Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller set up as a "PicoMite" running the MMBasic programming language from Geoff Graham. The PicoMite firmware and manual can be downloaded from https://geoffg.net/picomite.html
To program the PicoMite I used the PuTTY terminal emulator, which can be downloaded from https://www.putty.org/
The Monk Makes Breadboard for Pico is available here: https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/breadboard-for-pico
Please note that I have no association with any of the aforementioned individuals, websites and organizations, and that none of the above are associate links.
The current limiting resistors used with the LEDs were 220 ohm.
If you like this video, you may enjoy my previous episode where I demonstrate using MicroPython to control LEDs and servos with a Raspberry Pi Pico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDj2kcSA-68
More videos on SBCs and wider computing and related topics can be found at http://www.youtube.com/explainingcomputers
You may also like my ExplainingTheFuture channel at: http://www.youtube.com/explainingthefuture
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:48 Hardware
02:48 PicoMite Setup
08:14 BASIC Programs
11:52 Output Control
15:21 Switched On
17:06 BASIC Opportunities
18:33 Wrap
#PicoMite #MMBasic #RaspberryPiPico #ExplainingComputers
Did you ever get round to the video controlling an LCD mentioned at the end of this excellent one?
@ElectronicFanArm Says:
PICO is amazing and probably the best arm microcontroller, although a disadvantage is not compatible with ttl lvl :(
@noweare1 Says:
I program in C, javascript, python but programming in BASIC makes me happy. It has been a long time since I programmed anything in BASIC. Will have to get one of those pico's
@brianhambleton9309 Says:
Cool to know I have the option of loading Basic onto my Pico, Thanks for the info in this detailed video. Cheers.
@rayerdinc2441 Says:
Brilliant! Didn't know about this. Thank you. 👍👍👍
@LinuxLoader1287 Says:
Sorry mate i really like your videos but as i cant watch some of them (members only) im gonna unsubscribe sorry
@Śiśna3633 Says:
I am guessing Chris's age since he doesn't have any grey hair, 40 years ago he may be between 18 or 20. Therefore he is between 58 or 60. I am 65 and learned BASIC at 23 but don't remember anything now.
@TheJavaSync Says:
Wauwwww, remembering me in 1990 😅
@MrBobtwang Says:
In 1978 at the tender age of 24 I bought a 6502 based UK101 build- it- yourself kit which boasted a 'Massive 8K Basic' ... here at nearly 70 that EC video and the work of the guys who ported the basic transported me back to a time when computing wasn't owned by Google, Amazon and Microsoft ... it belonged to the guys in their back bedrooms. Great work all round - thank you :) I will enjoy reading the manual.
@mihailvormittag6211 Says:
👍
@alexanderzohrens2945 Says:
Do you think that raspberries are better documented than arduinos?
@maxpolaris99 Says:
You deleting line numbers triggered flashbacks of "spaghetti code hell" !!! 😵💫 Thanx alot!
@maxpolaris99 Says:
A gentle reminder "classic" tele-computing is 300 or 1200 baud. 😁
@tlmooney Says:
Can picomite be displayed on an android phone or tablet?? Which serial terminal? Thanks Tom
@roysutton577 Says:
Overclocking, according to the manual with, OPTION CPUSPEED 378000 instead of the default 48000 (= 48000 kHz) reduces the time to display 1000 digits of PI from 38.466 sec to 4.765 seconds.
@roysutton3722 Says:
I am a very young man (73) who helped my dad build vacuum tube (valve) Eccles-Jordan (1918) flip-flops for a home built organ in 1957. I was branded when he asked me to hand him the soldering iron and I grabbed it by the hot end. In 1965 I asked him for a PDP-8 and he asked how much. I said only $18,000 and he replied that our house was that amount. So I asked when I can have it.
@elektron2kim666 Says:
I want to try this. Got 2 Pico's from China yesterday. The display video seems interesting as well (in this moment.)
