Post by thread:BASIC STAMPS?

How do they work? I was looking over a design on Circuit Celler online. The circuit was @ http://www.chipcenter.com/circuitcellar/october99/c109tp1.htm They used a PIC16C57. The included a serial link to program it... Its not a basic stamp is it? Its all there to be built. I can only assume the chip is running some FIRMWARE for the basic stamp and then gets the program through the serial port and then runs it. I'm really interested in this firmware can anybody tell me where to find it? Or if I'm even on the right track... Someone please explain cause the article assumed that I had loaded the chip with the firmware already I guess cause it just said it would work. Darren King

part 0 3331 bytes I suspect you will have to order a pre-programmed 16C57 from the guy.  A lot of micro based projects in Elector are like that.  You don't get any source code, just a programmed chip.  I could be wrong though... Regards Mike Rigby-Jones <UL> {Original Message removed}

> Michael Rigby-Jones wrote: > I suspect you will have to order a pre-programmed 16C57 from the guy. The wording of the article suggests that the program and indeed the 16C57 are in Stamp 2 code. There are clones available which copy the BS2, or you could use an actual BS2. The BS1 was always available as the coded interpreter chip by itself, I'm not sure how this applies to the BS2. -- Cheers, Paul B.

You have no idea how much time i put into learning the workings of the basic sta mp. I still strongly feel that anyone that really knows programming as well as electronics can pump out 10 of these for the price of one Parallax basic stamp.. .anyway the basic idea is the user write their code which is then downloaded to the onboard EEPROM 24lC32?..from there the pic chip calls parts of the user cod e (wich is now turned into simple opcodes that triger a "goto" within the prepro grammed PIC code) and thats about the basics of it. On board voltage regulators and what not... MiKE On Thu, 4 Nov 1999 05:18:20 -0800 Darren King <spam_OUTdarren.kingTakeThisOuTSYMPATICO.CA> wrote: {Quote hidden}>How do they work? I was looking over a design on Circuit Celler online. >The circuit was @ >http://www.chipcenter.com/circuitcellar/october99/c109tp1.htm > >They used a PIC16C57. The included a serial link to program it... Its not >a basic stamp is it? Its all there to be built. I can only assume the chip >is running some FIRMWARE for the basic stamp and then gets the program >through the serial port and then runs it. I'm really interested in this >firmware can anybody tell me where to find it? Or if I'm even on the right >track... > >Someone please explain cause the article assumed that I had loaded the chip >with the firmware already I guess cause it just said it would work. > >Darren King > Send someone a cool Dynamitemail flashcard greeting!! And get rewarded. GO AHEAD! http://cards.dynamitemail.com/index.php3?rid=fc-41

I like the idea of rolling my own "basic stamp". I've been meaning to give STI-64 a try. But I would like to see it use external SEEPROM. Has anyone modified the code to do this yet?? John Mullan {Original Message removed}

John Mullan wrote: > > I like the idea of rolling my own "basic stamp". I've been meaning to give > STI-64 a try. But I would like to see it use external SEEPROM. > > Has anyone modified the code to do this yet?? It will be done some time in the future along with a few other enhancements, however in the meantime perhaps you would like to look at: http://www.dontronics.com/tiny51.html as an alternative. Again this is a future product, but this one I would imagine will be available Jan-00 or before. Should that be "2000". I guess I better start using four digits before my keyboard falls out of the sky, or I fall off my rocking chair. :-) Don McKenzie .....donKILLspam@spam@dontronics.com http://www.dontronics.com Don's Download Dungeon: http://www.dontronics.com/download.html World's Largest Range of Atmel and PICmicro Hardware and Software

Well Don this sounds promising. I may get around to trying it. However, at the moment I have a 4 dozen 16C84 chips that I would like to put to good use and was hoping for source that works in it (utilizing the serial EEPROM of course). I'll keep my eyes open for the updated STI-64 though. Reguards, John Mullan {Original Message removed}

