Comments on: Best hardware resources in UK for electronics hobyists http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/ Software development and electronics Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:31:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: TV Antennas Perth http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-2109 TV Antennas Perth Fri, 12 Nov 2010 10:33:31 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-2109 Yeah, Oomlout is the great service and i also agree with you that is the powerful webstore. i will share it with my friends. thanks for nice blog. Yeah, Oomlout is the great service and i also agree with you that is the powerful webstore. i will share it with my friends. thanks for nice blog.

]]> By: Robin http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-1528 Robin Sun, 19 Sep 2010 12:23:34 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-1528 A little bit late... But http://www.watterott.com/ from Germany is also a good source A little bit late… But http://www.watterott.com/ from Germany is also a good source

]]> By: Eric Cox http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-466 Eric Cox Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:57:26 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-466 Yep, it's easy and lots of fun. The first programming language I ever used was assembly language for the 6809 - good times. Today that would be considered a micro-controller but back then it ran my only computer :) I worked for an EPROM programmer company (the now defeunct Needham's Electronics) for about 9 years and it was always fun working with uCs there - but I would let the hardware guys decide where to put the capacitors and resistors and I stuck to the software. Today you can even design your own uC in an FPGA - amazing stuff. If you want to see some *really* cool stuff, look at DSPs. We had a guy at Needham's that designed a one-bit radio transceiver. It had a DSP, an antenna, and an amplifier in between - and all for less than $50 in parts. Pretty crazy... Yep, it’s easy and lots of fun. The first programming language I ever used was assembly language for the 6809 – good times. Today that would be considered a micro-controller but back then it ran my only computer :)

I worked for an EPROM programmer company (the now defeunct Needham’s Electronics) for about 9 years and it was always fun working with uCs there – but I would let the hardware guys decide where to put the capacitors and resistors and I stuck to the software. Today you can even design your own uC in an FPGA – amazing stuff.

If you want to see some *really* cool stuff, look at DSPs. We had a guy at Needham’s that designed a one-bit radio transceiver. It had a DSP, an antenna, and an amplifier in between – and all for less than $50 in parts. Pretty crazy…

]]> By: Arvydas http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-462 Arvydas Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:51:40 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-462 Trust me, as far as I've tried it's really is easy! I always thought that microcontroller programing was out of my world, but once I tried it I found that It's very easy and fun. I have a little toy car converted to robot running around the house, but haven't had a chance to write an article about it yet. :) It was a lot of fun coding for it. Yeah I've heard that you can code in special version of .NET for FEZ and it should be fun too, but Arduino platform is a lot cheaper and there is very little difference between coding in C# and plain C when it comes to microcontrollers so I will stick with the cheaper alternative for now. :) BTW, FEZ in UK is twice more expensive than in USA. ;) Trust me, as far as I’ve tried it’s really is easy! I always thought that microcontroller programing was out of my world, but once I tried it I found that It’s very easy and fun. I have a little toy car converted to robot running around the house, but haven’t had a chance to write an article about it yet. :) It was a lot of fun coding for it.

Yeah I’ve heard that you can code in special version of .NET for FEZ and it should be fun too, but Arduino platform is a lot cheaper and there is very little difference between coding in C# and plain C when it comes to microcontrollers so I will stick with the cheaper alternative for now. :) BTW, FEZ in UK is twice more expensive than in USA. ;)

]]> By: Eric Cox http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-461 Eric Cox Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:38:50 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-461 Haha - you make it sound so easy! (Hardware has never been my strong point) In fact the FEZ boards are a lot like Arduino (they can even use Arduino shields), except that you can use .Net to program them. So I can use C# and Visual Studio :) Eric Haha – you make it sound so easy! (Hardware has never been my strong point)

In fact the FEZ boards are a lot like Arduino (they can even use Arduino shields), except that you can use .Net to program them. So I can use C# and Visual Studio :)

Eric

]]> By: Arvydas http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-438 Arvydas Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:42:24 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-438 Hi Eric! Long time no see! :) No, haven't tried that yet, but I would assume that things are very similar to Arduino or any other dev board. All of them seem to get inputs and send outputs to pins. Then all you have to do is connect some sensors or outputs to them :) Hi Eric! Long time no see! :)

No, haven’t tried that yet, but I would assume that things are very similar to Arduino or any other dev board. All of them seem to get inputs and send outputs to pins. Then all you have to do is connect some sensors or outputs to them :)

]]> By: Eric Cox http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-436 Eric Cox Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:30:13 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-436 Hey Arvy, Ever tried FEZ? http://www.tinyclr.com/ Hey Arvy,

Ever tried FEZ? http://www.tinyclr.com/

]]> By: Arvydas http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Arvydas Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:08:25 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-67 I think both stores are great: you can get everything you need from Oomlout if you starting with Arduino and once you get to more advanced level Rapid is a place to buy stuff. I think both stores are great: you can get everything you need from Oomlout if you starting with Arduino and once you get to more advanced level Rapid is a place to buy stuff.

]]> By: Larry http://www.arvydas.co.uk/2010/01/best-hardware-resources-in-uk-for-electronics-hobyists/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Larry Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:58:19 +0000 http://www.arvydas.co.uk/?p=77#comment-66 I found Oomlout to be very good service, probably one of the best webstores I've used just a shame they dont stock more parts, which is the only reason I use Rapid. I found Oomlout to be very good service, probably one of the best webstores I’ve used just a shame they dont stock more parts, which is the only reason I use Rapid.

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