28128 Parallax Inc, 28128 Datasheet - Page 9

• Manufacturer Part Number: 28128
• Description: KIT BASIC ANALOG/DIGI PARTS ONLY
• Manufacturer: Parallax Inc

Specifications of 28128

• Accessory Type: ADC, DAC
• Product: Microcontroller Accessories
• For Use With/related Products: BASIC Stamp® 2 and Board of Education
• Lead Free Status / RoHS Status: Lead free / RoHS Compliant

Preface · Page v
Preface
The personal computer brought in a whole new era of electronic sophistication. With it,
we have immense amounts of digital computing power located right at our desk.
Computers work well when they are connected to each other, and digital data can be
transferred quite reliably from machine to machine.
However, the minute you wish to connect a digital computer to some “real world” device
(such as a wind speed indicator or fuel level sensor) you need to design a circuit that
interfaces an analog device to the digital computer. In many cases, this involves the
conversion from an analog voltage to a digital representation of that voltage.
This set of Stamps in Class experiments will explore many of the basic principles of
interfacing analog devices to digital microcontrollers. Many times this involves the use
of easy-to-use commands built right into the BASIC Stamp, and at other times requires
the use of a an “analog to digital converter”.
Why should we be interested in converting from analog to digital? Many different aspects
of our lives are dependent upon this conversion process. Some are not too critical to our
survival like compact disc players, telephone systems, and music. Others, however, might
be critical. Medical equipment and sensors often require analog to digital and digital to
analog conversion.
The Basic Analog and Digital curriculum will be revised and updated continually based
on feedback from students and educators. If you would like to author an addition to this
curriculum, or have ideas for improvements or upgrades, always send them to
[e-mail]. We'll do our best to integrate your ideas and assist you with
whatever technical support, sales support, or on-site training you need.
AUDIENCE AND TEACHERS GUIDE
The audience for this text is ages 17 and above. This guide can be used as a complete
book to introduce analog and digital concepts in a class, or as a reference to obtain
detailed explanations about hardware and techniques used in other Stamps in Class
Student Guides.