Off to France with Picaxe

erco

erco

Senior Member
Long time no post! Just been busy working for the last year trying to pretend the USA isn't burning down (!). Anyway I just wrapped up the control electronics for a coffee maker-type machine (I can't disclose more than that) for a client in France, using a 20M2. Delivery is next week, and my buddy the lead designer can't go, so just today I was aked to go to Lyon France for a week, carrying this thing to get the client up to speed and give some demos to sell it commercially. Should be fun, I live in LA but have traveled through France previously. First time in Lyon though.

This project was a great example of the flexibillity and usability of the Picaxe. The prototype evolved in various ways, using a mixture of 12VDC and 120VAC solenoids and motors, and ultimately several servos were used. Plenty of pins on the 20M2 to try out various hardware. The program itself is short, almost a washing machine-style timer of opening valves, measuring liquid levels, mixing, pumping and dispensing. I got involved mid-project. it came to me with an Arduino and high hopes. Knowing that other people in the testing phase would have to modify the program, I opted for the simplicity and readability of Picaxe BASIC. Sure enough, all parties involved (young and old) got up to speed quickly on how to tweak the program, and we have some new Picaxe fans as a result.

Hopefully our demos go well and there will be another generation of this machine to be built. Picaxe still useful in paying projects in 2026!
 
I wish you a wonderful stay in our country!
If you enjoy wine and culinary specialties, take the opportunity to sample the local products.

Please note that mains here is 230VAC.
 
Chilling in the Air France lounge in Paris, surrounded by MacBooks. I intentionally brought my ugly duckling beater laptop because the project I’m programming will get this pc wet and filthy. You can’t kill these old school HPs. Great trip so far, hope the large prototype checked as baggage survives.
 

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My client was very pleased with the prototype, which worked flawlessly. We had a great meeting and demonstration in Lyon of a "new type of coffee machine" prototype (confidential, that's all I can say) to a major manufacturer. And now we have more presentations, Venice IT is next!
 
Forest Mims books are amazing. The best introduction to electronics written in the most simple way. I really liked the typography style used for those books, which was to actually write them by hand.
 
Buzby said:
Look what just popped-up on my FaceBook feed ....
Click to expand...
714404831_10167243932947802_3878628318577227391_n.jpg

So Cool! Wondered if it was the same ERCO.

I saw the same FB feed, but didn't make the connection
in "I Take Pictures of Electronic Parts".

Here's the full bench photo that got cut off in your post.

I have a few of his books too! Great resource.
OK. I pushed a lot of stuff out of the way for the shoot.
My bench is never this clean ... ;)

IMG_3791s.jpg
 
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Busted! Yes, that's my message to Forrest, definitely a hero and influence in my career. I pulled out his book last week when I was working on version 2 of the Matcha machine, the same project which took me to France in March. V2 is also Picaxe-powered, and more compact than the first version. After a week of long workdays and a final all-nighter, the prototype worked perfectly in a presentation to a Chinese manufacturer Sunday and contracts were signed. PHEW!

BTW Forrest sent me a follow-up email saying:

"Your note and photo on my Facebook page have received the largest response ever. The total views just reached 100,000. Comments exceed 300."

Nice that he's finally getting some love on social media for his influential work from last millennium!
 
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