Electronics and Microprocessors.

[rickharris]

My original training was as an electronics engineer in the RAF - On leaving I went into the computer industry for 28 years ending up as a designer of process control systems. As I am now a teacher I teach students how to programme and use Microprocessors with a particular interest in process control.


I will try to help with any appropriate problem. If I can't resolve things I more than likely know someone who can.

 

[4wheels]

Hi Rick,

I to am ex Air Force but from New Zealand's RNZAF. I studied Instruments and their repair but all sometime ago when the electronics where valves and most things run on electromechanical controls. Great time.

Now I would like to do simple IC programming and was greatly interested in the PicAxe system as an easier way of getting results. Maybe not the most proficient way but probably the best way for a novice to get results.

What do you think of PicAxe?

Brian

 

[black85vette]

Interesting how many electronics techs came from military aviation. My background is from the U.S. Marine Corps. Worked on F4, A4, A6 and C147. Also worked on valves/tubes in radar and communications gear.

I have a couple of Pic processors around doing some simple tasks. One of them is my iambic keyer for my ham radio. Been thinking about using a processor to do something on an engine. Maybe a hit and miss governor to control firing electronically. Not practical but could be fun.

 

[4wheels]

The a/c I worked on were much older than your batch! We were lucky to have a couple of jets the rest were piston engined. Mostly UK sourced but did have Harvards for abo training.

You hit the nail on the head with you FUN comment - that's what it's all about. WR I think you missed my point re the PicAxe chips. These are standard Pics but have a bit of embeded code in them to make it very easy to program them from the PC without removing the chip from the PCB. The code is easy with very few commands. They are the result of an educational incentive in UK to help schools teach IC use to younger students. Google 'picaxe' and have a look at the main UK site. They make toy washing machines so students can pit their skills to correct program all the different wash & spin cycles then try them on the toy. The other standard project is fully functioning traffic lights and various types of intersections. Well worth a look if fun is foremost.

Brian

 

[rickharris]

Hi Rick,

I to am ex Air Force but from New Zealand's RNZAF. I studied Instruments and their repair but all sometime ago when the electronics where valves and most things run on electromechanical controls. Great time.

Now I would like to do simple IC programming and was greatly interested in the PicAxe system as an easier way of getting results. Maybe not the most proficient way but probably the best way for a novice to get results.

What do you think of PicAxe?

Brian

Sorry to be so late with a reply I somehow missed this.

The Picaxe system is very good. Essentially easy to programme at a range of levels of expertise. The set up costs are low and the programming software is free.

As with anything you will get to a point where the device isn't fast enough although new processors are being released that run much faster. For most the speed isn't an issue.

The on line manuals are good and the Forum great. if your going o go into microprocessors then at least until your projects out grow the speed and range of the Picaxe family it's a good place to start without having to battle with C++ or assembler etc.

 

[black85vette]

Around here some of the schools use Botball competition to teach teamwork, science, math and programming. They have a standard set of robot parts, a new table top "field" each year and a set of objectives, usually foam balls to pick up and do some task with. All of this against the clock. It is a bunch of fun to watch.

Check it out here: http://www.botball.org/

 

[coldte]

My original training was as an electronics engineer in the RAF - On leaving I went into the computer industry for 28 years ending up as a designer of process control systems. As I am now a teacher I teach students how to programme and use Microprocessors with a particular interest in process control.


I will try to help with any appropriate problem. If I can't resolve things I more than likely know someone who can.

Hi, Read your article and thought you may be able to help me , recently i aquired a "Mystery" pentium 30 amp,5.6-16volt, rc controller and wandered if i could use it to control a dc motor and if so how do i connect it up.it would be nice if it where possible.
thanks
coldte

 

[John Rudd]

Coldte,

I'm assuming the speed controller is for a brushless type of motor?

It will have a black/red thick wires on one side along with three wires Red/black/white terminated in a plug and on the other side(end?) three wires of the same colour?

The red/black obviously are for your battery, the r/b/w with the plug would normally go into an r/c receiver....the three remaining wires connect to the motor.....if the motor spins the wrong way reverse any of the two...

Control of the speed is usually done by changing the pulse width as sent by the transmitter, but can be done with a simple 555 timer outputting a 50hz frame rate with a pulse width of 1-2milliseconds...

Shout up if you need any more info...


@ Rick Harris....

What language do you program in for Pic? (hopefully not C... )

 

[4wheels]

Hi All,
Been absent for a week or two doning I don't know what!

Today I have been soldering a PCB with a picaxe 08M chip to simulate a rotating lighthouse beacon. May get to use it in the garden railway layout someday but I really wanted to get back to soldering and then seeing if it all works. The program is not mine but a fellow Kiwi's. The resulting light truely looks like a real rotating lighthouse. Hope mine works.

Cheers,
Brian