The 3x AA one Maplin sell is actually pretty good, I managed to pick up a couple from a car boot sale (seller had a ton of Maplin returned stuff) in the 3-for-£5 bin, I often find myself using one instead of my temperature controlled desk one because it's so quick & convenient for small jobs. Good idea to use low self discharge rechargable batteries in them so it's always ready when you need it.Battery powered soldering iron is also great for vagrants like me.
If you live near a Harbor Freight Tool store, you can pick up a similar multimeter for between $1.99 and $3.99 depending on the sale at the time.In addition to components, you should also get at least a basic multimeter to measure voltages, currents, and resistances. Cheap but still very usable ones sell for well below $10 and are a big help in troubleshooting - it will save you many hours of work. Here's such a unit:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/DVM-810/ECONOMY-DIGITAL-MULTIMETER/-/1.html
or a better one for slightly more
I can understand the idea here, but my reasoning is that I don't want to buy yeat another dongle thingy that i gotta attach to my computer! I think i ran out of usb ports on it yesterday!Whether 'any old USB-to-serial cable' will work depends on what its chipset and driver support is. We would recommend an AXE027. Home built cables can lead to a lot of frustration, annoyance and debugging when they don't work immediately.
well, my issue is "why by another adaptor if this one works?" I have enough USB cables and adapters, I really dont want to add another one. The DB9 will be part of the picaxe, so it wont get lost or confused with the 10 other USB cables I haveThe old addeage "you get what you pay for" is unfortunately too often right, I bought some computery type bits'n'bobs from Chinese eBay sellers last year, the USB 2.0 hubs turned out to be 1.1 (got a refund), and when I got round to using the USB-Serial adaptor I couldn't get any of the drivers on the CD to work, even searched the net for the 'right' ones as suggested by other people who had difficulties with Chinese adaptors but those didn't work either.
I have the same issues. I think it's a USB thing, not worried, as long as I got it to work.Ended up getting the AXE027 and that works fine on my laptop, except for one minor annoyance - when I first plugged into one of the USB ports and it asked for the driver, I installed it from the CD no problems, but when I tried plugging it in the other two USB ports it asked for the driver again which I gave it but that didn't make it work, it only ever works in the first USB port I installed the driver.
I think we all sympathise and understand the reasoning. I've bought cables which I've found I didn't need or could have got half as cheap, had to buy USB hubs as they became more numerous. I mark it up as an expense worth paying to have 'whatever it is' up and running immediately, no doubts or worries. If it all bursts into flames the supplier cannot lay the blame on my DIY cable.my reasoning is that I don't want to buy yeat another dongle thingy that i gotta attach to my computer! ... "why by another adaptor if this one works?"
I'm a bit confused as to how you will be wiring your PICAXE up and what you'll be using for a cable. I've found the AXE027 cable to be pretty distinctive with its 3.5mm jack connector.I have enough USB cables and adapters, I really dont want to add another one. The DB9 will be part of the picaxe, so it wont get lost or confused with the 10 other USB cables I have
It definitely will be, if upgrading to a nice shiny new laptop/Asus etc that doesn't come with a serial port.But you may find the AXE027 becomes the most popular USB device on your PC
blame the postman. the subject of the topic here is "what to start building *before* my picaxe arrives". dug out the USB2serial and made sure XP saw it, checked the firmware to see if it was one that a previous post said should work, made sure the soldering iron heated up, made sure my eyes could still read the numbers on a DB9(then I saw the picture on another post), then correctly soldered phone wires (22awg solid) without shorts. my guestimate is that the 14M starter kit will arive about wed next week.Re just wired up my data cable, dug out my old USB 2 serial dongle and got things working (sorta)
what is "sorta"? Did it download a program or error? And if it downloaded, have you got a led to flash yet? We are keenly awaiting the Eureka! moment.
