Picaxe looks like something I have a better shot at understanding. Free software is a nice feature too!
I cancelled my Elektor subscription a few years ago as they weren't publishing relevant things. Then Silicon Chip here in Australia started publishing the picaxe articles by Stan and the rest is history.
Maybe Elektor need to know that if they are rejecting articles by Stan it will affect their sales?
Maybe Elektor need to know that if they are rejecting articles by Stan it will affect their sales?
demonicpicaxeguy
Senior Member
same here along with a few other company paid maganzines as they just started to just fill up with advertising and loosing the decent material
demonicpicaxeguy
Senior Member
one thing to bear in mind is that because the picaxe chips are a great deal cheaper vs the basic stamp and in my opinion the better chip anyway there isn't as much money in picaxe chips as far as retailing them goes
once the x2s come out even with the feaures we already know about projects around them will be published a lot more often and taking everything into consideration specs wise the x2's will probably because very popular.. everything the basic stamp has plus a few things in one low power chip versus a pcb with several components and 2 ic that does the same thing...
once the x2s come out even with the feaures we already know about projects around them will be published a lot more often and taking everything into consideration specs wise the x2's will probably because very popular.. everything the basic stamp has plus a few things in one low power chip versus a pcb with several components and 2 ic that does the same thing...
hippy
Ex-Staff (retired)
I still maintain the PICAXE is best of breed when compared to Basic Stamps ( BS1 or BS2 ) in price and performance for price, but even the PICAXE starts to loose out when looking at the Propeller Chip (TM), cheaper than a 40X, eight 20MHz CPU's on-chip, 32K Ram, 32 I/O ( 40mA source/sink ), and able to drive full VGA video, do speech, speech recognition, sound synthesis, SD/MMC interfacing and the list goes on. Construction-wise it's nearly as easily usable as a PICAXE ( on-chip oscillator or external XTAL selected in software ). Not quite so simple to use with a rather peculiar indent-orientated language and the IDE requires XP, but you pay your money and take your choice.
For educational use, the PICAXE is the clear winner, and probably too for many home users and applications, but for those more complex scenarios ( such as Brian's huge-scale stepper motor system ), it is an extremely cheap alternative for those who want a downloadable controller, and gives even bare-micros a run for their money.
I'm sure the PICAXE-X2 range will raise the bar considerably, and excel in the ease of use and price-performance stakes, and it's good to see the PICAXE getting the wider coverage it deserves.
For educational use, the PICAXE is the clear winner, and probably too for many home users and applications, but for those more complex scenarios ( such as Brian's huge-scale stepper motor system ), it is an extremely cheap alternative for those who want a downloadable controller, and gives even bare-micros a run for their money.
I'm sure the PICAXE-X2 range will raise the bar considerably, and excel in the ease of use and price-performance stakes, and it's good to see the PICAXE getting the wider coverage it deserves.
hippy
Ex-Staff (retired)
I haven't touched the Propeller yet - indignation at being forced to use XP and the "we couldn't write it to run fast enough on anything else" excuse ( it's only an IDE ! ), the lack of dealers in the UK / cost of P&P from the States, and having to get to grips with the programming language.
I'm holding out for a hero in the form of the X2 range
I'm holding out for a hero in the form of the X2 range
I don't really think the Propeller and the Picaxe compete, they are used ( by me, anyways) in totally different ways. There's no question that the Prop is amazing, I've been playing with them about 6 months, and I keep getting amazed by what it will do, but getting that power out takes a lot of work, especially if you aren't a programmer by trade. I still mostly consider myself a novice with the platform. I haven't even opened the pages on the assembler language.
If I just want to get something done, I pull out a Picaxe and just do it (I'm from NIKE country). there's no question in my mind that the picaxe is the easier platform to use.
As for the IDE, There are folks writing all kinds of programming interfaces for the Prop chip. right now, there are 2 Basics, a Forth, a C, and even a mini- operating system either written or being written for it, none of which require Windows. This doesn't even count the TRS 80 and commodore 64 emulators. Mostly, guys just did it to show it could be done. One of the Basics even allows saving to and reading your programs from an SD card.