John Mullan wrote: > > Well Don this sounds promising. I may get around to trying it. However, > at the moment I have a 4 dozen 16C84 chips that I would like to put to good > use and was hoping for source that works in it (utilizing the serial EEPROM > of course). > > I'll keep my eyes open for the updated STI-64 though. OK, there is also: http://www.dontronics.com/picbasic.html and http://www.dontronics.com/pbpro.html that don't use an EEPROM at all, and do the same thing and more, but at a price of course. Don McKenzie donKILLspamdontronics.com http://www.dontronics.com Don's Download Dungeon: http://www.dontronics.com/download.html World's Largest Range of Atmel and PICmicro Hardware and Software

So would basic stamps be more useful to people who don't know how to program in the assembly or are the just more convient cause they have the on board power regulator and what not? what is STI-64. Some roll you own PIC Code? Darren King ----- Original Message ----- From: John Mullan <.....jmullanKILLspam.....CGOCABLE.NET> To: <EraseMEPICLISTspam_OUTTakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 7:47 PM Subject: Re: BASIC STAMPS? > Well Don this sounds promising. I may get around to trying it. However, > at the moment I have a 4 dozen 16C84 chips that I would like to put to good > use and was hoping for source that works in it (utilizing the serial EEPROM > of course). > > I'll keep my eyes open for the updated STI-64 though. > > Reguards, > > John Mullan > > > {Original Message removed}

actually as much as im against the basic stamp and the whole mark up your produc t 95% coorporate world...i would have to say the answer is YES. their language is real simple, the entire device is a nice small size with basically all onboar d hardware. However i just rather take my time and learn the PIC instruction se t (which isnt that hard to get goin) and prog chips at around $4.00 a peice inst ead of a $70 stamp (or however much they are) mIkE On Sat, 6 Nov 1999 17:39:13 -0800 Darren King <darren.kingspam_OUTSYMPATICO.CA> wrote: {Quote hidden}>So would basic stamps be more useful to people who don't know how to program >in the assembly or are the just more convient cause they have the on board >power regulator and what not? what is STI-64. Some roll you own PIC Code? > >Darren King > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: John Mullan <@spam@jmullanKILLspamCGOCABLE.NET> >To: <KILLspamPICLISTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU> >Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 7:47 PM >Subject: Re: BASIC STAMPS? > > >> Well Don this sounds promising. I may get around to trying it. However, >> at the moment I have a 4 dozen 16C84 chips that I would like to put to >good >> use and was hoping for source that works in it (utilizing the serial >EEPROM >> of course). >> >> I'll keep my eyes open for the updated STI-64 though. >> >> Reguards, >> >> John Mullan >> >> >> {Original Message removed}

Darren, The BASIC Stamp is very useful for the quick project where you only need to use it for a short while and for prototyping a new idea. Quick and easy to program with no programmer of special board required. The BX-24 is a pin compatible replacement for the BS-2 with much more power. The BS-2 uses a subset of BASIC and the BX-24 a subset of Visual Basic. For BS-2 and BX-24 info see Prof. Anderson's site at: http://www.phanderson.com/stamp/ http://www.phanderson.com/basicx/ Good luck and have fun, - Nick - Darren King wrote: {Quote hidden}> > So would basic stamps be more useful to people who don't know how to program > in the assembly or are the just more convient cause they have the on board > power regulator and what not? what is STI-64. Some roll you own PIC Code? > > Darren King > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: John Mullan <RemoveMEjmullanTakeThisOuTCGOCABLE.NET> > To: <spamBeGonePICLISTspamBeGoneMITVMA.MIT.EDU> > Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 7:47 PM > Subject: Re: BASIC STAMPS? > > > Well Don this sounds promising. I may get around to trying it. However, > > at the moment I have a 4 dozen 16C84 chips that I would like to put to > good > > use and was hoping for source that works in it (utilizing the serial > EEPROM > > of course). > > > > I'll keep my eyes open for the updated STI-64 though. > > > > Reguards, > > > > John Mullan > > > > > > {Original Message removed}

> So would basic stamps be more useful to people who don't know how to > program in the assembly or are the just more convient cause they have the > on board power regulator and what not? Yes. The stamp language is easier to program in than assembly. The stamp hardware is ready-to-go - just connect wires to the appropriate I/O signals. The stamp programming environment is simpler than OTP or FLASH based controller chips - it plugs directly into your PC, no "programmer" required. It's pretty great for "quick", but not so hot for "cheap." (it's also not very good for "fast" WRT processor speed.) On the bright side, if you DO design a project around a stamp, you can get cheaper versions (ie chip only rather than the whole PCB) and design the HW to go with it "later." In that case, you'll only be 3 times or so as expensive as a bare PIC (Maybe - I recall an ~$9 price for preprogrammed basic stamp I PIC chip in moderate quantities.) BillW

