Looking for a microcontroller

For a java club in school we're thinking of making our own primitive GPS unit. I've found a GPS reciever, digital compass, and LCD screen, but am still looking into a microcontroller. It needs to be programmable with java and have DIP connectors. It also has to be fairly simple, since I'm the most advance with electronics in the club and my skill is fairly basic.

I've been looking into Parallax's Javelin Stamp. It seems extremely simplistic and perfect for our purposes. What do you think?

Any other microcontrollers that fit the criteria that I could use?

Take a look at blueroomelectronics.com

Thanks for the plug, but I'm not aware of a Java compiler for PICs. iButton may still make the TNI computer. I think it ran a form of Java.

Sorry about that, I did not notice that the decider here was the Java bit and focused on the micro bit ... duh !

I also recall the Javelin Stamp was discontinued, I'm on the cell so can't check.
If BASIC is ok take a peek at Swordfish BASIC

Take a look here at what Ken says for Java/PIC use.
**broken link removed**

Nevermind my Swordfish comment. I forgot it's a Java club.

Per previous suggestion try search on Dallas TINI microcontroller.

I've looked into the Dallas TINI, but it's package needs to be DIP so I can use it in a solderless breadboard.

Instead of writing microcontroller code in java, could you write a program using java that loads a hex file into the micro either by way of a bootloader or in circuit programming? That way you can still do your GPS program if you can't find a java programmable micro.

What cell

blueroomelectronics said:

I'm on the cell so can't check.

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Is it in a prison, a monastery or a convent, Bill?

Actually on the bus, it's an iPhone.

Noggin said:

Instead of writing microcontroller code in java, could you write a program using java that loads a hex file into the micro either by way of a bootloader or in circuit programming? That way you can still do your GPS program if you can't find a java programmable micro.

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I completely lost you there. Keep in mind that most of the team has had no programming experience before this and nobody except me knows anything about electronics and microcontrollers.

CloudedVision said:

I completely lost you there. Keep in mind that most of the team has had no programming experience before this and nobody except me knows anything about electronics and microcontrollers.

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I'll try to break it down. You're looking for a microcontroller that can be programmed in Java. I don't know if that exists. If we assume that it doesn't exist and that you still want to do a GPS unit which utilizes a microcontroller, then we need to redefine the project. I was suggesting that the project gets redefined as follows:

1. Project is microcontroller based
2. Load file for the microcontroller is written in C either by you or someone else, but it isn't written by the class. This firmware is given to all students
3. A program for the PC is written in Java to communicate with the microcontroller. The commication may be a program that will load the firmware into the microcontroller or maybe simply takes the data from the microcontroller and displays it in some kind of terminal.

If you had the students write the terminal program to take the data from the micro, they could do several things such as pull up mapquest/google maps and display a location, calculate distances from the gps location to somewhere else, send an e-mail to a terminal reporting the location as if it were tracking someone....

Well the project was originally just going to be on the computer, calculating directions. I suggested it being on a microcontroller because then we could have an actual finished product and it would be much more interesting. If we have to program the microcontroller in C or some other language, we'll just stick to the original plan.

CloudedVision said:

Well the project was originally just going to be on the computer, calculating directions. I suggested it being on a microcontroller because then we could have an actual finished product and it would be much more interesting. If we have to program the microcontroller in C or some other language, we'll just stick to the original plan.

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Wow, you certainly live up to your nick, could you send me some of what ever it is you are smoking?

Seriously though, there is no way you are going to get a new tech part in an old tech package.

What you can do is get an ARM Jazelle (java byte code direct execution) like this one: **broken link removed**

and put it on an adapter like this one: **broken link removed**

They have BGA adapter boards too that they say are almost as easy to work with, I am just not convinced.

The fact of the matter is that the project is beyond you from what you are saying... you should probably try running on a BASIC stamp.

Are you reccomending a PIC based Stamp Ubergeek63
If BASIC was an option Swordfish BASIC and any decent PIC programmer would be a better choice than the ancient Stamp.

LOL true, but it seems more his level of expertise to be able to just plug into something and go instead of having to write, debug, and burn software into a microprocessor.

I guess you are into the different recommendations based on who I am talking to:

To an industry peer I would recommend an ARM, of the sort I mentioned.

To an experienced hobbyist I would recommend the first solution.

To a noob it would very between something of the likes of the Parallax stuff, to the proverbial "don't even try, it is so far out of your league it is not even funny"