Dude, sparkfun sells USB cables for $25, and they are a lot less space consuming. yes, i get your point. MY point was I had all the bits (supposedly) to build the equivalent of the USB cable, so I can spend the $25 on more picaxe stuff. I need LESS stuff around, or more SPACE.....Ok, if you really don't want another USB dongle thingy, and you are really serious about picaxe programming, why not get an old PC eg about 1Ghz for free or for next to nothing from your local computer store. Older PCs have real serial D9 plugs on the back. I put the word out some years ago I would take old PCs from friends/family, and I've got a pile of 5 now that have XP and have real serial ports, so if my current "Picaxe PC" dies I've got lots of spares. Olders PCs are plenty fast enough for picaxe programming, especially if you unload all the bloatware that PCs tend to accumulate.
not unless it can do double duty and program my yaseu VX5R, which is the reason I gor the USB2serial adapter last year.But you may find the AXE027 becomes the most popular USB device on your PC
I find this somewhat odd it'll only work on the first USB port the software was installed for, on the same laptop I've installed drivers for a USB-TTL adaptor for programming Zigbee modules at work and it installed ok on each of the 3 serial ports, each USB port gives a different COM port number so that more than one adaptor can be plugged in at the same time.I have the same issues. I think it's a USB thing, not worried, as long as I got it to work.
BB,Not such a bad analogy slimplynth.
We spend a lot of time here helping people to get 3rd party products to work so that they can save a few pence.
not quite. see, the picaxe to me is just a tool, not a project in itself, so the workshop space is devoted to the main project the little joe 10Aha!
"...the subject of the topic here is "what to start building *before* my picaxe arrives". "
and
"..or more SPACE....."
Answer: A bigger workshop!
um, I ordered the starter kit for the 14m, so no hair there. only hair will be from the outputs for now, and those will be going to servos, so not much hair.Seriously though, it's impossible to answer.. what to build?
But a thoroughly checked out board into which you stick your PICaxe would be my choice.
I would also have ordered a couple of the cheaper project boards.
The initial download is always satisfying (ooer Matron), and this is a common stumbling block with many who just throw the PICAXE into a hairy breadboard and wonder why it just sits there smelling.
Since we know (especially me..) that the AXE027 is a GOOD buy (I had three) what is the man to build ? As per the original question ? I'm sure it is NOT a flashing LED...including an asoc. science in electronic engineering!
well, I am asuming that USB to serial adapters don't change voltages, so it'll still be TTL, just that it will not drive anything beyond the 20ma range of RS-232.(AXE027 only working on one USB port)
Talking of which, I thought I once read somewhere that Pics actually use TTL levels? if so could a USB-TTL adaptor be used for programming a Picaxe?
well.......I think something was missed by ALL here. Tater = new MEMBER <> newBY !
Since we know (especially me..) that the AXE027 is a GOOD buy (I had three) what is the man to build ? As per the original question ? I'm sure it is NOT a flashing LED...
good anology, except i *have* put a chevy engine in a ford car, and had it work quite well.I would buy one just for loyalties sake to Rev-Ed, my Fiat probably wouldn't work as well :d with a Renault gear box and I wouldn't be surprised (though amused) at any mechanic I called to take a look at why my car wouldn't work - sorry rubbish analogy - just had 5 minutes to burn :d
you mean this one?I checked out your Little Joe website. Tee Hee. I clicked on the "Top Rated" photos and up came a picture of four delightful young ladies standing next to your rocket ship.
ha! you saw the 1/6th scale, here is the one i need the pics for (center one)I also saw a picture of a rather large rocket in your house. Are you *sure* you don't have room for a few more picaxes??
just did the simple one inthe book. loopback cable? my poor eyes! my unsteady hands! I'll wait till I get the picaxe and see if it doesnt work(should be next week wed)Anyway, there are lots of ways to build the download cable.......
Anyway, if you have a USB to serial thingy but no picaxes as yet, try making a loopback cable.......
But no matter if it can't because the nifty thing about the picaxe series is that if a smaller chip runs out of pins or code space, you can port everything over to a bigger chip with very little fuss........
yeah, i thought there was also current limits on it, but i am probably wrong.Re well, I am asuming that USB to serial adapters don't change voltages, so it'll still be TTL
RS232 voltages are minus 12V resting and go to +12V when data goes through. 0V is not a valid RS232 voltage (RS232 voltages must be either >3V or less than -3V).
*smacks forehead*There are chips called max232 chips that change 0V/5V to -12/+12V. But you don't need them, because the picaxe can handle -12/+12V as long as it has the 10k and 22k resistors on the programmnig pins.
A 10k and 22k resistor is a lot cheaper than a max232 16pin chip and four 1uF capacitors.