ROBOTS WE MADE, UNITE! on Vimeo - Nightly. PICAXE Robots - www.techsupplies.co.uk - Nightly. Arduino or PICAXE? - Teaching with Technology, Education 2.0 - Nightly. This is a pretty geeky post...
You've been warned. Among the courses I teach is electronics. It is a one semester course, where we cover basic theory in the first half of the semester and students breadboard circuits for the second half of the semester. I inherited the course and its general structure from the previous electronics teacher and it seems to work pretty well. Anyway, I've been thinking about changing it. Enter the PICAXE and Arduino micro-controllers. PICAXE: The PICAXE micro-controller is a Pic based chip that has a bootloader loaded onto it allowing for a very simply programming cable to be used. Pros: Cost. Cons: The 8M, the chip I'd focus on, is a bit limited. Arduino: This board is really a Basic Stamp replacement. Outside of the price range I'd set for the course, but then I found a supplier who supplies a version that I can get for $11/board in bulk.
Pros: Expandability. Cons: I don't know C++ or any other object oriented programming language. Pwm_stamp. Use of a PICAXE-08M as an Accessory to a Basic Stamp, PICAXE-18 or Similar copyright, Peter H Anderson, Baltimore, MD, Nov 10, '05 Introduction This discussion deals with the PICAXE-08M as an accessory to a Basic Stamp or similar to control the speed of a motor or the intensity of a lamp using the background PWM capability of the PICAXE-08M.
The interface is relatively simple, consisting of two leads, STOP and PULSE from the Stamp or similar to the PICAXE-08M. In the following, the PICAXE code is offered which the user may easily use to program a PICAXE-08M. Note that multiple slaves may be accommodated on a single Basic Stamp, each slave requiring a STOP and PULSE output from the BS2. (Note that although a Parallax Basic Stamp is considerd in this discussion, the master processor might well be a PICAXE-18, -18A or 18X, particularly in applications where multiple PWM channels are required).
Background Using the PCAXE-08M The PICAXE-08M provides background true PWM capability on Pin 2 (term 5). PICAXE vs Arduino - relative merits - Google Groups - Nightly. PICAXE & Arduino (code size comparisons - just for fun) - Page 2 - Nightly. PICAXE & Arduino (code size comparisons - just for fun) - Nightly. Picaxe vs Arduino which is better ? - Page 2 - Nightly. Picaxe vs Arduino which is better ? - Nightly. Let's Make Robots! - Nightly. Should I go for Arduino or Picaxe for my next robot?
(EDIT: Please note that this is a very old post, things have changed :) Let´s compare: Scalability: ****************** Picaxe run on many different chips, all from the company called Microchip. They range from 8 to 40 pins, and is available in surface mount as well as ordinary housing Many different pre-made project boards are available, and not only those made by "The Picaxe-people"; Control 3 servos and some ins- and outs on something smaller than a machbox, at a very small price, and up to large 40 pins projects. ****************** Arduino is possible to do in many stange ways, quite diverse, even add it on a T-shirt etc.
But for robots the most applicable would most likely be the 28 pin Diecimila with ATmega168. ****************** The proto board for the picaxe is valued high, it actually makes the difference - you can build a robot just by adding motors and sensors, it is robot-ready! Total: Picaxe: 7 points Arduino: 3 points. Picaxe in respect to Arduino - Arduino Forum - Nightly.