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Any alternatives to the BASIC Stamp Activity kit?
I have to buy a BASIC Stamp Activity kit for class but it costs 100 dollars and I dont want to pay all that. I dont know much about these things but are there any alternatives I can get? A clone or something that will do the same thing ?
http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microcontrollers/BASICStampProgrammingKits/tabid/136/CategoryID/11/List/0/SortField/0/Level/a/ProductID/313/Default.aspx
There may be some "clones" here and there, but not exactly the same as the Parallax units.
Unless there are specific requirements for your class for using the materials provided with the Parallax kit you linked to, if it were me I would pick up a BASIC Stamp module from Sparkfun, eBay, etc. (say $50) and a protoboard, along with some misc. components and work on arriving at the same results from using the kit.
However the trade-off is the time you'll spend getting those items together, and getting them working, to reduce money spent.
The Stamps are kind of expensive when compared to other microcontrollers & dev. boards out there.
Some other options, if your instructor will allow for it:
1. Use a BASIC PICAXE, lower in cost and popular overseas
2. Use a slightly different "stamp" (ex.: C Stamp, generic Stamp modules)
I sincerely encourage anyone interested in electronics to play & tinker with Stamps or whatever they like, but if you plan on working with microcontrollers in the future for a serious job I would encourage you to learn C now.