About the Book

The new PICAXE system has many features of a high-end commercial microcontroller development system without the complexity and expense. In this book, you’ll quickly learn how to build microcontroller systems using principles that can be applied to high-end development systems. 

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Introduction What Is a Microcontroller? Where Are Microcontrollers Used? The Advantages of a Programmable Device Why Is It Important to Understand Microcontrollers? What Is a PICAXE® Microcontroller? Handling Precautions The Experiments Chapter 2 PICAXE Architecture Chip Architecture Powering the PICAXE Resetting the PICAXE Downloading Programs to the PICAXE Clocking PICAXE Chips PICAXE Memory General-Purpose Variables System Variables Scratchpad Storage Variables Special Function EEPROM Table Pointers Ports Interrupts Chapter 3 Interfacing and Input Output Techniques PICAXE Input and Output Hardware Interfacing Digital Interfacing Port Addressing Setting the Direction of Configurable Pins Analog Interfacing Parallel and Serial Interfacing Asynchronous—RS232 Personal Computer Connectivity I2C SPI UNI/O 1-Wire Keyboard Infrared Pulses Servo Motors Chapter 4 Programming What Is a Program? Writing BASIC Code Compiler Directives Data Meaningful Names Commands Labels Comments Reserved Words Assigning Values to Variables Advanced Programming Program Flow Code Structures Selection Iteration Pointers Subroutines Pausing and Stopping Program Execution Power Saving Interrupts Program Testing and Debugging Programming with Flowcharts Chapter 5 PICAXE Arithmetic and Data Conversion Number Systems Binary Octal Hexadecimal Decimal Binary-Coded Decimal ASCII Picaxe Arithmetic Multiplication Division Boolean Arithmetic Data Conversion Converting between Decimal Digits (BCD) and ASCII Converting between Binary and Octal Converting between Binary and Hexadecimal Converting Binary to Decimal and BCD Converting ASCII, BCD, and Decimal to Binary ASCII Integers ASCII Fractions Advanced Arithmetic Decimal Fractions Adding and Subtracting Decimal Fractions Multiplying Decimal Fractions Dividing Fractions Converting Decimal Fractions to ASCII BCD Arithmetic BCD Addition Subtraction of BCD Digits Arithmetic with Signed Numbers Addition and Subtraction of Signed Binary Integers Multiplying and Dividing Signed Binary Numbers Comparing Signed Numbers Converting Signed Binary Numbers to Decimal Arithmetic with Binary Fractions Converting Binary Fractions to Decimal Converting ASCII Fractions to Binary Fractions Floating-Point Arithmetic Lookup Lookdown Chapter 6 Experiments Basic Experiments Constructing the Schools Experimenter Board Testing If It Doesn’t Work Using Programming Editor to Download Programs to the Schools Experimenter Board If Program Downloading Fails Connecting External Devices Flash the Red LED Flash the Yellow LED Flash the Red and Green LEDs Alternately Play Sounds through the Piezo Speaker Digital Input Turn the Red LED On If the Switch Is Pressed Turn the Red LED On If Dark Analog Input Turn the Red, Green, and Yellow LEDs On Depending on Light Level Turn On the Red, Green, and Yellow LEDs Using a Potentiometer Using a Transistor to Drive a Relay Using a Transistor to Operate a Motor Controlling Motor Speed Controlling Motor Speed with a Potentiometer Operating a Solenoid Operating an Incandescent Lamp Water Detector Chapter 7 Advanced Experiments Bipolar Transistor Output Driver Interfacing Bipolar NPN Transistors Interfacing MOSFETs to a PICAXE N-Channel MOSFETS Transistor Input Driver Interfacing TTL Chips Integrated Driver Circuits H Bridge Motor Drivers L293, SN754410, L298 Controlling Motor Speed and Direction with a Potentiometer Stepper Motors Identifying the Windings Identifying the Winding Sequence Circuit Description Servo Motors Input and Output Expansion Input and Output Expansion Using Shift Registers Input and Output Expansion Using Addressable I/O Expansion Chips Using Switches for Input Relays Wireless Links Infrared Radio Light-Emitting Diodes Seven-Segment LED Displays Liquid Crystal Displays Connecting an LCD Using a Shift Register Keypad Input Telephone Intercom Testing If It Doesn’t Work Connecting Phone Lines Voltmeter Circuit Description 1-Wire Serial Number 1-Wire Temperature Radio Frequency Identification Simple ASCII Terminal I2C Memory Expansion I2C I/O Expansion I2C Clock/Calendar SPI Memory Expansion SPI I/O Expansion UNI/OTM Memory Expansion Chapter 8 PICAXE M2 Supplement Introduction Powering the PICAXE M2 Series Chips Resetting the M2 Series Chips Downloading Programs to the M2 Series Chips Clocking the M2 Series Chips Memory Arrangement for M2 Series Chips General-Purpose Variables for the M2 Series Chips System Variables for M2 Series Chips Storage Variables for the M2 Series Chips Special Function Variables EEPROM Pointers Byte-Scratchpad Pointer Ports Setting the Direction of Configurable Pins Interrupts Interfacing and Input Output Techniques Programming Compatibility with Existing M and X Series Programs Subroutines PICAXE Arithmetic and Data Conversion Parallel Task Programming (Multitasking) Examples of Parallel Task Processing Touch Sensing Digital to Analog Conversion Fixed-Voltage Reference Elapsed Seconds Timer SR Latch M2 Experiments Touch Sensing Code Description Digital to Analog Conversion Code Description Minute Timer SR Latch Demonstration Appendix Circuit Symbols Index