- Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:30 pm
#122283
I'm associated with high school science centers in remote locations. In order to extend the curriculum to include an introductory course on microcontrollers, we are deciding between the BasicStamp Board of Education and the Arduino Uno.
Either choice has advantages/disadvantages. The Arduino is great in a hobbyist setting, but much less useful in a classroom setting. The Arduino configuration is either a messy wired situation or a unassembled tieboard shield, whereas the BasicStamp has a built-in tieboard for easy prototyping. We're talking a quantity of 100, far more Arduino shields than I can solder/assemble. Also, I worry that the shield connections won't stand up to the wear&tear of middle- and high-school students.
Though the BasicStamp runs very slowly, its native Basic interpreter provides a simple language, ease of operation, and transparent debugging.
Your thoughts appreciated.
Either choice has advantages/disadvantages. The Arduino is great in a hobbyist setting, but much less useful in a classroom setting. The Arduino configuration is either a messy wired situation or a unassembled tieboard shield, whereas the BasicStamp has a built-in tieboard for easy prototyping. We're talking a quantity of 100, far more Arduino shields than I can solder/assemble. Also, I worry that the shield connections won't stand up to the wear&tear of middle- and high-school students.
Though the BasicStamp runs very slowly, its native Basic interpreter provides a simple language, ease of operation, and transparent debugging.
Your thoughts appreciated.