I"m a Mac guy, and I'm sensitive to being forced to buy Windows junk. I have the IDE running on an apha version of Crossover Mac and it mostly works fine. the windows that are supposed to show special characters don't work, but everything else does. I expect that before the year is out, the windows emulator will be ready for Prime Time and/or there will be full blown third party IDE's.
Unfortunately, the Picaxe IDE doesn't work with the apha of Crossover, which begs the question of when or if there will ever be a Linux/Mac IDE for the Picaxe?
It can't be that hard. To quote hippy <i> it's only an IDE ! </i>
I still have to use my clunky old Windoze laptop to program a Picaxe.
But, at the last robot club meeting, I had a couple guys come up to me whining about having to write and debug some code to read an IR remote and not wanting to do it on their PICS. You know the type- software professional who can type C code faster than I can scroll down the page.
When they pined that the N&V article on the 18x Picaxe looked so easy, I gave each of them an 08M and wrote a 5 line program to read the IR remote and send it out a pin and sketched the programming circuit on the back of a buisness card. Even gave them the 22K and 10K resistors.
I called it a teachable moment.
Edited by - Larry on 25/01/2007 08:43:20
If I just want to get something done, I pull out a Picaxe and just do it (I'm from NIKE country)
. there's no question in my mind that the picaxe is the easier platform to use.As for the IDE, There are folks writing all kinds of programming interfaces for the Prop chip. right now, there are 2 Basics, a Forth, a C, and even a mini- operating system either written or being written for it, none of which require Windows. This doesn't even count the TRS 80 and commodore 64 emulators. Mostly, guys just did it to show it could be done. One of the Basics even allows saving to and reading your programs from an SD card.
I"m a Mac guy, and I'm sensitive to being forced to buy Windows junk. I have the IDE running on an apha version of Crossover Mac and it mostly works fine. the windows that are supposed to show special characters don't work, but everything else does. I expect that before the year is out, the windows emulator will be ready for Prime Time and/or there will be full blown third party IDE's.
Unfortunately, the Picaxe IDE doesn't work with the apha of Crossover, which begs the question of when or if there will ever be a Linux/Mac IDE for the Picaxe?
It can't be that hard. To quote hippy <i> it's only an IDE ! </i>
I still have to use my clunky old Windoze laptop to program a Picaxe.
But, at the last robot club meeting, I had a couple guys come up to me whining about having to write and debug some code to read an IR remote and not wanting to do it on their PICS. You know the type- software professional who can type C code faster than I can scroll down the page.
When they pined that the N&V article on the 18x Picaxe looked so easy, I gave each of them an 08M and wrote a 5 line program to read the IR remote and send it out a pin and sketched the programming circuit on the back of a buisness card. Even gave them the 22K and 10K resistors.
I called it a teachable moment.
Edited by - Larry on 25/01/2007 08:43:20
The 'parallel' processing and video aspects will get people excited though and apparently v. fast - and most people have XP (come on hippy get that wallet out).
But it doesn't appear to have ADC or USART peripherals.
So, home-made Space Invaders yes, home-made cheap/easy thermometer no.
But it doesn't look suitable for newbies, especially the Spin code.
I might get Pure Basic.
But it doesn't appear to have ADC or USART peripherals.
So, home-made Space Invaders yes, home-made cheap/easy thermometer no.
But it doesn't look suitable for newbies, especially the Spin code.
I might get Pure Basic.
hippy
Ex-Staff (retired)
Larry hits the nail on the head with his observation that because things are so easy to do with a PICAXE it often has a major advantage over other possible solutions, and especially on the low-cost front with the 08/08M.
Being 'best' doesn't always mean being better, and where's the excitement or challenge in making a chip which can do anything do something ? My electronics hobby is about having fun, and the PICAXE fits the bill perfectly. It's been incredibly challenging but enjoyable to push PICAXE boundaries, and what more could anyone ask than that ?
Although I do more software 'playing' than building projects, when I have built things the PICAXE has never failed to deliver, and unless I had a specific reason to use something else the PICAXE would be my first choice.
Being 'best' doesn't always mean being better, and where's the excitement or challenge in making a chip which can do anything do something ? My electronics hobby is about having fun, and the PICAXE fits the bill perfectly. It's been incredibly challenging but enjoyable to push PICAXE boundaries, and what more could anyone ask than that ?
