basic
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Posts: 46,084
Hello,
I started learning how to program the Basic Stamp a year ago. I spent a lot
of time trying to figure out how to write simple Pbasic code. Books like
"Basic Stamp Computer", "Basic Stamp" and Al Williams "Microcontroller
Projects with Basic Stamps" were very helpful. Then came a posting by Tracy
in response to a query about how to monitor the status of eight doors (open
or closed) and have different actions result when each door opened or
closed. His code demonstrated the use of an XOR manipulation to distinguish
which doors had changed state. Another simple ANDING of two variables
combined with the use of NCD and the BRANCH command and the distinction
between the closing and opening of the doors was made apparent. I would not
have been able to generate this code on my own. What's more, it took me some
time to even appreciate and use it.
What is my point? Simply, that in addition to studying code written by
others, how does one acquire the fundamental concepts and techniques of data
manipulation using basic commands. There are many texts on Visual Basic but
does anyone know of a text that deals with basic "Basic"?
Sean
I started learning how to program the Basic Stamp a year ago. I spent a lot
of time trying to figure out how to write simple Pbasic code. Books like
"Basic Stamp Computer", "Basic Stamp" and Al Williams "Microcontroller
Projects with Basic Stamps" were very helpful. Then came a posting by Tracy
in response to a query about how to monitor the status of eight doors (open
or closed) and have different actions result when each door opened or
closed. His code demonstrated the use of an XOR manipulation to distinguish
which doors had changed state. Another simple ANDING of two variables
combined with the use of NCD and the BRANCH command and the distinction
between the closing and opening of the doors was made apparent. I would not
have been able to generate this code on my own. What's more, it took me some
time to even appreciate and use it.
What is my point? Simply, that in addition to studying code written by
others, how does one acquire the fundamental concepts and techniques of data
manipulation using basic commands. There are many texts on Visual Basic but
does anyone know of a text that deals with basic "Basic"?
Sean
Comments
manuals or textbooks floating around.
Original Message
> I started learning how to program the Basic Stamp a year ago. I spent a
lot
> of time trying to figure out how to write simple Pbasic code. Books like
> "Basic Stamp Computer", "Basic Stamp" and Al Williams "Microcontroller
> Projects with Basic Stamps" were very helpful. Then came a posting by
Tracy
> in response to a query about how to monitor the status of eight doors
(open
> or closed) and have different actions result when each door opened or
> closed. His code demonstrated the use of an XOR manipulation to
distinguish
> which doors had changed state. Another simple ANDING of two variables
> combined with the use of NCD and the BRANCH command and the distinction
> between the closing and opening of the doors was made apparent. I would
not
> have been able to generate this code on my own. What's more, it took me
some
> time to even appreciate and use it.
> What is my point? Simply, that in addition to studying code written by
> others, how does one acquire the fundamental concepts and techniques of
data
> manipulation using basic commands. There are many texts on Visual Basic
but
> does anyone know of a text that deals with basic "Basic"?
>others, how does one acquire the fundamental concepts and techniques of data
>manipulation using basic commands. There are many texts on Visual Basic but
>does anyone know of a text that deals with basic "Basic"?
I learned basic "basic" on a Tandy model 100 laptop computer, which
had an interpreter burned into ROM. It was a very accessible BASIC
for learning, and in its day it had a huge and active user community
sharing code and tricks. I used it for data logging and control.
The uses of the elementary functions like XOR, you kind of pick up as
you go along. Snippets here and there. I've learned a lot from
participating here. A text, though, beyond the ones you have
mentioned. I am not sure. The elementary functions become more
important as you get into assembly language programming. You might
find it very worthwhile to get into Al's text on the SX
microcontroller. It is very readable and could help a lot for
understanding what goes on behind the scenes in the stamp.
-- Tracy
are bringing over from assembly or C where you are exposed to the bare metal
more. Kind of like math. You don't really learn math until you take algebra.
You don't learn algebra until you take calculus. You don't really learn
calculus until you take differential equations. I have no idea how you
really learn differential equations!
Al Williams
AWC
* Expand your Stamp I/O
http://www.al-williams.com/awce/pak3.htm
>
Original Message
> From: Tracy Allen [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=dbVLAzR3NlGNuMm_v5myd_jNQpXmmA9X85IpVJxecVrZTgeRql1eLUKvsbiyvFFw6i2zOjnpXx7uZw]tracy@e...[/url
> Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 12:18 AM
> To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] basic "Basic" ?
