Microcontroller Comparison Robotics

Hobby Robotics with Free Software: Part 2 - Arduino

As I mentioned in my previous article, my son and I want to explore robotics as a hobby and a learning experience. We do not have an unlimited budget, so I wanted to make some estimate of what it would cost to do so by using different technological standards. In the first part, I explored Lego Mindstorms, but the material open (and free software) Arduino system was getting better. I want to consider this possibility in this column and make a comparison to see which is the best option for us.

Arduino is much more recent, having only found its way in recent years.But it is also a fully open-equipment (hardware or open source - meaning that the plans are free for anyone to use to manufacture components Arduino), and indeed, there are multiple providers to choose from Arduino. Host environments software to communicate with controllers and Arduino programming are available in packages of free software in different programming languages ​​well established. Arduino whole culture is very open and free.

Ideologically, of course, Arduino is much more satisfying: it's open hardware from top to bottom, so anyone can manufacture components Arduino.The software is invariably free software, and a wide variety of fasteners are available for programming languages.

Ideologically, of course, Arduino is much more satisfying: it's open hardware from top to bottom, so anyone can manufacture components Arduino

This is the great victory for Arduino. I can literally type:

... And obtain basic IDE and language support for Arduino.

Pragmatically, however, I fear that Arduino is more difficult to use. When you try to get more flexibility, you usually pay a price in complexity.My expectation is especially true for hardware, even if the software can be a little easier to install on Debian.

The best place to start with Arduino is probably something like the Inventor's Kit SparkFun Arduino ($ 94.95).

Sleep and Wake PIC microcontrollers - Electronics Lab

PIC microcontrollers’ Sleep feature is an extremely useful mechanism to minimize power consumption in battery-powered applications. This experimental tutorial from Embedded Lab describes how to put a PIC microcontroller into Sleep mode and then compares the PIC current consumption during Sleep mode and the normal operation mode.

Robotics, designing the mechanisms for automated machinery

The PIC microcontroller, your personal introductory course

The 8051 microcontroller

Robotics, modelling, planning and control

Microcontroller cookbook