Although I do more software 'playing' than building projects, when I have built things the PICAXE has never failed to deliver, and unless I had a specific reason to use something else the PICAXE would be my first choice.
hippy
Ex-Staff (retired)
Dippy : <i>It doesn't appear to have ADC or USART peripherals </i>
ADC by using sigma-Delta or something and interfacing is done by using the Cogs to bit bang. It does video that way so has no problems with full-duplex serial.
There are 'Spin Objects' which do this and hide the complexity involved, but I doubt it's as easy to pick up and run with as it is using the PICAXE.
ADC by using sigma-Delta or something and interfacing is done by using the Cogs to bit bang. It does video that way so has no problems with full-duplex serial.
There are 'Spin Objects' which do this and hide the complexity involved, but I doubt it's as easy to pick up and run with as it is using the PICAXE.
Back to the topic of more coverage, the article in Servo magazine is what convinced me to get started with Picaxe. Sounded almost too good to be true - just sacrifice an old serial cable and gather a couple of resistors and go into business??? No programmers to build? Free BASIC IDE? WOW!
From my excitement in getting it to function, I have converted an OOPIC guy from "planning and speculating" mode to "bang the thing out" mode, and have a PIC guy looking on with interest. Even a Stamp guy from several states away is expressing a lot of interest.
Why? Simple, straightforward programming with no special equipment to invest in. Microcontrollers for the unwashed, as it were.
Wreno
From my excitement in getting it to function, I have converted an OOPIC guy from "planning and speculating" mode to "bang the thing out" mode, and have a PIC guy looking on with interest. Even a Stamp guy from several states away is expressing a lot of interest.
Why? Simple, straightforward programming with no special equipment to invest in. Microcontrollers for the unwashed, as it were.
Wreno
Ah, I was confused as I couldn't see it in the block diagram. I've just read the app notes re: ADC.
External components, sig-delta (succ approx) , impressive.
Stan won't like it as it says that ADC won't work properly if used on breadboard!!
And bit banging does not mean there is a buffer (and more usefully, a buffer interrupt bit).i.e. no 'real' USART .. unless I'm looking at wrong data sheet? (again!)
Horses for courses I guess but I bet its really good in some apps.
External components, sig-delta (succ approx) , impressive.
Stan won't like it as it says that ADC won't work properly if used on breadboard!!
And bit banging does not mean there is a buffer (and more usefully, a buffer interrupt bit).i.e. no 'real' USART .. unless I'm looking at wrong data sheet? (again!)
Horses for courses I guess but I bet its really good in some apps.
Dippy said
<i>http://And bit banging does not mean there is a buffer (and more usefully, a buffer interrupt bit).i.e. no 'real' USART .. unless I'm looking at wrong data sheet? (again!) </i>
You aren't mistaken about not finding a hardware USART or a buffer interrupt pin. There are no interrupts with a Prop. But you need a paradygm shift-why would you need to interrupt if you can do 8 things in parallel?.
Spin language( and Prop assembler, for that matter) is object oriented, and there is a Propeller Object that allows full duplex at 115 kB, and that allows enough time to write to memory. If you use 1 core, or, cog for I/O, it still leaves 7 cogs for other tasks.
Each Cog, gets access to hub memory once per hub cycle.(16 clock cycles @ 80MHz), so you can have other Cogs read the memory even while you are doing the I/O. Pretty much what a hardware USART does.
Fast objects get written in assembler, and the user has full access to it. There's lots of published Objects you can download and call from your own programs, so most folk can just use Spin or other high level language.
Lots of things about a Propeller are different, that's why it's probably not for a beginner, but you'll have a hard time finding things it CAN't do.....
Edited by - Larry on 01/02/2007 02:34:05
<i>http://And bit banging does not mean there is a buffer (and more usefully, a buffer interrupt bit).i.e. no 'real' USART .. unless I'm looking at wrong data sheet? (again!) </i>
You aren't mistaken about not finding a hardware USART or a buffer interrupt pin. There are no interrupts with a Prop. But you need a paradygm shift-why would you need to interrupt if you can do 8 things in parallel?.
Spin language( and Prop assembler, for that matter) is object oriented, and there is a Propeller Object that allows full duplex at 115 kB, and that allows enough time to write to memory. If you use 1 core, or, cog for I/O, it still leaves 7 cogs for other tasks.
