On the downside, you’ll find that everything associated with the BASIC Stamp is a bit more expensive than in the PICAXE world, and the download procedure isn’t quite as simple.
One of the more recent developments in the world of MCUs is the Arduino, which is both sophisticated and powerful. It does require programming in the C language. This language is a little more difficult to understand, and has only the vaguest similarity to the syntax that is used in the PICAXE and BASIC Stamp. On the other hand, because C dominates the larger world of computing, learning it might not be such a bad idea—and the Arduino offers some truly amazing capabilities. Because it is so popular, there are also many software tools, documentation, user forums, and many enthusatic hobbyists to help you. Two other Make: Books titles that I mentioned previously, Getting Started with Arduino and Making Things Talk, provide a great introduction.
In Closing
I believe that the purpose of an introductory book is to give you a taste of a wide range of possibilities, leaving you to decide for yourself what you want to explore next. Electronics is ideal for those of us who like to do things ourselves, because almost any application—from robotics, to radio-controlled aircraft, to telecommunications, to computing hardware—allows opportunities that we can explore at home, with limited resources.
As you delve deeper into the areas of electronics that interest you most, I trust you’ll have a satisfying learning experience. But most of all, I hope you have lots of fun along the way.
Appendix. Online Retail Sources and Manufacturers
This appendix contains URLs for companies mentioned as retail sources or manufacturers, along with the commonly used name of the source and the company name.
Colloquially used name
Actual corporate or company name
URL
3M
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.
http://solutions.3m.com/en_US/
Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware Corporation
http://www.acehardware.com
Advanced Micro Circuits
Advanced Micro Circuits Corp
http://www.advancedmicrocircuits.com
Akro-Mils
Myers Industries, Inc.
http://www.akro-mils.com
Alcoswitch
Division of Tyco Electronics Corporation
http://www.tycoelectronics.com/catalog/menu/en/18025
All Electronics
All Electronics Corporation
http://www.allelectronics.com
All Spectrum Electronics
All Spectrum Electronics
http://www.allspectrum.com
All-Battery.com
Tenergy Corporation
http://www.all-battery.com
Alpha potentiometers
Alpha Products Inc.
http://www.alphapotentiometers.net
ALPS pushbutton
ALPS Electric Co., Ltd.
http://www.alps.com
Amazon
Amazon.com, Inc.
http://www.amazon.com
Amprobe
Amprobe Test Tools
http://www.amprobe.com
Arduino
No corporate identity
http://www.arduino.cc
ArtCity
ArtCity
http://www.artcity.com
AutoZone
AutoZone, Inc.
http://www.autozone.com
Avago
Avago Technologies
http://www.avagotech.com
BASIC Stamp
Brand owned by Parallax, Inc.
http://www.parallax.com
BI Technologies
BI Technologies Corporation
http://www.bitechnologies.com
BK Precision
B&K Precision Corp.
http://www.bkprecision.com
Bussmann fuses
Cooper Bussman, Inc.
http://www.cooperbussmann.com
C&K switch
CoActive Technologies, Inc.
http://www.ck-components.com
Chicago lighting
CML Innovative Technologies
http://www.cml-it.com
CraftAmerica
Cardinal Enterprises
http://www.craftamerica.com
Darice
Darice Inc.
http://www.darice.com
DeWalt
DeWalt Industrial Tool Company
http://www.dewalt.com
Digi-Key
Digi-Key Corporation
http://www.digikey.com
Directed switches
Directed Electronics Inc.
http://www.directed.com
Doctronics
Doctronics Educational Publishing
http://www.doctronics.co.uk
eBay
eBay Inc.
http://www.ebay.com
Elenco
Elenco Electronics Inc.
http://www.elenco.com
Everlight
Everlight Electronic Co. Ltd.
http://www.everlight.com
Extech
Extech Instruments Corporation
http://www.extech.com
Fairchild
Fairchild Semiconductor Incorporated
http://www.fairchildsemi.com
FTM
FTM Incorporated
http://thefabricatorssource.com
Fujitsu
Fujitsu America, Inc.
http://www.fujitsu.com/us/
GB wire strippers
Gardner Bender Inc.
http://www.gardnerbender.com
Hobbylinc
Hobbylinc Hobbies
http://www.hobbylinc.com
Home Depot
Homer TLC, Inc.
http://www.homedepot.com
Ideal wire strippers
Ideal Industries Inc.
http://www.idealindustries.com
Jameco
Jameco Electronics
http://www.jameco.com
K&J Magnetics
K&J Magnetics Inc.
http://www.kjmagnetics.com
Kingbright
Kingbright Corporation
http://www.kingbrightusa.com
Kobiconn
No web page found; use mouser.com
KVM Tools
KVM Tools Inc.
http://www.kvmtools.com
Lowe’s hardware
LF, LLC
http://www.lowes.com
Lumex
Lumex Inc.
http://www.lumex.com
McMaster-Carr
McMaster-Carr Supply Company
http://www.mcmaster.com
Megahobby
Megahobby.com
http://www.megahobby.com
Meter Superstore
Division of SRS Market Solutions Inc.
http://www.metersuperstore.com
Michaels craft stores
Michaels Stores, Inc.
