(Page Opened on Sept 2, '00)
Introduction
In the Fall, '00 semester I am using the JK Micro Flashlite V25 in my Instrumentation and Sensors elective, in C Language Programming and for a number of Senior Projects.
One of my responsibilities is to impart a good working knowledge of C programming to my students and I view the Flashlite as an outstanding platform to teach C in an environment of such applications as turning motors, operating relays, generating tones, measuring and logging temperature, etc. Hopefully, all of this is a bit more interesting to an electrical engineering student than the proverbial linked list.
The Flashlite requires very little hadware; a source of +5V, a serial cable and 26-conductor cables to interface with the students' breadboards. The learning curve is minimal. Students develop their program using Borlands old TurboC Version 2.1 for DOS and then upload the .exe file to the Flashlite.
Over a period of a few days of playing, I have verified that we can interface with devices using the Philips I2C protocol, with Dallas 1-W devices, save data to a file and I currently have Onya Barnes working on programs for interfacing with many I2C devices and Motorola SPI devices including the TLC2543 11-channel 12-bit A/D.
Other projects will include stepping motor control, measuring barmometric pressure, measuring temperature using an NTC thermistor, interfacing with a keypad, interfacing an LCD using a 74XX595, playing a .wav file using an R-2R D/A.
Sample Routines
Additional Flashlite V25 Routines ($10 US / $15 International)
