Computer Interfacing Tutorial

Parallel, Serial, and Game port is a simple and inexpensive tool for building computer controlled devices and projects. The simplicity and ease of programming makes Parallel, Serial, and Game port popular in electronics hobbyist world. The Parallel, Serial, and Game port is often used in Computer controlled robots, Atmel/PIC programmers, home automation, ...etc... Here a simple tutorial on Parallel, Serial, and Game port interfacing and programming with some examples.

Everybody knows what is Parallel, Serial, and Game port, where it can be found, and for what it is being used. the primary use of Parallel, Serial, and Game port is to connect printers, mouse and joystick each to computer and is specifically designed for this purpose. Thus it is often called as printer Port for Parallel. You can see the Parallel, Serial, and Game port connector in the rear panel of your PC. It is a 25 pin female (DB25), a 9 pin male ( DB9 ), and a 15 pin famale ( DB15 ) connectoreach. On almost all the PCs only one parallel port, two serial port and one game port are present, but you can add more by buying and inserting ISA/PCI Parallel, Serial, and Game port cards.

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Programming & Customizing the AVR

This reader-friendly guide shows you how to take charge of the newest, most versatile microcontrollers around, Atmel's AVR RISC chip family. Inside, Electronics World writer and astronomy instrumentation developer Dhananjay V. Gadre walks you from first meeting these exciting new computers-on-a-chip all the way through design and ready-to-launch products Programming and Customizing the AVR Microcontroller clarifies this versatile chip's basics and coaches you through sophisticated applications, using plenty of examples.

Even programming newcomers will be able to follow the clearly illustrated, learn-as-you-go instructions, yet professionals who need to get a project up and running quickly will find the details they need in the author's comprehensive coverage of the AVR's components and capabilities.
Key features:
Easy-to-use explanations of all the AVR's subsystems, with plenty of examples and experiments.
Handfuls of ready-to-try projects, plus useful routines to plug into your own designs.
A confusion-reducing chapter on system design, and a complete AVR system development toolkit Hardware-software interfacing help .
AVR applications using Assembly and C. A guide to the best AVR online resources. CD-ROM loaded with all the tools and source code you need to develop applications. Whether you're designing for fun or adding intelligence to products for a paycheck, Programming and Customizing the AVR Microcontroller is the way to go for a smoother ride.

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What is Microcontroller ?

A microcontroller is an integrated chip that is often part of an embedded system.
The microcontroller includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, I/O ports and timers like a standard computer, but because they are designed to execute only a single specific task to control a single system, they are much smaller and simplified so that they can include all the functions required on a single chip.

Microcontroller differs from a microprocessor, which is a general-purpose chip that is used to create a multi-function computer or device and requires multiple chips to handle various tasks. A microcontroller is meant to be more self-contained and independent, and functions as a tiny, dedicated computer.

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