29 Sep
2011
29 Sep
'11
2:18 p.m.
On 9/29/2011 12:04 PM, Dave McGuire wrote:
Yes, Arduinos are pretty neat. They're a good way
to get started in
embedded development, I think. The only pitfall is "reaching escape
velocity" from the handholding that the Arduino platform gives you, to
being able to do real designs.
My progression has gone from sort of 555-timer like applications, to the
PIC and Parallax SX microcontrollers, to FPGA applications. While neat,
indeed, I never cared for the simple but limited approach. Like the
Parallax Basic Stamp, for example. I'd rather start with something that
has tons of potential, even if it means a higher initial learning curve.
My goal is to learn enough about hardware design to enable me to
create whatever crazy project idea of the week I have. And the goal is
the journey, not delivering a finished product for the masses.
But for many people, who just want to
solve a quick problem or build a quick widget rather than start a career
in embedded development, they can be very handy.
Right. Sort of hardware/development platform for non-engineers. I
understand who they are targeting.
One thing that people tend not to realize is that one
need not use the
Arduino software platform on Arduino hardware. The hardware is a pretty
generic hookup of an AVR microcontroller, just with a standardized
form-factor and pinout for stackable mezzanine modules.
Yup. And the one benefit that we all derive from the arduino-movement is
cheaper eval/prototyping boards. There's enough competition and volume
that it is really pushing companies, and allowing them to produce in
enough bulk to make this stuff much more accessible.
Keith