Each Cog, gets access to hub memory once per hub cycle.(16 clock cycles @ 80MHz), so you can have other Cogs read the memory even while you are doing the I/O. Pretty much what a hardware USART does.
Fast objects get written in assembler, and the user has full access to it. There's lots of published Objects you can download and call from your own programs, so most folk can just use Spin or other high level language.
Lots of things about a Propeller are different, that's why it's probably not for a beginner, but you'll have a hard time finding things it CAN't do.....
Edited by - Larry on 01/02/2007 02:34:05
Very true Larry. I see your point. It is very impressive. But interrupts ARE handy.
I was only having a cursory glance at the Data Sheet. I hadn't really though in-depth about it as I'm not interested in getting one. I wasn't poo-pooing your favourite processor.
Personally, if I were to go off at a non-PICAXE tangent I would give more thought to PSoC.
And, no, it's not for the beginner.
And as its nothing to do with PICAXEs or related projects I'll say no more - "thank goodness for that" I hear.
I was only having a cursory glance at the Data Sheet. I hadn't really though in-depth about it as I'm not interested in getting one. I wasn't poo-pooing your favourite processor.
Personally, if I were to go off at a non-PICAXE tangent I would give more thought to PSoC.
And, no, it's not for the beginner.
And as its nothing to do with PICAXEs or related projects I'll say no more - "thank goodness for that" I hear.
Not my favorite, just ONE of them. Picaxe is right at the top.
On that note, I just got my Feb. N&V with the second installment of the Picaxe articles. Pretty much a redo of hippys LCD app with an 18x.
The only problem I see is that folks are going to start thinking that the only thing a Picaxe can do is drive an LCD! At least hippy gets cited this time around.
Edited by - Larry on 28/01/2007 05:27:32
On that note, I just got my Feb. N&V with the second installment of the Picaxe articles. Pretty much a redo of hippys LCD app with an 18x.
The only problem I see is that folks are going to start thinking that the only thing a Picaxe can do is drive an LCD! At least hippy gets cited this time around.
Edited by - Larry on 28/01/2007 05:27:32
Although Elektor has made it is possible to download pcb artwork for the rocket telemetry system, the article does no include any test software (they made not like using up print space on code listings) and I thought those new to StampPlot might find the following helpful.
This test program transmits three ramps in StampPlot Pro format and demonstrate operation of battery monitor and camera shutdown circuitry. However, for ‘real telemetry’ data it would be better to use StampPlots binary mode with checksum activated.
symbol batstatus = pin7 'Define symbols
symbol alarm = 0
symbol campower = 0
low campower 'Power-up camera
pause 1000 'Wait 1 second for supply to recover
loop: 'Start
if batstatus = alarm then warning 'Monitor battery status for w0 = 0 to 500 'Generate a ramp w1 = w0/2 'Divide ramp value by 2
w2 = w0*2 'Multiply ramp value by 2
serout 7,T1200, (#w1,",",#w0,",",#w2,",",cr) 'Transmit three ramps in StampPlot format at 1.2Kbps pause 300 'Delay to help user read text display
next 'Increment ramp
goto loop 'Return to start
warning:
serout 7,T1200, (" HOLD LAUNCH! low battery",cr) 'Transmit warning message to StampPlot display
high campower 'Power-down camera
This test program transmits three ramps in StampPlot Pro format and demonstrate operation of battery monitor and camera shutdown circuitry. However, for ‘real telemetry’ data it would be better to use StampPlots binary mode with checksum activated.
symbol batstatus = pin7 'Define symbols
symbol alarm = 0
symbol campower = 0
low campower 'Power-up camera
pause 1000 'Wait 1 second for supply to recover
loop: 'Start
if batstatus = alarm then warning 'Monitor battery status for w0 = 0 to 500 'Generate a ramp w1 = w0/2 'Divide ramp value by 2
w2 = w0*2 'Multiply ramp value by 2
serout 7,T1200, (#w1,",",#w0,",",#w2,",",cr) 'Transmit three ramps in StampPlot format at 1.2Kbps pause 300 'Delay to help user read text display
next 'Increment ramp
goto loop 'Return to start
warning:
serout 7,T1200, (" HOLD LAUNCH! low battery",cr) 'Transmit warning message to StampPlot display
high campower 'Power-down camera
hippy
Ex-Staff (retired)
Dippy : <i>Personally, if I were to go off at a non-PICAXE tangent I would give more thought to PSoC ... as its nothing to do with PICAXEs or related projects I'll say no more </i>
I will
The PSoC range look very nice, cheap and potentially available in PDIP form. It's just a shame that the Cypress web site is so unresponsive ( 'crashed completely' at presnt ), with links to 'Not Found' pages and links to the wrong pages, it gives all the impression of a two-bit cowboy outfit.
