This comes close to the spam restriction, but I think it will pass muster. Just came across an interesting gadget, wish I could afford it (later perhaps). Basically it takes a USB port on your computer and expand it out to several channels of digital inputs and outputs, similar to what the printer port is often used for.

http://www.bgmicro.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=12926&HS=1

I can see so many uses for this gadget...

 

Hello Bill,

The kit you name is a kit from Velleman.
Did you ever look at the opensource project "Arduino" ?
http://opensource.wikia.com/wiki/Arduino
Here is the arduino homepage :
http://www.arduino.cc/

Greetings,
Bertus

 

Have you looked at my blog? I put that particular microcontroller up there because I thought it was neat. The thing of it is, I used to write assembly code, but I burned out on it. I'd rather have a quick and dirty interface to use with a high level language. If I ever get back into that mode I'll probably check out the Ardunio controller.

There have been several times I wanted a simple interface for BASIC to control something else. The printer port is good, but it is fading away, so a USB alternative is also good.

 

Hello Bill,

I have come to the Arduino because I read an article in the Linux Format special "YOU CAN CODE".
http://www.linuxformat.co.uk/blog/?p=434
There they use a kind of higher language.
It looks like a sort of C language.
They are using the "Arduino development envirement".

Greetings,
Bertus

 

Hi Bill,

Please take a look at this link. It use an AVR to send/receive signal via USB. There are many practical applications examples.

Projects Based on AVR-USB