what did santa bring?

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Andrew Holdaway on 30/12/2016 12:54:00:

This may help –

…

Sure does! Many thanks

Dave

[Andy HoldawayParticipant @andyholdaway]

I have no idea why that posted three times! Too late to edit now.

Andy

[Andy HoldawayParticipant @andyholdaway]

Martin,

The Arduino is an open source microcontroller based on a number of different Atmel microprocessors. All of the external electronics that are needed to enable the processor to be standalone are done for you on the board, so you only have to worry about programming it, and hooking up any external inputs and outputs.

Quite easy to learn the programming as it is 'C' based.

Have a look at http://www.arduino.cc

Andy

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Martin,
The Arduino is a small self contained computer that can be fairly easily programmed to control things like small toy robots, flash lights control stepper motors for rotary tables but is no where near as powerful as a pc, laptop, or even phone. There have been lots things like it before that have been the 'bees knees' for a few years before being replaced by something more powerful.

Because it is the thing of the moment it is grasped as the solution to everything, like rear parting tools or tangential tools that will solve all your turning problems. It was 'invented' in Italy I believe to make it easy for artists to add flashing lights to their 'art installations' hence uses the word 'sketch' for a program and 'shield' for an add on board.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

What's "C" ??

[Bob JeppParticipant @bobjepp]

My two boys bought me a selection of imperial sized end mills to replenish my stocks ( from Arc ), wife bought me a solid gold lens hood for the SLR ( must be solid gold at the price – surely it can't just be plastic ! ), a magnifier / lamp from the Midland ME Exhibition and a MeArm robot kit.

Although programming robots is my trade, I am fascinated by the underlying motion control software which I know almost nothing about, so, as the MeArm can be controlled with an Arduino i'll be able to experiment.

My oldest lad ( he's over 30 year old ) had a Lego Technic Bucket Wheel Excavator kit – a huge model and so complicated, loads of gears and shafts – a fully working model ( kept him quiet for two days ! ).

Had a day out shopping on Wednesday – dropped in to Arc as my brother-in-law ( visiting for Christmas ) wanted some bits and pieces and was greeted cordially by Ketan, his good lady wife and had the usual lengthy chat during which we put the world to rights – came away with a bag full of assorted stuff.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Bazyle on 30/12/2016 14:02:58:

…

Because it is the thing of the moment it is grasped as the solution to everything, like rear parting tools or tangential tools that will solve all your turning problems. It was 'invented' in Italy I believe to make it easy for artists to add flashing lights to their 'art installations' hence uses the word 'sketch' for a program and 'shield' for an add on board.

I don't know where Bazyle gets his ideas from, but my understanding is that the Arduino has a rather respectable industrial heritage. True it was designed as a teaching aid to make it cheap and easy to prototype simple control projects. False, that the target was solely 'art installations', even if we agree that's a bad thing.

The Arduino originated in a thesis project at the Interaction Design Institute, Ivrea which is in Italy. There's nothing fluffy about "Interaction Design". It's a hairy arsed engineering methodology, invented by a Brit. There's much more to technology than bashing metal.

Almost everything I've bought recently has a microcontroller in it. Washing Machine, Fridge Freezer, TV, DAB radio, computer mouse, doorbell, sewing machine, lathe, printer, dehumidifier, decorative lights, coffee machine, guess what – all micro-controlled. Even the cat's xmas clockwork mouse turned out to to have a battery and microcontroller. For £5 it runs round the room in straight lines and curves. The mouse reverses when it gets stuck; it goes to sleep, wakes up, and has an impressive vocabulary of animal noises. A really good buy – the cat is terrified of it.

Dave

[Chris GunnParticipant @chrisgunn36534]

Santa brought me a nice new 12.5mm drill, so I am off out into the workshop to start work on a new trailer. Chris Gunn

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by KWIL on 30/12/2016 14:25:07:

What's "C" ??

The successor to 'B'

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 30/12/2016 15:49:28:

. Even the cat's xmas clockwork mouse turned out to to have a battery and microcontroller. For £5 it runs round the room in straight lines and curves. The mouse reverses when it gets stuck; it goes to sleep, wakes up, and has an impressive vocabulary of animal noises. A really good buy – the cat is terrified of it.

Ditto the scorpion I bought my daughter. i would have bought her the spider, but it was too realistic for me

Neil;

[Author]

Posts