I think it's acceptable to discuss things like the Propeller and PSoC on this forum when that's not done to steer people away from using the PICAXE. Although there are no current projects using them, I see them as no different to any other peripheral chip or component which could be used with a PICAXE and therefore good to know about.
What I'd really like to see is someone pick up a Propeller chip and deliver it with PCB as a built/kit serial to VGA/Video interface which would make an ideal peripheral for a PICAXE. I cannot see it costing much more than $20 USD. That's the sort of area where my interest in non-PICAXE really lies, and PSoC looks similarly interesting in its own way.
I will
The PSoC range look very nice, cheap and potentially available in PDIP form. It's just a shame that the Cypress web site is so unresponsive ( 'crashed completely' at presnt ), with links to 'Not Found' pages and links to the wrong pages, it gives all the impression of a two-bit cowboy outfit.
I think it's acceptable to discuss things like the Propeller and PSoC on this forum when that's not done to steer people away from using the PICAXE. Although there are no current projects using them, I see them as no different to any other peripheral chip or component which could be used with a PICAXE and therefore good to know about.
What I'd really like to see is someone pick up a Propeller chip and deliver it with PCB as a built/kit serial to VGA/Video interface which would make an ideal peripheral for a PICAXE. I cannot see it costing much more than $20 USD. That's the sort of area where my interest in non-PICAXE really lies, and PSoC looks similarly interesting in its own way.
hippy said,
<i>What I'd really like to see is someone pick up a Propeller chip and deliver it with PCB as a built/kit serial to VGA/Video interface which would make an ideal peripheral for a PICAXE. </i>
Well that one is almost there. and lots of the coding would be easy enough for even me to do it. no assembler required (by me).
their new proto board will do as you ask
<A href='http://parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=32212' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>
for $19.95. The hookups for video are on th board (You supply the 15 pin connector) and serial is just like with a Picaxe.
Of course, it would be better if you sprung another $15 for the accessory kit, which is mostly a combo connector for mouse, keyboard, and, VGA. It wouldn't be necessary if you just want to use a monitor like a giant LCD display, and the coding for that would be trivial. And you don't need a monitor, any TV with an RCA video input will work at lower resolution (NTSC or PAL) with a 3 resistor interface.
Since the chip is object oriented, lots of the low level stuff the average Joe needs is written already, you just call it from your object library.
One of the first objects written was one that emulates Many of the Basic Stamp commands to make transition to the chip easier (like SERIN, SEROUT, SHIFTIN, SHIFTOUT, COUNT, PULSIN/OUT, etc.)
This opens up the possibilities for a bunch of applications for folks that wanted other lab tools for working with the Picaxe.
2 channel frequency generator - Already an object
sine wave generator- already an object
pretty low frequency oscilloscope, type tool, probably in the kHz range, but that might be enough for sensor timiming, etc.--already examples
portable debugger/interface. read and write to the Picaxe without a PC. (OK who's writing the IDE?). several read/write examples are in the object exchange
datalogging tool- go around and read a bunch of dataloging picaxes and use the prop to process and display the info. Examples for that.
The latest work on their Forum is being done on reading and writing to SD cards, so you get 2 GIGs of storage for that.
There's my quick list- What would you want for playing with the Picaxe?
<i>What I'd really like to see is someone pick up a Propeller chip and deliver it with PCB as a built/kit serial to VGA/Video interface which would make an ideal peripheral for a PICAXE. </i>
Well that one is almost there. and lots of the coding would be easy enough for even me to do it. no assembler required (by me).
their new proto board will do as you ask
<A href='http://parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=32212' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>
for $19.95. The hookups for video are on th board (You supply the 15 pin connector) and serial is just like with a Picaxe.
