Dear AQRPer's,
I am 61 years old and have the attention span of a gnat :-) So it
has become increasingly hard for me to start a project and complete it.
As some of you know, I did most of the basic research, DSP chip
selection, hardware design and hardware related software implementation
for the NUE-PSK which started out as a Software Defined Radio design. My
inability or desire to follow through led to Milt picking up the ball
and running with it. NUE-PSK would not have happened without Milt's
tenacity in converting the Moe Wheatley PSK31 software over to C and to
the dsPIC processor. Milt tied it all together with great foresight.
Likewise without the skills and tenacity of George Heron, the NUE-PSK
would not have come to fruition. Subsequently many volunteers have
contributed to this project. My point is that I have always considered
myself on the leading edge or advanced development end of things.
However now I would like to concentrate on teaching "C" and teaching the
skill of making a microcontroller actually do something in the real
world. I hope that we can come up with a sort of online forum for those
interested where everyone can contribute their skills and knowledge. I
have spent the last several years exploring every micro I can get my
hands on up to the Advanced Risc Machine, ARM. Several things are
abundantly clear. Using C and having good debug capability are vital.
Picking a simple, easy to work with, inexpensive, processor is essential
for initial learning. I think if we can get people over that initial
hump and actually blinking an LED, and understanding how it works, we
can all pick up the ball and run with it. The first step is to find a
medium or forum to teach from preferably telecommuting. One way would be
to start an AQRP special interest group devoted to microcontrollers. I'm
all ears. I would like to share the experience I've had with
microcontrollers, and help others to get interested. I refuse to let
this be an ego driven event on my part and will bow out if it begins to
be so. But for now my intentions are honorable, and hopefully when the
student is ready the teacher will appear :-) Or as I like to say, "a
little logic goes a long way" :-)
CU Saturday at the AQRP meeting,
Regards,
John