>
>
> >What is my point? Simply, that in addition to studying code written by
> >others, how does one acquire the fundamental concepts and
> techniques of data
> >manipulation using basic commands. There are many texts on
> Visual Basic but
> >does anyone know of a text that deals with basic "Basic"?
>
> I learned basic "basic" on a Tandy model 100 laptop computer, which
> had an interpreter burned into ROM. It was a very accessible BASIC
> for learning, and in its day it had a huge and active user community
> sharing code and tricks. I used it for data logging and control.
>
> The uses of the elementary functions like XOR, you kind of pick up as
> you go along. Snippets here and there. I've learned a lot from
> participating here. A text, though, beyond the ones you have
> mentioned. I am not sure. The elementary functions become more
> important as you get into assembly language programming. You might
> find it very worthwhile to get into Al's text on the SX
> microcontroller. It is very readable and could help a lot for
> understanding what goes on behind the scenes in the stamp.
>
> -- Tracy
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the
> Subject and Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
I agree, I have been using the sxtech board and sxkey for a while now, and
it has given me a great insight into the background of the stamp system, its
a shame we cant use the facilities in the sx chips on stamps to pull pins
high / schmidt trigger etc in software. I have recently made a control unit
which uses the same 11 i/o's on an sx28 to scan a keypad and display digits
on 4 x 7 segment led displays. The Parallax university curriculum is great
for getting further down into assembly language and microcontroller basics.
Plus the sx chips are so fast.
Chris
Original Message
From: Tracy Allen <tracy@e...>
You might
> find it very worthwhile to get into Al's text on the SX
> microcontroller. It is very readable and could help a lot for
> understanding what goes on behind the scenes in the stamp.
>
> -- Tracy
all the Nuts & Volts Stamp articles. Lots of interesting stuff in there
thats definitely not in the Stamp manual or in the experiments and other
Stamp documentation.
Myself, I learned BASIC on a mainframe, then later on a Tandy Model 1.
Original Message
> >What is my point? Simply, that in addition to studying code written by
> >others, how does one acquire the fundamental concepts and techniques of
data
> >manipulation using basic commands. There are many texts on Visual Basic
but
> >does anyone know of a text that deals with basic "Basic"?
>
> I learned basic "basic" on a Tandy model 100 laptop computer, which
> had an interpreter burned into ROM. It was a very accessible BASIC
> for learning, and in its day it had a huge and active user community
> sharing code and tricks. I used it for data logging and control.
>
> The uses of the elementary functions like XOR, you kind of pick up as
> you go along. Snippets here and there. I've learned a lot from
> participating here. A text, though, beyond the ones you have
> mentioned. I am not sure. The elementary functions become more
> important as you get into assembly language programming. You might
> find it very worthwhile to get into Al's text on the SX
> microcontroller. It is very readable and could help a lot for
> understanding what goes on behind the scenes in the stamp.
what you are asking, is, how do you learn to solve
problems -- creatively.
and one way, is to practice. go over other problems that
have been solved by others, so they can show you, if
you need it, and along the way, you'll pick up valuable
skills, and little techniques here and there, and before you
know it, you'll be able to solve simple problems automatically.
then you'll be in a position to solve greater and more difficult
problems, using your new skills...
at this point, you'll solve them in your own way, and other
people will begin to pick up things from you; cooperation,
the way it goes on here, benefits both parties, it's sort of
a free benefit, to everyone..and enjoyable too.
Original Message
From: "Sean Gibson" <seangib@h...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: "Sean Gibson" <seangib@h...>
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 7:01 PM
Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] basic "Basic" ?
> Hello,
>
> I started learning how to program the Basic Stamp a year ago. I spent a
lot
> of time trying to figure out how to write simple Pbasic code. Books like
> "Basic Stamp Computer", "Basic Stamp" and Al Williams "Microcontroller
> Projects with Basic Stamps" were very helpful. Then came a posting by
Tracy
> in response to a query about how to monitor the status of eight doors
(open
> or closed) and have different actions result when each door opened or
> closed. His code demonstrated the use of an XOR manipulation to
distinguish
> which doors had changed state. Another simple ANDING of two variables
> combined with the use of NCD and the BRANCH command and the distinction
> between the closing and opening of the doors was made apparent. I would
not
> have been able to generate this code on my own. What's more, it took me
some
> time to even appreciate and use it.
> What is my point? Simply, that in addition to studying code written by
> others, how does one acquire the fundamental concepts and techniques of
data
> manipulation using basic commands. There are many texts on Visual Basic
but
> does anyone know of a text that deals with basic "Basic"?
>
> Sean
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>