Not exactly relevant to BEAM, but an interesting distraction: Here's some interesting media from the San Francisco Exploratorium. Notable media to watch is their "Iron Science Teacher" competition (familiar with "The Iron Chef? Same idea...), and their hosting of Robot Sumo Wrestling.
Sumovore Brainboard - the PICAXE!
Dave Hrynkiw
November 5, 2008
It's been a bit long in the coming, but it's finally here: The Sumovore PICAXE Brainboard for the Solarbotics Sumovore!
One of the biggest tripping points we see from going from the pure digital/analog realm of BEAM to microcontrollers is learning the ins-and-outs of microcontrollers. The PICAXE nicely fills this void by offering a programming interface that is ...just a flowchart! Draw your logic diagram, hit program, and you're off and running!
We initially designed the PICAXE Brainboard to support both the 18X and 28X1 chips, but we've decided to simply package the kit with the PICAXE-28X1, which is a $10.50 chip itself. The 28X1 has enough I/O to support all the sensors (the 18X only supports 3 edge sensors), plus it has more memory and support for I2C (handy with several I2C-It sensors).
Here are the specifics:
- Support for the PICAXE-18X, 28X/28X1 microcontrollers
- Easy PICAXE 1/8” jack programmer interface
- 5 indicator LEDs
- Official PICAXE PWM Interface IC to drive motors
- Microprocessor reset switch
- Standard 0.1” expansion interface holes for breadboard add-ons
- Spot for optional resonator for more accurate timing
It's another convenient way to expand the capabilities of your Sumovore!
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Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.