I used to buy Heathkits long ago. I lost interest in them when they introduced a home computer kit that was complete incompatible with everyone else (many years ago). I thought their HERO robot was an interesting project though I never was quite inticed enough to buy one.

I do see an interesting question underlying all this. What is a good starter project? While we've recommended a lot of good 8051 boards, they are relatively expensive for a novice. So it appears that what is needed is an 8051.com economical kit. hmmmm

Maybe this should be a new topic but why don't you tell us what you would like to have in such a product. To keep the cost down to a minimum, I assume it needs to be offered as a kit that can be soldered up. I guess we need to know what precentage needing an 8051 starter board can solder and which would prefer not.

I've heard rumors of such development, but maybe the real answer is a non-profit approach. heheeheh maybe even putting a little advertising in the silkscreen. :)

Maybe the thing to do is to form a committee to agree upon design parameters and request bids on pricing to provide the kit? The circuitry won't be anything difficult so its just a matter of chosing the pcb dimensions and laying out the pcb.

Actually, I have a unit I've thought would make a great trainer (we use it internally for that) but its all surface mount and has some proprietary circuit that would have to be ripped out before made available publically. For soldering kits, SMT isn't feasible for novices, it would have to be done in through hole components. As an assembled kit, the surface mount unit would be quite nice, but probably too expensive for a world market.

I've got the new BLAZE auto-router for pcb layout. It should be trivial to layout a two sided big pcb for a kit application. I wouldn't expect there to be any real volume in it, but it still might be an interesting contribution to the world of 8051 believers. :)

If this sounds like a good idea to anyone, form a design committee and see if a consensus can be found of the required functions a trainer would need.

aka j

PS: For the record my real name is Oscar Zebulon, Jr.