Project Detail

Description

Here is the first project.

One my clients is setting up a microcontroller lab for junior/high school students. So he is looking for someone who can help them create a workbook for this lab. Here is one of the many projects/tutorials that he needs for this workbook.

What he wants is an Atmel microcontroller that can be used to interface an 8-bit I/O port to the 9-pin serial port on the PC.

In other words, there will be a basic 8-bit Input port and an 8-bit Output port that would have to be interfaced to the serial port using some simple to understand ATMEL microcontroller. You will have to write a program in C# / VB .net that will run/control this interface. Also, you will be required to keep the circuit as simple and as affordable as possible. When your project is completed we will test it by putting together the circuit here. You do not have to send us the parts. Just simply assemble a circuit at your end and verify that it works OK. Once you verify, we will buy the parts here and check the circuit here as well. A working circuit is a must!

Since this would be a Lab experiment being developed for junior/high school kids, you will have to keep the project and the documentation simple and easy to follow. You can avoid all the advanced stuff and just focus on the basics. Also, for your information, the students doing this lab are already familiar with basic electronics and have some background in fundamental C# and VB .net programming.

Just to give you an idea, you may want to plan the lab as follows:

1.About one page or so briefly describing the microcontroller that will be used.

2.About a page or so briefly describing the pins that you will use on the 9-pin Serial Port

3.Explanation of the circuit schematic, and the plan that makes it work. Mention all the handshaking signals that are involved in READING/WRITING. Basically include all documentation that what be needed to put the circuit together and understand the electronics and the mechanism working behind each READ/WRITE operation. (Do not forget to include list of components

4.Provide well-commented and well-documented source code, together with all the exe files.

5.You may want to describe “very briefly” all the tools that are needed in implementing a typical microcontroller-based project. (For example, any software tools like the IDE development tools, C compiler, debugger, Makefile, simulator, etc.) If you feel that the Simulator and some other tools would have to be covered in a separate project, please let me know and we can cover them in another project after you satisfactorily complete this one.

Please let me know if you need additional info or want me to clarify further on any other issue.