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LED driver type application: want to control Christmas lights

J

jasen

Jan 1, 1970
0
sorry for the delay my news provider fell over and dropped this one.

22 Sep 2006 13:49:59 -0700 said:
I am still in the early stages of digesting all this info, in all of
these replies.


Something more "expensive" than transistors? Such as?

Relays, X-10 modules....
Microcontrollers appear to be very useful. I did go over the tutorial
on the PIC on Bill Bowden's site. I am familiar with assembly language
programming (mainly on IBM mainframes), so I get the idea. But here's a
more general question, since my electronics, in general, is
rudimentary, at best:

Does anyone know of EDUCATIONAL KITS that teach BASIC electronics,
while, as quickly as possible, leading up to circuits with
microcontrollers, and including the programming of the
microcontrollers?

There are kits out there, most most kits seem to teach little more than how
to follow schematics; Which while an important fundametal skill, is perhaps
not the one you want to focus on.

If you want to learn microcontoroller interfacing some good resources are
hobby robotics web-sites (the one's with hardware photos usually have better
content), and also hobby robotics books.

The component manufacturers data sheets and application notes typically have
very good information, but it is written for a higher-skilled target audience.
that could get me some hands on experience in this, and maybe I would even
end up using networks of the SAME microcontroller that's in the kit.

Networks! that'll test your programming skills.

Bye.
Jasen
 
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