new to use it in place of the Atom interpreter; just adjust
for the speed.
Conclusion
I decided to focus on the Basic language for the
beginner, and the BASIC Stamp 2 and the Basic Atom 24
are great options. Parallax also has other BASIC Stamp
24-pin modules that offer faster speed and more memory
but they also cost more. Therefore, you have other 24-pin
options than just what I’ve showed you here. These
higher speed Stamp modules are based on the Scenix
microcontroller chip — not the PIC — though they use the
same programming environment. You can purchase the
Scenix chips from Parallax, as well. Since cost is always
an important factor to the beginner, I mainly wanted to
compare the Stamp 2 with the Atom since many newbies
start with one of these choices.
RadioShack even offers a starter kit (Figure 7) from
Parallax that uses a development board with the Stamp 2
built into it. This makes it a little cheaper to get started. I
have to admit I really like the way they packaged this with
the extra components and a project manual to get you
started. I hope to cover that kit in a future article since I
recently purchased one.
Whichever path you choose, just know that you don’t
have to get that perfect part the first time you make a
purchase. Down the road you will have collected a lot of
different modules, development boards, and starter kits
before you are done. Each will have its own purpose and
advantages. Just do your homework and start with the
best choice you know of and start learning to program.
After you learn that, you are ready to adapt to any
platform.
So, if you are a beginner and want to get started with
programming microcontrollers, selecting the Stamp
or Atom is a great starting point since you get to write
in Basic. Find resources online and in books, and you
won’t have to spend a fortune. From there, your skills
will grow. SV
SERVO 08.2009 71
