Small Chip, Big Performance
Our guest speaker this evening was Daryl Davis. Daryl is the
ARRL West Central Florida Section Manager.
The evening’s presentation centered around
micro-controllers; in particular, those in the Picaxe family.
Micro-controllers come in many sizes, mainly in a dual in-line
configuration with the number of legs proportional to the power and capability
of the chip. While this is a complicated subject we can simplify things a bit by making a few observations about all micro-controllers:
- They are powered by either a 3.3 or 5-volt power source.
- These devices are programmable, in the sense that individual pins can be configured as either digital inputs, analog inputs, digital outputs, or pulse with modulated PWM outputs.
Translating this a bit further,
- digital input is the equivalent of a switch. Apply a high voltage to turn the switch on, low, or ground, to turn it off.
- Digital output is equivalent to turning a light on or off, perhaps in response to the voltage on a digital in pin. Pulse width modulation is a way of simulating an analog out. It behaves much the same as a light dimmer.
The
last way pins can be configured is as analog to digital converters, or A to
D converters. Using an A to D converter, a continuously changing voltage can be converted to a series of discreetly
changing numbers, which can then be manipulated further in the software.
Congratulations Are In Order
Field Day Is Just Around The Corner
Some Images From The March 2015 Meeting
Thursday Night Net
