[chbot] stampalikes?

[Chris Hellyar]

Hi-ho,

Does anyone else on the list have a use for a 'stampalike' device?

(Here we go again, re-inventing the wheel!)

I'm getting keen on the idea of a gcbasic/bootloader stampalike for a
cheap alternative to basic stamps.

I've used quite a few stamps but I think they are a tad over-priced
here. They are, however, immensely useful gadgets for fast prototyping
and one off solutions.

The 'killer app' part of the stamp solution is how well integrated the
software is.  I'm pretty sure that you can get close with some of the
bootloader/IDE solutions around the place, with a little bit of initial
fiddling to get it set up.

Yes, I know this would just be 'another' development board, and yes, I
know that lots of people (including Mike on this list) already make such
things...  And yes, I can just slap a PIC on a bit of vero-board and
write assembly code for it in about the same time it'd take me to do it
in basic for some things.

If everything was sensible, no-one would have ever figured out how to
milk a cow, would they?

I was thinking something with a 28pin 40Mhz 18F (2431?) PIC, regulator,
and resonator on an wide 28pin DIP carrier?.  A sledgehammer stamp for
about $25.  Good idea, or waste of time?