Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] MIDI-controllers?
From: Karl W. MacMillan (karlmac_AT_peabody.jhu.edu)
Date: Thu Mar 16 2000 - 17:15:13 EST
> This was my first experience with embedded programming, but I can
> share the following bits of information:
>
> 1. The Basic Stamp, as its name indicates, can only be programmed
> using an offbeat form of Basic. You need DOS (or FreeDOS, I
> suppose) to run the supported compiler/uploader program. I don't
> know if they've released the specs of the object format so that
> someone could write a compiler for a better language or port
> it to a different platform.
>
> 2. The thing has VERY little memory. For my application, I had
> to switch to a hardcoded hand position/orientation recognition
> scheme rather than my original fuzzy logic mechanism. The fuzzy
> logic one was not particularly big or slow at all, but it did
> use a few modest arrays which did not end up fitting on the
> stamp. You end up being acutely conscious of individual bytes.
>
> 3. It's not particularly fast, either. It can handle simple MIDI
> output, but I would definitely not want to use one of them for
> processing MIDI input on the fly. You could even potentially run
> into trouble with trying to send densely-packed CC messages.
>
> Hope this is useful,
> Div.
These are all good points - the basic stamp has been updated with more
memory/speed, but it is definitely limited. I think their popularity with
a lot computer musicians I know is due to their simplicity (and therefore
limitations). Of course I have never seen anyone use them for as cool a
project as you are describing . . .
Karl
_____________________________________________________
| Karl W. MacMillan |
| Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University |
| Network and Telecommunications Services |
| karlmac_AT_peabody.jhu.edu |
| 410/659-8297 |
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