I enjoy solving detail oriented problems. Because of this I like to solve Sudoku puzzles and write computer programs, often in assembly language. This page captures some of the hobby projects I've worked on.

For the hobbyist there are two popular microprocessor manufacturers, Microchip and ATMEL. These microprocessors are (almost) standalone computers — just apply software and power and they are ready to solve your problems.

They have simple architectures based on flash memory with a small amount of RAM and (usually) some EEPROM and have built in IO ports, timers, comparators, serial ports, etc. Both Atmel and Microchip provide relatively inexpensive programming hardware and have free software development systems. Good stuff for a hobbyist.

Both manufacturers are very well supported by aftermarket vendors, some of whom are hobbyist's themselves. If you don't feel you can build these simple circuits you can probably find something that will work for you already built and being sold online for just a few dollars.

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