By the way, does anyone have experience with the "basic tiger" systems from Wilke technology? The specs are impressive for the price, but I don't hear nearly as much about them as I would expect to... Thanks Bill W

I bought a Pic Proto board (but you can go to Radio Shack and buy a PCB board for $1.19) and put a socket for a 16F84, crystal, caps, regulator and reset button and Presto! you almost have a Basic Stamp :) A suggestion is to get some index cards and write down basic routines. For example, to make a pin high/low, to check if one file is greater/less/equal than another file. You can make macros that can duplicate Basic Stamp instructions. But I do use the BasicStampII in some of my development work. For example, I used a 12CE674-04/JW which is a windowed part. MPLAB simulation does not cover the 8-bit A/D register (ADRES). So I used a BSII, an external 8-bit A/D, and constructed a BSII-A/D harness terminated with an 8-pin header to fit into my project. I wrote the code in PBASIC and used BSII's most valuable feature: the DEBUG Terminal. I could display the A/D register, pin I/0, on the monitor, to prove out both my circuits hardware and the Program Algorithm. With the BSII, I discovered a harware issue using the DEBUG terminal. The BSII language and DEBUG is faster to develop than PIC, albeit more limited. You can change code and reload in just a few seconds. I then just bounced the PBASIC code routine by routine into PIC assembly. I just agree with Mike that PIC is not so hard to learn, plus it offers a lot more features like A/D, more memory for program and data. You can always add a DTMF chip if you like. The thing I hate most about PIC is Bank switching. But at $3-4 dollars per chip versus $34.00, I will deal with the Bank switching. Expecially if you keep the suggested Cheat Sheet nearby... Mike M wrote: > > actually as much as im against the basic stamp and the whole mark up your prod uct 95% coorporate world...i would have to say the answer is YES. their languag e is real simple, the entire device is a nice small size with basically all onbo ard hardware. However i just rather take my time and learn the PIC instruction set (which isnt that hard to get goin) and prog chips at around $4.00 a peice in stead of a $70 stamp (or however much they are) {Quote hidden}> > mIkE > > On Sat, 6 Nov 1999 17:39:13 -0800 Darren King <TakeThisOuTdarren.kingEraseMEspam_OUTSYMPATICO.CA> wrote : > >So would basic stamps be more useful to people who don't know how to program > >in the assembly or are the just more convient cause they have the on board > >power regulator and what not? what is STI-64. Some roll you own PIC Code? > > > >Darren King > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: John Mullan <RemoveMEjmullanTakeThisOuTCGOCABLE.NET> > >To: <PICLISTEraseME.....MITVMA.MIT.EDU> > >Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 7:47 PM > >Subject: Re: BASIC STAMPS? > > > > > >> Well Don this sounds promising. I may get around to trying it. However, > >> at the moment I have a 4 dozen 16C84 chips that I would like to put to > >good > >> use and was hoping for source that works in it (utilizing the serial > >EEPROM > >> of course). > >> > >> I'll keep my eyes open for the updated STI-64 though. > >> > >> Reguards, > >> > >> John Mullan > >> > >> > >> {Original Message removed}

