Servo - August 2009

by William Smith

Programming Microcontrollers

Learning to program microcontrollers is what every electronics beginner needs to put on their to-do list.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave without Internet access, you have probably heard of the BASIC

Stamp 2. This little module from Parallax, Inc., has really changed the hobbyist world and launched a large batch of new programmers. If you’ve seen a robot kit targeted at the hobbyist crowd, there is a

good chance that a BASIC Stamp 2 is the controlling microcontroller. This popularity also comes with its

share of copycats. I’ve have seen numerous BASIC Stamp 2 compatible modules over the years. Some

program in C language, some in Java, and some based on chips other than the Microchip PIC used

on the BASIC Stamp 2. For the beginner, though, I suggest staying with the Basic language to start. I suggest one of two options: the BASIC Stamp 2 or the Basic Atom 24.

Imitation is a form of flattery someone once said and based on that, there must be a lot of affection for what the Stamp offers because there are a lot of imitators. I feel that a lot of the imitators just try to do something different than the BASIC Stamp 2 but not offer a clear alternative that maintains the Basic code format. One of the Stamp’s strengths is the PBASIC code which makes it easy for anyone to program an application. Once you conquer programming in Basic, you are ready to move on to Basic compilers and single chip solutions. Unfortunately, so many of the clones use a completely different language or completely different format which just adds complexity to the beginner and no direct upgrade path. In my opinion, the one clone that got it close and also offers an upgrade path for the beginner is the Basic Atom.

The Basic Atom 24 module is pin-compatible with the BASIC Stamp 2 but offers some different features.

Figures 1A and 1B. BASIC Stamp 2 and Basic Atom 24.

A

B

68 SERVO 08.2009

Figure 1 shows the two side-by-side. The Stamp costs $49, the Atom costs $49.95.

Technical Details

The specs presented in this article will show that you have two very similar choices when building your first robot or electronic gadget using a Basic language module. These details are intended to help you decide which one to use for your particular application. The most important aspect is you can easily switch between them since they are pin-compatible. The specs for the two modules are: