From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jun 28 10:40:06 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B5BC41065672 for ; Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:40:06 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from smithi@nimnet.asn.au) Received: from sola.nimnet.asn.au (paqi.nimnet.asn.au [115.70.110.159]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 044CA8FC0A for ; Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:40:05 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by sola.nimnet.asn.au (8.14.2/8.14.2) with ESMTP id q5SAeAw3026298; Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:40:11 +1000 (EST) (envelope-from smithi@nimnet.asn.au) Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:40:10 +1000 (EST) From: Ian Smith To: Warren Block In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20120628181722.R46641@sola.nimnet.asn.au> References: <20120621083945.E87771065694@hub.freebsd.org> <20120622153224.I46641@sola.nimnet.asn.au> <20120625152340.X46641@sola.nimnet.asn.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, Modulok Subject: Re: OT: Robotics or embedded or hardware programming... what is this called? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:40:06 -0000 On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:43:35 -0600 (MDT), Warren Block wrote: > On Mon, 25 Jun 2012, Ian Smith wrote: > > > On Fri, 22 Jun 2012 06:47:48 -0600 (MDT), Warren Block wrote: > > > On Fri, 22 Jun 2012, Ian Smith wrote: > > > > > > Well, there is devel/arduino. It's not emdedded Linux, but an IDE for > > > writing and downloading code. The Arduino is a small embedded controller > > > based on the Atmel AVR microcontrollers. They are quite powerful, easy to > > > program, and accessible for experimenters. You can skip the Arduino > > > environment if you like, using the same lower-level tools like avr-gcc > > > directly. And the Arduino board can be used as a programmer, downloading > > > code to plain AVR chips and avoiding the need for more Arduino boards. Talk > > > about the Arduino on FreeBSD is generally on the freebsd-embedded mailing > > > list. > > > > Thanks Warren. I got the wrong idea that Arduino ran an embedded Linux > > from a friend, a Linux-using Electrical Engineer, but not a programmer. > > I'd also (too) briefly glanced at www.arduino.cc and noted Windows, Mac > > and Linux references, and Linux binaries, but had no idea you had ported > > the GUI. Could you perhaps try pushing the FreeBSD port upstream to > > Arduino, so people can find out that it exists from there? > > There was an updated entry mentioning the port in the Playground, which now > seems to have reverted back to the old not-yet-working procedure for FreeBSD > 6.1. And I see that 1.0.1 is out, so now the port needs to be updated. > There doesn't appear to be a way for me to edit that. I can send mail to the > site about mentioning the FreeBSD port on the downloads page. Or you can, if > you like. MAMBM .. I'd promised myself I wouldn't spend any more time on this :) That wiki is fairly messed up, but its search helps a bit; searching for 'FreeBSD' (ie googling 'FreeBSD site:http://arduino.cc/playground') turns up more than is indexed from the sidebar, including some pages not apparently accessible otherwise. It really needs the main index editing (as well as http://arduino.cc/playground/Learning/FreeBSD) to point to (say) 'Installing Arduino on other platforms' after the Linux one, but it'd be a bit of work. Yes, even just a link in the Downloads section would help, but making FreeBSD support more obvious sure wouldn't hurt. > Something I forgot to mention earlier is that it may now be possible to buy > Arduinos or compatibles at Radio Shack stores in the US. Yes they're definitely getting out there. Tandy / RS abandoned the kit market here, but Jaycar (2011 cat) has Uno-compatible boards for $40 and a Duemilanove-compatible with onboard Ethernet 'shield' for $70. Hmm. Despite indexing FreeBSD under Linux(!), anybody interested in embedded monitoring, control and/or robotics with Arduino or Atmel uCs in general should find something of interest in 'The World Famous Index of Arduino & Freeduino Knowledge' at http://www.freeduino.org/ sucked in, Ian