KevinAlaska said:
But as long as I have a willing member to coach me along the way then AWESOME. I love the idea of getting a chance to learn something new.
Folks here range from people who can't google, through hobbyists (like me) right up to people who really know what they're on about and have retired from a professional life doing it. It's a good little corner of the web.
I am sorry I have not checked back this thread sooner. I have been messing around with my now dual boot system. I thought I would go back and play with kubuntu linux. I love all the freesoftware I can play with... but I digress.
Hehe. I will try to offer some advice on your current project, but I would be more qualified to help with the Linux stuff, since that's *my* profession.
Which would you recomend PIC or non PIC. I would guess PIC method would use moer parts (not that that matters).? Is the PIC method harder to troubleshoot?
Actually, I would expect the PIC solution to use fewer components, since it contains almost everything needed--you do all the work in software and just stick a button, some LEDs, a buzzer, and a handful of resistors on it. (That's oversimplified but not by a whole lot). Then you just write up some code which says essentially "if Button A was pressed, then beep and light another LED; if Button B was pressed, then beep and unlight the last LED lit".
The other way, you'd need at least a decade counter IC and some kind of latch setup to keep the correct LEDs lit.
Some reading which doesn't directly address your problem but which might be helpful:
**broken link removed**
Last year I made my first digital circuit: a scoreboard for my foosball table, using the non-PIC way. It was fun, instructional, and if I had to do it again, I'd probably use a microcontroller like a PIC (or probably an 8051 since that's what I have a programmer for). My circuit would have probably one third the components, if that.
Note that if you use a PIC or other microcontroller you'll need a device to get the code onto it (a programmer), plus a "toolchain" (code editor, compiler/assembler) to prepare it.
once AGAIN... thank you SINCERELY!
Kevin in Alaska
Dunno if I'm helping or just being long-winded, but hopefully the former.
Good luck!
Torben