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Parts is Parts — Parallax Forums

Parts is Parts

ercoerco Posts: 20,260
edited 2011-04-18 08:38 in General Discussion
OK, I just ordered 2 things on impulse. Not in hand yet. Anyone with hands-on insights, please chime in with your experiences.

1) Solar cells from China: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160574296057
5.5v 0.33w 60mA Solar Panel 90x38mm 4pcs for $14.36

I'm hoping 4 in series might keep a small 12V battery topped up.


2) GASP! A PicAxe 18-M2 processor! http://www.rev-ed.co.uk/docs/picaxe18m2.pdf and http://www.solarbotics.com/products/28445/ and http://www.phanderson.com/picaxe/

A $5, 2K Stamp-like chip that can run 4 tasks in Parallel. Maybe like watching a couple wheel encoders while doing other things...

Comments

  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2011-04-17 19:04
    Erco, like Dorthy in the Wizard of Oz, the solution has been with you all along. Just tap your shoes together and say three times "There's no microcontroller like the Propeller chip." Remember, the Propeller chip can run eight tasks in Parallel and has 32K of RAM.

    OK, it's like one of those alien invasion films and the propeller pod people have gotten to me.
  • RavenkallenRavenkallen Posts: 1,057
    edited 2011-04-17 22:15
    I bought a few 18M2's a while back, but i still have not had a chance to try them out yet. Have you used the Picaxe before? It is really EASY to use and the Basic language that it is programmed in might as well be PBASIC. My favorite is the 20X2.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-18 00:33
    Erco, a PicAxe?!! How's that song go?
    Slippin' into darkness, yeah
    When i heard my mother say
    I was slippin' into darkness, yeah
    When i heard my mother say
    You've been slippin' into darkness
    Oh oh oh oh
    Pretty soon, you're gonna pay.
    Yeah, yeah.

    -Phil
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-04-18 05:11
    They use them exclusively in test rigs for high-end radiology equipment motor controllers where a friend of mine works. They don't go in the actual equipment, of course.
  • ctwardellctwardell Posts: 1,716
    edited 2011-04-18 05:17
    Oh Erco, how could you...

    Maybe watching this will bring you back into the light:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTzLVIc-O5E

    I was at one of my clients the week before last in a software design meeting with a group of truss bridge engineers. In the middle of discussing bridges in minute detail I had to play that video to let everyone decompress a little bit.

    C.W.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2011-04-18 06:29
    Don't worry, Team; I'm NOT abandoning ship! I have amassed a collection of uC's over the years: C-Stamp, Basic Atom, Athena/Nemesis, BasicX, PicStic, Baby Orangutan, Maestro, etc, and I keep coming back to Parallax. I like to know what's out there, but I'm a diehard Parallax fan!

    It's just like my buddy's position on flirting while married: it doesn't matter where you get your appetite from, as long as you go home for dinner!
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-04-18 08:19
    You see! You see! I've been telling you'all about erco's affinity for the dark side!

    First it was plywood... now this?

    TURN FROM YOUR WICKED WAYS, young erco...there is yet still a small glimmer of hope for your young, impulsive, mis-guided mind!

    PS: We could have a fundraiser...we'll call it the "buy a pair of Ruby-Red slippers for erco fund" -'course it may be too late - I think I just saw him doing loops outside my window with a bunch of flying monkeys. So sad.

    -Matt
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2011-04-18 08:38
    I'll get you AND YOUR LITTLE PROP, TOO!

    Toto, I don't think we're in Rocklin anymore!

    PS: Matt: scare up some discontinued ADC0834's and we can talk!
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