What's in the box? The Hot Chip Starter Kit includes just about everything you need to get up and experimenting right away: a pre-assembled microcontroller PC board with both parallel and serial cables for connection to your PC. There's also software on CD-ROM for Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Windows 98 which features an Assembler, BASIC compiler and in-system programmer.

This new micro kit from Dick Smith Electronics will interest both the beginner and expert alike. Beginners will find that they can write and test a simple program, using the BASIC programming language, within an hour or two of connecting it up. Experts will like the power and flexibility of the Atmel microcontroller, as well as the ease with which the little Hot Chip board can be "designed-in" to a project.

What’s in the box?

The Hot Chip Starter Kit includes just about everything you need to get up and experimenting right away. On the hardware side, there’s a pre-assembled microcontroller PC board with both parallel and serial cables for connection to your PC. Software on CD-ROM for Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Windows 98 is included, and features an Assembler, BASIC compiler and in-system programmer.

Hardware

The Hot Chip PC board measures just 20 x 70mm but using surface mount components and a powerful microcontroller, it packs an incredible amount of functions into a small space.

What is a microcontroller? A microcontroller integrates a microprocessor core with key peripherals such as RAM, ROM, I/O ports, counter/timers, serial ports, A-D converters, etc – all on a single chip.

The kit uses the AT90S8535 microcontroller IC, one of the latest and greatest from Atmel Corporation.

8KB of program ("Flash") memory, 512 bytes of non-volatile data memory (EEPROM) and 512 bytes of RAM are all included on-chip.

The program memory can be electrically erased and reprogrammed up to 1,000 times (throw away that old EPROM programmer!), whereas the EEPROM can be reprogrammed up to 100,000 times. Using the in-system programming (ISP) features of the microcontroller, the Hot Chip software can erase and reprogram both program and data memory via your PC’s parallel port, all in a matter of seconds.