http://www.michaelscrafts.com
Mill-Max
Mill-Max Manufacturing Corp.
http://www.mill-max.com
Mitutoyo
Mitutoyo America Corporation
http://www.mitutoyo.com
Motorola
Motorola, Inc.
http://www.motorola.com/us
Mouser electronics
Mouser Electronics, Inc.
http://www.mouser.com
Mueller alligator clip
Mueller Electric Company
http://www.muellerelectric.com
Newark
Subsidiary of Premier Farnell plc
http://www.newark.com
NKK switches
Nihon Kaiheiki Industry Co. Ltd.
http://www.nkkswitches.com
NXP semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors
http://www.nxp.com
Omron
Omron Corporation
http://www.omron.com
On Semiconductor
Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
http://www.onsemi.com
Optek
Subsidiary of TT Electronics plc
http://www.optekinc.com
Panasonic
Panasonic Electric Works Corporation
http://pewa.panasonic.com
PanaVise
Panavise Products, Inc.
http://www.panavise.com
Parallax
Parallax, Inc.
http://www.parallax.com
Pep Boys
Pep Boys-Manny, Moe and Jack
http://www.pepboys.com
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
http://www.usa.philips.com
PICAXE
Revolution Education Ltd.
http://www.rev-ed.co.uk
Piedmont Plastics
Piedmont Plastics, Inc.
http://www.piedmontplastics.com
Plano storages boxes
Plano Molding Company
http://www.planomolding.com
Pomona test equipment
Pomona Electronics Inc.
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com
RadioShack
RadioShack Corporation
http://www.radioshack.com
Sears
Sears Brands, LLC
http://www.sears.com
SparkFun Electronics
Sparkfun Electronics
http://www.sparkfun.com
Stanley tools
The Stanley Works
http://www.stanleytools.com
STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics Group
http://www.st.com
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated
http://www.ti.com
Tower Hobbies
Tower Hobbies
http://www.towerhobbies.com
Twin Industries
Twin Industries
http://www.twinind.com
Tyco
Tyco Electronics Corporation
http://www.tycoelectronics.com
Vaughan
Vaughan & Bushnell Mfg.
http://hammernet.com/vaughan/
Velleman keyboards
Velleman nv
http://www.velleman.eu
Vishay
Vishay Intertechnology Inc.
http://www.vishay.com
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
http://www.walmart.com
Weller
Division of Cooper Industries, LLC
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/weller/
X-Acto
Division of Elmer’s Products, Inc.
http://www.xacto.com
Xcelite
Division of Cooper Industries, LLC
http://www.cooperhandtools.com/brands/xcelite/
Xytronic
Xytronic Industries Ltd.
http://www.xytronic-usa.com
Acknowledgments
My association with MAKE magazine began when its editor, Mark Frauenfelder, asked me to write for it. I have always been very grateful to Mark for his support of my work. Through him I became acquainted with the exceptionally capable and motivated production staff at MAKE. Gareth Branwyn eventually suggested that I might like to write an introductory guide to electronics, so I am indebted to Gareth for initiating this project and supervising it as my editor. After I wrote an outline in which I described my idea for “Learning by Discovery” and the associated concept that cutting open components or burning them up can be an educational activity, MAKE’s publisher, Dale Dougherty, uttered the memorable phrase, “I want this book!” Therefore I offer special thanks to Dale for his belief in my abilities. Dan Woods, the associate publisher, was also extremely supportive.
The production process was swift, competent, and painless. For this I thank my editor at O’Reilly, Brian Jepson; senior production editor Rachel Monaghan; copyeditor Nancy Kotary; proofreader Nancy Reinhardt; indexer Julie Hawks; designer Ron Bilodeau; and Robert Romano, who tweaked my illustrations. Most of all I am indebted to Bunnie Huang, my technical advisor, who reviewed the text in detail and knows a bunch of stuff that I don’t know. Any residual errors are still my fault, even though I would prefer to blame them on Bunnie.
Thanks also to Matt Mets, Becky Stern, Collin Cunningham, Marc de Vinck, Phillip Torrone, Limor Fried, John Edgar Park, John Baichtal, and Jonathan Wolfe for helping out with some last-minute project testing.
Lastly I have to mention the genius of John Warnock and Charles Geschke, founders of Adobe Systems and creators of the very beautiful PostScript language, which revolutionized all of publishing. The horror of attempting to create this book using graphic-arts tools from…some other company…is almost unimaginable. In fact, without Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, and InDesign, I doubt I would have attempted the task. I am also indebted to the Canon 1Ds with 100mm macro lens, which took many of the pictures in this book.
No free samples or other favors were received from any of the vendors mentioned herein, with the exception of two sample books from MAKE, which I read to ensure that I was not duplicating anything that had already been published.
Colophon
The heading and cover font are BentonSans, the text font is Myriad Pro, and the code font is TheSansMonoCondensed.
About the Author
Charles Platt became interested in computers when he acquired an Ohio Scientific C4P in 1979. After writing and selling software by mail order, he taught classes in BASIC programming, MS-DOS, and subsequently Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. He wrote five computer books during the 1980s.
He has also written science-fiction novels such as The Silicon Man (published originally by
