[Ma-linux] microcontrollers

[Przemek Klosowski]

   Does anyone here program microcontrollers under linux?

   If so, has anyone programmed the MC68HC908 such as the one used in the
   USB-IR-Boy project? (http://usbirboy.sourceforge.net)

   Or has anyone worked with another micro with a USB interface or with the
   firmware USB implementation for the Atmel AVM?

   I apologize for spamming this group sorta. Is there a robotics or makers
   interest group in this area? It would be so neat to meet with a bunch of
   people every so often and have someone present on how to make a flame
   thrower or a kegerator or an IR sensor. =)

Hello, my new best friend! I am very interested in this area. I have a
combined professional and hobby interest in data acquisition, embedded
systems, and robotics. I always thought Linux is a great platform both
for deployment and development. 

I played with MSP430 (Texas Inst.) and ARM in PDAs, various hacked
platforms (Linksys etc), and microcontrollers from Philips/NXS and AD
(I am currently waiting on a development board from AD). Never tried
68HC908; I looked at ATMEL (they  have both AVR and ARM offerings) 
and PIC.

TI of course has their low cost $20 USB dongle with a JTAG interface
talking to one detachable daughterboard with I think MSP430-2013;
recently they started selling additional three daughterboards for
$10. THis works with GCC (mspgcc), and there are Eclipse plugins for
development. The advantage of TI is their low power modes: their
stuff can be configured to run for years on a single battery.

AD has excellent analog I/O: 16 channels of analog input, and 4
channels of analog output, as well as the usual digital outputs
such as PWM, timers, interrupts, serial, parallel, etc.