TI has a device on a USB stick: http://www.ti.com/ez430 Unfortunately appears the IDE only runs in Windows. Linux related using Atmel AVR: http://www.tldp.org/linuxfocus/English/November2004/article352.shtml Atmel also has Butterfly and others but programmability may be limited. Also watch for seminars put on locally by the manufacturer, for example Microchip on May 18 at Minneapolis Marriott SW in Minnetonka. https://secure.microchip.com/corpseminars/details.aspx Freescale, Renesas, TI, Atmel, etc. often put on a seminar in Twin Cities about once a year either free or for nominal cost. Often some books or hardware is given away at these. Bob Clayton Smith wrote: >recently I have picked up a slight interest in looking into >programming for hardware or at least the concept of being able to >program a USB/LCD device etc... I hate it when people ask these kinds >of questions ("hey I'm a noob at $x what should I do, what books >should I read blahblah") but I'm asking anyway since I feel at a loss >at where to start. >A few things I think would find most appealing to hear about: >- a college or local place that offers beginners with hands on >learning about programming a microchip (or maybe just basic >electronics) -- or maybe you know a place where I can simply volunteer >and get some hands on >- a place that offers an assembly class >- a good assembly book (I'm going through one right now actually but >I'm open to more, also, has anyone read Andrew Tanenbaum's Operating >Systems Design & Implementation, what did you think of it?) > >maybe you are wondering why I have this interest.. well, the past week >or two I've been reading various books which I suppose leave me a >little inspired.. they are as follows: >Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software >Difference Engine: Charles Babbage And The Quest To Build The First Computer >Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software >Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary >Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution > >then some more technical books mixed in that I can have difficulty >pushing through due to them addressing details before introducing the >concept or explaining it via the relationships between ideas (etc) > >Clayton > >_______________________________________________ >TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota >tclug-list at mn-linux.org >http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > > >