[Coco] using external microcontrollers to expand CoCo

[Vanderberg Family]

-----Original Message-----
>From: Joel Ewy <jcewy at swbell.net>
>Sent: Jun 24, 2011 7:18 PM
>To: coco at maltedmedia.com
>Subject: Re: [Coco] using /ddr0 as default (not boot) drive
>
>On 06/24/2011 09:16 PM, Vanderberg Family wrote:
>> ...
>> I am not trying to sell you or anyone else on Picaxes.  For me it is a no brainer.  I have no budget so I will never be able to pay for the setup to start with arduino or propellor or PIC or whatever.  ...
>
>  FWIW (and I'm not trying to sell anybody on anything either) you can 
>get into Arduino compatible microcontrollers for very little.  My budget 
>is also nil, but you can get an Ardweeny kit (you'll have to solder a 
>few through-hole components, but it's a trivial build) for $10 and a USB 
>adapter for $15 from Solarbotics.  Download the regular Arduino IDE for 
>free for Linux, MacOS, and even MS-Windows, and you're off and running.  
>The USB adapter is only necessary when you download a program.  You just 
>plug it onto a header on the Ardweeny.  So you can share a programmer 
>with lots of 'weenies.  For the price of one official Arduino you can 
>get 2 Ardweeny controllers and a USB adapter.  Then additional 
>Ardweenies are just $10 a pop, and a few minutes of assembly time.  
>You'll also need a camera-type USB cable.  I pick those up at the local 
>thrift store for a quarter.  The PCB is just slightly bigger than the 
>'328 DIP and piggy-backs on the chip.  So the whole thing can plug into 
>solderless breadboards, or a socket on your own project.  You've got to 
>supply your own voltage regulator, or you can power it from the USB adapter.
>
>Granted, they're not quite as cheap as some of those Picaxes.  But 
>they're really easy to work with and there is a bucket-load of open 
>source code out there for the Arduino.  My only real point here is that 
>it can be very inexpensive to take advantage of the Arduino codebase.
>
>JCE
>
>
>--
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>Coco at maltedmedia.com
>http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco

Arduino was my original choice for a robot project.
In fact, given a choice, I would wish one of my picaxes were yours and one of your arduinos were mine.
Just to play with.
The code base and variety of completed projects for it are phenominal.  I have no doubt much of the newer hardware available for the CoCo is arduino (or maybe PIC - not picaxe).  And if you consider shields, the possibilities ...  although Rev-Ed has started coming out with shields.  But this is firmly an arduino thing.

As I recall, back a few years ago when I started, you had to have or build a programmer for it and it seemed most users were doing assembly, although I know there were a couple of free basics out there.  But when I ran into the picaxe which required 1 chip, my pc, cable and garage electronics junk bin for parts.  So I d/l the ide for it (nice ide/simulator and nice version of basic with a lot of sensor and control commands already built in.  And then I had to have it.

By the way, I referred in the earlier post to the excellent Picaxe forum.  Many/most of the users there also use ardweenies and propellors and even higher end units depending on interest and suitability for the task.  Other than the picaxe, the arduino is by FAR the most mentioned chip.

Don't care what microcontroller someone picks to interface with the CoCo.  I just want people to know it is easy and useful.  Back in the 80's I really wanted ... well everything in Rainbow ... but I really wanted one of those I/O paks.  Don't remember who made them, maybe Dennis?  Well, back then it took engineering and knowledge.  Now, maybe through the bitbanger port (since the micro and CoCo have serial) it's a trivial project to connect (couple of resistors, 1/2 CoCo printer cable & software on both sides).  THis sounds like I have done it and I don't want to mislead you.  That is why I uncrated my CoCo stuff, but got so involved in all things CoCo that no progress on the interface yet.  The reason I say it is a trivial project is that it is.  It will be no great feat. 3 wires, 2 resistors ( if CoCo puts out ttl as I expect).  If it is true rs-232, the I just add a Max-232 chip.  My driving reason is to add RTC to CoCo but all of the solutions I have seen are add-ons to something more expensive.

By the way, I am not comparing this to any of the hardware out there today.  Those are complex projects.  In any market other than CoCo they would all probably draw higher prices and worth it.  And this would be a poor choice for implementing a hard drive or network or any of that.  In fact I am not selling anything here but an idea that for little money and merely reading the manual and playing in basic you can add a multitude of industry standard sensors, controllers and other devices to your system.  Due to the radio-controlled bunch and the robotics freaks, the prices on sensors and stuff is very low.

So, have fun and let me know if you try something.
Ed



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