Basic Stamp 2

There are several variations of the chip available. The BS2IC model can do 4000 Basic instructions / second and has 2k of program space. Higher end models of the chip have more ROM and more CPU power.

However, all versions of the chip suffer from a limiting 32 bytes of variable space. This makes doing things like retrieving and parsing a GPS data stream extremely difficult.

Where Parallax really shines is their quality of product. The documentation is accurate and consistently provides examples. The platform is very stable - in general things just work.

The Basic Stamp has become extremely popular over the years - so a lot of source code on how to interface with various devices is available.

The chip itself is about $50. The Basic Stamp Discovery Kit for $140 includes everything you need to get started (chip, board, documentation, and some sensors).

For $200 their Boe-Bot kit (includes the BS2IC) makes a great introduction to microcontrollers and robotics. It's how I got started with this stuff.

Visit www.parallax.com for more information.