Jason, I suggest you take a look at using NetMedia's BX-24 for your development work in place of the BS-2. It has 32K of program memory (without bank switching), 400 bytes of RAM, multi-tasking, 8 10-bit A/D converters, floating point math, an on board real time clock/calendar, SPI and Dallas 1-wire and X-10 and std. serial communications ... plus three additional I/O pins and two LEDs on board. The SPI com doesn't use any of the std. pins so there are 19 I/O pins plus SPI. It's pin compatible with the BS-2, doesn't require a special programming board, and the software is available at the NetMedia site ... and the price is $10 less than that of the BS-2. I just pulled the BS-2 out of its breadboard and plugged in the BX-24, installed the software and was ready to go! The "chip" has only been available for a couple of weeks, but so far I'm really impressed. If you send in your old BS-2 plus $20, they'll send you a BX-24 ... can't beat that! http://www.basicx.com/ - Nick - Jason Muhammad wrote: {Quote hidden}> > I bought a Pic Proto board (but you can go to Radio Shack and buy a PCB > board for $1.19) and put a socket for a 16F84, crystal, caps, regulator > and reset button and Presto! you almost have a Basic Stamp :) A > suggestion is to get some index cards and write down basic routines. > For example, to make a pin high/low, to check if one file is > greater/less/equal than another file. You can make macros that can > duplicate Basic Stamp instructions. > > But I do use the BasicStampII in some of my development work. For > example, I used a 12CE674-04/JW which is a windowed part. MPLAB > simulation does not cover the 8-bit A/D register (ADRES). So I used a > BSII, an external 8-bit A/D, and constructed a BSII-A/D harness > terminated with an 8-pin header to fit into my project. I wrote the > code in PBASIC and used BSII's most valuable feature: the DEBUG > Terminal. I could display the A/D register, pin I/0, on the monitor, to > prove out both my circuits hardware and the Program Algorithm. With the > BSII, I discovered a harware issue using the DEBUG terminal. The BSII > language and DEBUG is faster to develop than PIC, albeit more limited. > You can change code and reload in just a few seconds. I then just > bounced the PBASIC code routine by routine into PIC assembly. > > I just agree with Mike that PIC is not so hard to learn, plus it offers > a lot more features like A/D, more memory for program and data. You can > always add a DTMF chip if you like. The thing I hate most about PIC is > Bank switching. But at $3-4 dollars per chip versus $34.00, I will deal > with the Bank switching. Expecially if you keep the suggested Cheat > Sheet nearby... > > Mike M wrote: > > > > actually as much as im against the basic stamp and the whole mark up your pr oduct 95% coorporate world...i would have to say the answer is YES. their langu age is real simple, the entire device is a nice small size with basically all on board hardware. However i just rather take my time and learn the PIC instructio n set (which isnt that hard to get goin) and prog chips at around $4.00 a peice instead of a $70 stamp (or however much they are) > > > > mIkE > > > > On Sat, 6 Nov 1999 17:39:13 -0800 Darren King <EraseMEdarren.kingSYMPATICO.CA> wro te: {Quote hidden}> > >So would basic stamps be more useful to people who don't know how to progra m > > >in the assembly or are the just more convient cause they have the on board > > >power regulator and what not? what is STI-64. Some roll you own PIC Code? > > > > > >Darren King > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > >From: John Mullan <RemoveMEjmullanEraseMEEraseMECGOCABLE.NET> > > >To: <RemoveMEPICLISTspam_OUTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU> > > >Sent: Thursday, November 04, 1999 7:47 PM > > >Subject: Re: BASIC STAMPS? > > > > > > > > >> Well Don this sounds promising. I may get around to trying it. However, > > >> at the moment I have a 4 dozen 16C84 chips that I would like to put to > > >good > > >> use and was hoping for source that works in it (utilizing the serial > > >EEPROM > > >> of course). > > >> > > >> I'll keep my eyes open for the updated STI-64 though. > > >> > > >> Reguards, > > >> > > >> John Mullan > > >> > > >> > > >> {Original Message removed}

> By the way, does anyone have experience with the "basic tiger" systems from > Wilke technology? The specs are impressive for the price, but I don't hear > nearly as much about them as I would expect to... > > Thanks > Bill W Yes, I have used it for a long time and they are GREAT. They are not as fast as a PIC but they can do multitasking, have plenty of memory (up to 2MB) the they are very EASY to program. No programmer needed, just connect to PC. They are more SBC then a bare processor Friendly Regards Octavio Nogueira =================================================== RemoveMEnogueiraTakeThisOuTspampropic2.com ICQ# 19841898 ProPic tools - low cost PIC programmer and emulator http://www.propic2.com =================================================== -----Mensagem Original----- De: William Chops Westfield <EraseMEbillwspamspamBeGoneCISCO.COM> Para: <RemoveMEPICLISTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU> Enviada em: Domingo, Novembro 07, 1999 12:29 Assunto: Re: BASIC STAMPS?