[chbot] Introduction (was: Re: Last two and a bit days of the garage sale....)

[follower at rancidbacon.com]

> Good morning Phil and welcome to the Christchurch Robotics Group.
Thanks for the warm welcome, it's appreciated. :-)

> I was going to ask you for suggestions about where we could publicise
> our meetings to meet with like minded folks like TVIC, but I see you
> have beaten me to it by posting us on your site.
I knew that there was at least one other person who was into robotics
on the TVIC list and since I posted I've also had email from one
other.

Please feel free to pass on details about TVIC to anyone else
interested also--I find it difficult to know what the best way is to
publicise tech groups to people who I don't already know!

> If you are able to make it to the robotics meeting is there any
> chance that you could bring along some Arduino projects to show and
> tell?
Sure, if I can make it to April's meeting my plan is to bring
something Arduino-y along.

> I have an ATMega128 on my micromouse
> so have a vested interest in that platform.
Cool. As a matter of interest, where do you source your Atmel parts?
I'm yet to find a (local?) supplier that has both decent prices and
reasonable shipping for small orders.

> You may also be interested in the Parallax Propeller proto board:
I've seen reference to it but currently have too many other things to
distract me. :-)

On that subject, has anyone in the group had much experience with
FPGA/CPLD? I recently saw a presentation by a guy that's keen to get
software people into hardware by way of FPGA stuff. As a result I
looked into Verilog a little bit and made some notes here:
<http://code.rancidbacon.com/LearningAboutFPGA>

I'd like to find a "cheap" CPLD system to play with. (I notice a
Christchurch TradeMe person was selling a FPGA kit recently.)

Thanks again for the welcome, I'm looking forward to meeting with
people from the group--perhaps at this month's TVIC dinner before I
make it to April's meeting? </plug> :-)

--Phil.