Bill Gerry puts out a magazine but can't remember the name of it.  He's at
smith kettlewell inst in san fran.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin McCormick" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 3:07 PM
Subject: Braille Technical Press or Something Similar


>         Does Braille Technical Press or anything similar exist any more?
>
>         I have been trying to get in to the world of PIC's for several
> years and finally found that the Linux environment has a suite of
> open-source programs written by several individuals that, along with
> the Picstart-Plus programmer sold by Microchip through Digikey makes
> it possible to program PIC's.
>
>         In all honesty, I have only programmed a PIC16F84 to build a
> special piece of test equipment for me, but any person who is blind,
> using Linux, should be able to use the development software.  Most of
> it is either command-line or a combination of GUI under X windows or
> command-line depending upon what you want.
>
>         The assembler is totally command line and the PIC emulator
> needs a number of X windows libraries to compile, but you can then
> tell the make process that you don't want the GUI and you get an
> emulator that lets you pretty-well trace your program's execution
> before you burn it in to a PIC.
>
>         I am certainly willing to share what little I know with any
> other PIC tinkerers who are blind.
>
>         This looks like it is going to be lots of fun.  My mind is
> buzzing with lots of possible things to build.
>
>         There are many ham-related PIC projects in "QST" from time to
> time so you can get a good idea of what PIC's are used for.
>
>         They are relatively cheap and no harder to hook up than any IC.
> They take the place of many older logic and counter IC's so you can
> build stuff much smaller and faster than before.
>
>         One final thing I notice already.  In the past, I could build
> a digital circuit and, if I kept very careful Braille notes, I could
> go back months or years later and tell what I had done.  If I forgot
> or got lazy, I might have to almost tear the circuit up before I
> reminded myself what I hooked to what originally.
>
>         Withe PIC's, a lot of the wiring exists as lines of software
> to which one can add comments like, "This is Push Button one which
> starts the system." or something similar.  The program can be your
> documentation if you do it right.
>
>         If your project is contained within one PIC, then the only
> wiring you must do is to connect the socket to power, ground, and any
> other switches, buttons, crystals or sounders that your project needs.
> The final assembly gets a lot neater.
>
>         By the way.  PIC stands for Peripheral Interface Controller.
> The first PIC's were designed to simplify the hardware used in
> electronic signs and displays.  They are still used for that plus
> everything else imaginable and even some things not so imaginable.
> Some TV remote controls use PIC's and a First Alert carbon monoxide
> detector of ours that died turns out to have been built around a
> PIC16c75.
>
> Martin McCormick WB5AGZ  Stillwater, OK
> OSU Information Technology Division Network Operations Group