This workshop provides an overview of Micro-controller based systems, and it aims to help learners to develop the ability to program the Basic Stamp Micro-Controller to communicate with external circuitry through its serial port. Learners gain significant experience in using the Basic Stamp Micro-Controller to input information from user, via buttons and switches, and output information using LEDs and 7-segment displays.

Components Used: Basic Stamp Discovery kit from Parallax Combined with Board of Education platform and the What's a Microcontroller Parts and Text Kit, "Getting Started" kit for microcontroller programming and experimentation.

The workshop objectives:

• Understand what a microcontroller is, and why it is used
• Connect an input/output device and control them with a microcontroller
• Write programs to control your circuit to accomplish a certain task