Books Magazines Sites Serial Ports Parallel Ports BASIC Stamp 3D Fabrication

Books

In my books section you can get additional details on the following books. These books provide valuable information on interfacing between the PC and external hardware/systems. Once you're at my books page, just search for the appropriate keywords.
• Automating Science and Engineering Laboratories with VB
  
  Richard Grier, Mabry Software
• Parallel Port Complete
  
  Jan Axelson, Lakeview Research
• Serial Port Complete
  
  Jan Axelson, Lakeview Research
• USB Complete
  
  Jan Axelson, Lakeview Research
• Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications
  
  Mark Russo & Martin Echols, Wiley-Interscience Series

Magazines

Magazines such as VBPJ (VB Programmers Journal) don't normally cover the use of VB in a hardware situation. The magazine does have advertisement for vendors whose products can help out, but otherwise you're on your own.

Fortunately, there are several magazines which are dedicated to the use of software and hardware in combination. These magazines are not written directly for VB programmers, but contain excellent information for those of you who are want to dabble in the field, but whose occupations do not already provide the complete skills needed. Here are my suggestions for magazines that you will find useful:

• Circuit Cellar
• Nuts & Volts

Web Sites

These sites are mostly geared towards the person who wants to use a PC or programming in conjunction with hardware other than the PC. The sites tend towards the hobbyist or beginner, but nonetheless contain very useful technical information
• Mabry Software
• Lakeview Research
• The Electronics OnRamp

Serial Ports

VB provides only one tool (the MSCOMM OCX) that supports access to the PC serial port, and even that tool is not available except in the Pro and Entrerprise editions of VB. Here's a list of links to details on using MSCOMM, as well as to other available tools which can provide access to the serial port.
• MSCOMM tutorial
• Books: go to my books section and search using the keyword 'serial
• OCXs: go to my vendor section and search using the keyword 'serial'
• Web Sites: go to my VB Web Sites section and search using the keyword 'serial'

Parallel Port

VB offers no built-in tools which access or control the parallel port of a PC. However, there are several resources for VB programmers which get around those limitations.
• Books: go to my books section and search using the keyword 'parallel'
• OCXs: go to my vendor section and search using the keyword 'parallel'
• Web Sites: go to my VB Web Sites section and search using the keyword 'parallel'

BASIC Stamp

One of the basic functions software can perform is to send signals which can be used to control hardware. It would great if VB applcations could be used that way, but putting a PC or laptop beside the hardware is a bigger expense than most home experimenters can afford!

But all is not lost! In the semiconductor world, there are a variety of programmable electronic components which can be used as hardware controllers. A variety of programming approaches are used, including the use of assembly language and/or proprietary programming tools - both of which can involve significant time or money to develop the required skills or capabilities. It's not that VB programmers couldn't learn/buy what is necessary, it's just that we'd like to make use of the skills we've already learned!

Enter the BASIC stamp! The simplicity and popularity of BASIC has spawned an entire a complete industry to allow VB programmers to use their existing skills to make use of hardware controllers. Essentially, the BASIC Stamp is a small computer which you program with a tiny, custom version of BASIC.

The BASIC Stamp, like many hardware controllers, has a limited memory (to keep the cost and size down) so a very limited set of BASIC instructions are available. The BASIC Stamp product was developed by Parallax and has actually been around for some time. At this time, there are several competing products which provide a wide range of programmability features.

The following links will get you started. Once you've digested the information at these sites, I suggest that you start out with one of the complete BASIC Stamp kits available from Parallax. Where you go from these is a matter of your own devising!

• Parallax Home Page
• BASIC Faq
• Dontronics Basic Stamp Page
• Decoding the Basic Stamp
• Reynolds Electronics
• BASIC Stamp / PIC Page
• Basic Stamp 2 - Tutorial and Applications
• Basic Stamp Questions
• VB and the BASIC Stamp
• The Basic Stamp - An Overview
• BASIC Stamp WebRing
• Class in Micro-Controller Applications
• BASIC Stamp FAQs
• Introducing the Basic Stamp

Fabrication

Can it get any better than using a PC application to design a product, then to have that product fabricated right then and there? It sounds like an inventor's or hobbyist's dream come true! Over the years I've "invented" a number of products that were supposed to make my fortune, but it seems like I never got past the design stage - mostly because making a sample product always seemed to require more time and money that I had available.

In my corporate job (as a design engineer for Raytheon), I have access to $250K+ equipment which can fabricate almost any part I can design - but the equipment is not available for private use.

As a private citizen (VB programmer, wannabe inventor), I simply cannot afford the price tag such equipment requires. It's true that you can find a shop that will fabricate your designs, but in the very small quantities I would want (as few as 1, no more than 4 or 5), the price is still prohibitive!

Fortunately, there are options opening up which should make all you would-be inventors take note.

• Low Cost 3D Mill
  I recently discovered a company which has introduced a considerably lower cost 3D milling machine. I've dedicated a page exclusively to the Roland 3D Mill!. The product has seen some publicity in PCMag and is used regularly by some of the magazine's editors. Roland offers free design software to go with the product, but as a VB programmer I'm excited about learning how to communicate directly with the 3D mill.

• Rapid Prototyping
  There are several new technologies which have been developed in the last few years which allow overnight fabrication of almost any design you can devise. The four technology areas are:
  
  • Lamination
  • Stereolithography
    Coincidentally, my 3D design program WinPlace can be used to create designs and to export the design as a stereolithography file that can be used to fabricate your design.
  • Sintering
  • Fused Deposition