Microcontroller Basics : Basic Stamps
Hello. Yes, it's true, you can now easily program a Basic Stamp with your Mac OSX machine, if you have the wonderful free PBasic compiler MacBS2 and a USB-to-Serial Adaptor. Here's what you want in order to get started with Stamps:
- I would say not to worry about purchasing the beginner's packs that Parallax sells. Instead just get...
- A Basic Stamp 2 (BS2-IC) - don't get the BS1, and don't pay more than $50 for a stamp - that's already a rip-off...
- Some cheap test components like LEDs, some really basic potentiometers maybe, a switch (SPST=SinglePoleSingleThrow) or two, and a handful of different value resistors (1/4 watt; maybe like 220, 1k, 2k, etc) and capacitors (0.1, 0.01, etc) from your local Radioshack or electronics store - it's best to look at the tutorials you're going to be using and see what parts they require before going out...
- YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY ANY BOOKS - you can learn everything with documentation that Parallax offers for FREE online, and there are tons and tons of reputable example code, schematics and tips on websites everywhere. Google is your friend... You can get most of the documentation here on the Parallax website - you'll want to download the various Tutorials, the PBasic Manual, the Basic Stamp Manual and whatever else you can find...
- Once you're ready to commit a circuit, you'll need a soldering iron, some solder, maybe some de-soldering braid, a handful of different colored wire (24 AWG - solid or stranded), maybe a clamp, some heat shrink tubing, wire clippers, needle-nose pliers and some wire strippers. In addition, you need to get some IC-sockets making sure you get the right size for your Stamp - this will not only protect your dear Stamp from the wrath of a hot soldering iron, but it will allow you to easily pop the stamp out, reprogram it and even use it again in another circuit. And finally, it would be nice, but is not essential, to have maybe a heat shrink gun, a drill with bits, and a dremel...
There will be two main parts to your self-education: basic circuitry stuff (hooking up your circuit, soldering and such) and programming the chip with your PBasic compiler. Just read the tutorials and search the web and you'll be fine. I promise. This stuff is a cinch after a little dedicated investigation... Also, if you already have some experience, or know that you have a project that you want to do that involves making multiples of the same device, the Basic Stamp might not be the right choice for you. I personally think PIC microcontrollers are superior. In fact, the Basic Stamp is made with a PIC. Here're the main differences you'll want to take into account:
- Basic Stamps cost $50 EACH. PICs cost as little as $1-$5 a piece - very important to consider if you plan to make multiple devices
- There're so many different kinds of PICs (I recommend the 16f628 to get started) and they are all faster and potentially more powerful than Basic Stamps. Part of this is due to the fact that the Basic Stamp has an on-board interpreter, meaning that it is continuously interpretting the code you programmed on it. On a PIC, the code you program is compiled down into a really small and efficient hex-file and executes much faster and with less overhead.
- Basic Stamps have a great tutorials, documentation and equipment for beginners. That's why they cost so much. They're made specifically for hobbiests. It used to be that you had to learn Assembly to program PICs which can greatly steepen the learning curve, but that is no longer the case. You can now purchase (or "borrow" from a friend) a Basic or C compiler for the PIC (definitely for PC, i'm not sure about on OSX, though??? - check out SDCC and GPUtils). The Basic compiler I've seen for the PC is almost identical to the one used for the Basic Stamp so you can then use the free Parallax documentation to do the same thing on your PIC.
So basically Basic Stamps are great if you're really afraid to get started - they make it so easy. But as soon as you want to make more stuff and don't want to have to pop out your precious Basic Stamp and reprogram it every time before using it in another circuit, the PICs are the way to go. It really isn't that much harder to learn. See my section on PICs if you want to get started with them...
And here are a bunch of Related Links having to do with Basic Stamp documentation and making MIDI controllers with them...
Good Luck!!
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PLEASE NOTE: For a number of personal reasons I am currently unable to support this page and am unable to respond to any further questions, requests, demands, etc posted here. I sincerely apologize for this. The material above is simply presented as archival material (some of it incomplete) of a project that I am not actively involved with anymore, and it will probably not be updated any further. You are free to use it in whatever non-commercial ways you wish (see the CreativeCommons license below). In addition, feel free to use the comments-section below to post ideas, solutions, or to ask questions, but with the understanding that any queries will have to be answered by the community at large - not by me. Thanks for understanding.