Of course, it would be better if you sprung another $15 for the accessory kit, which is mostly a combo connector for mouse, keyboard, and, VGA. It wouldn't be necessary if you just want to use a monitor like a giant LCD display, and the coding for that would be trivial. And you don't need a monitor, any TV with an RCA video input will work at lower resolution (NTSC or PAL) with a 3 resistor interface.
Since the chip is object oriented, lots of the low level stuff the average Joe needs is written already, you just call it from your object library.
One of the first objects written was one that emulates Many of the Basic Stamp commands to make transition to the chip easier (like SERIN, SEROUT, SHIFTIN, SHIFTOUT, COUNT, PULSIN/OUT, etc.)
This opens up the possibilities for a bunch of applications for folks that wanted other lab tools for working with the Picaxe.
2 channel frequency generator - Already an object
sine wave generator- already an object
pretty low frequency oscilloscope, type tool, probably in the kHz range, but that might be enough for sensor timiming, etc.--already examples
portable debugger/interface. read and write to the Picaxe without a PC. (OK who's writing the IDE?). several read/write examples are in the object exchange
datalogging tool- go around and read a bunch of dataloging picaxes and use the prop to process and display the info. Examples for that.
The latest work on their Forum is being done on reading and writing to SD cards, so you get 2 GIGs of storage for that.
There's my quick list- What would you want for playing with the Picaxe?
I've just read both magazine versions of the recent Nuts & Volts & Elektor Picaxe articles,& in fact feel Elektor keeps the Picaxe component VERY low key. Typical tech. speed readers would certaionly not get excited about the 18X from this account alone.
IMHO however the N&V account is almost right on the nail, with very lucid summaries of features we all hold dear. For some strange reason however, article photos of the breadboard ( yah!) layouts are much too small <A href='http://www.jrhackett.net/picaxe_start.htm ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>. These differ from the "Silicon Chip" style <A href='http://www.picaxe.orcon.net.nz/bboview.jpg' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> now used extensively in Aus/NZ as well.
Off the beaten track forum readers in exotic locations keen to see this article, should check the author's (Ron Hackett) support site at => www.jrhackett.net <A href='http://www.jrhackett.net ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>.
Stan
Edited by - manuka on 08/02/2007 01:41:28
IMHO however the N&V account is almost right on the nail, with very lucid summaries of features we all hold dear. For some strange reason however, article photos of the breadboard ( yah!) layouts are much too small <A href='http://www.jrhackett.net/picaxe_start.htm ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>. These differ from the "Silicon Chip" style <A href='http://www.picaxe.orcon.net.nz/bboview.jpg' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> now used extensively in Aus/NZ as well.
Off the beaten track forum readers in exotic locations keen to see this article, should check the author's (Ron Hackett) support site at => www.jrhackett.net <A href='http://www.jrhackett.net ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>.
Stan
Edited by - manuka on 08/02/2007 01:41:28
RonHackett
Member
I agree with Stan - I wish the breadboard photos in N&V were bigger, but I guess space is at a premium. Oh well, when I get some time, I'll post some larger photos on my site <A href='http:// http://wwwJRHackett.net ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>.
Ron
Ron
Stan…The Elektor article covers quite a lot of ground. Including an introduction to model rocketry, a video telemetry link, FSK modulation/demodulation and the subsequent display of flight data. Therefore the PICAXE only seemed to get a brief (but quite positive) mention. In order to do the PICAXE justice, like including interface code and sensor examples, would have required at least another one or two articles. At least the PICAXE has at last made it into Elektor, and depending upon the response to the rocket article, they may decide to cover it more in the future.
hippy
Ex-Staff (retired)
Elektor has to me always had an air of being 'high-brow' and dealing with professional, well engineered projects ( no "cat scarer run on potato power" stuff ), so the mere mention of PICAXE and its inclusion within a project is itself a good recommendation - Elektor used it, so it can't be bad.
In some ways, the under-stated use of PICAXE is beneficial; simply the best component to do the job. I can't recall if there was a link to Rev-Ed in the article, but I am sure that many readers will seek out further information for themselves.
In some ways, the under-stated use of PICAXE is beneficial; simply the best component to do the job. I can't recall if there was a link to Rev-Ed in the article, but I am sure that many readers will seek out further information for themselves.