@Electron_master Says:
I wanted to make a basic computer using a 16x4 character lcd display. Is there any way to do it?
@TheBreamer999 Says:
What is the led name/number of the build in LED on the PICO w, I can't seen to get it to light up in PicoMite
@idiotspieltminecraft1032 Says:
But can it run Doom?
@ahuman6825 Says:
how would i connect to picomite from linux? can i connect from terminal?
@jeffreymorris1752 Says:
Basic is well suited to simple machine controls, like a diesel generator startup sequence that goes through a sensor checklist and then sequences glowplugs, etc to safely start, warmup, and load the engine in different weather conditions. We used to have to purchase a $750 plc and pay $900 for a programming software 6-month seat. Now it's what? $5 or something altogether?
@Jim_Welch_OK Says:
I wrote my first program in Fortran in freshman - intro to engineering at Uni. Sept 1972 and I am still working at the "same" company for 47 years!
@bfapple Says:
The time is now 13:37. Please tell me this was intended 😉
@therealjackfisher Says:
Now I wonder if it could run Pascal or Delphi. Probably it could.
@jimreineri6166 Says:
Running BASIC on anything..... Just Say NO!!!!!!
@SpeccyMan Says:
There's a 3rd way to write that LED code by enclosing it in a DO ... LOOP thus eliminating that GOTO.
@rondlh20 Says:
This brings back memories, great job, thanks a lot!
@rembrandtes Says:
great video very good explanation , I did not known that was possible run basic on pico , I love basic very simple and powerful I use great cow basic .... thanks for sharing ... deserve a like and subscription
@electron7373 Says:
Thanks for the intro - just getting started with my Pico Mite basic board (it has VGA onboard and can go direct to video monitor).
@kattz753 Says:
Wow. Programs costing hundreds of $ aren't documented as well. This guy deserves a donation.
@jimtekkit Says:
Geoff really did an excellent job creating MMBasic, it's the perfect platform for beginners who want to experience BASIC running on real hardware. I've built a Colour Maximite (in addition to using Picomite) which I find is ideal for prototyping. It's worth noting that this is a locally-developed Australian product (maximite.....vegemite....it all makes sense now!), which I find to be unusual given that we missed out on a lot of the 80's computing craze. Retro machines like the C64 are rare around here and you can't easily get one, let alone the peripherals and cartridges, if you want to experience retro computing. The Colour Maximite isn't a direct C64 replacement but it has that same spirit of "friendly computing".
@SpeccyMan Says:
The Pi Picos are currently £5.50 including the header pins so I've ordered 2 of them. Can't wait to try MMBasic on them. I think my little robot buggy build might be losing its Arduino Pro Mini brain in favour of the obviously more versatile Pi Pico.
@mandelbro777 Says:
GOTO .......... millions of modern programmers' brains just exploded all over the walls :P
Darn this brought back memories of the 1980's when I was learning to program on BASIC, on a massively basic PC.
Extreme nostalgia
@manoerina1873 Says:
Hi,
since this video i am waiting for promised up coming video. checking every week but no, there is no video with the subject. PicoMite VGA, Are you working on it?
@Great2Make Says:
Very good presenting skill highly enjoyable, been tinkering for a while now I’ve found your videos I’ve found new inspiration! Many thanks!
@peterwest1158 Says:
Brings back memories of running BBC Basic on my BBC B. Really interesting video.
@Milosz_Ostrow Says:
I tried running MMBasic.exe in a dosemu window on Linux and it refused to load, displaying the message "This is a Windows NT character-mode executable." It apparently only runs in a Windows NT command window, not a true DOS or DOS emulator environment.
@marcsmithsonian9773 Says:
Briliant. And Mr scissors give me creeps..
@pctrashtalk2069 Says:
This takes me back to my Basic Stamp fun times. You can't beat the price and features.
@patrickdemeyer4668 Says:
the goto suicide command of non competence!
@ancapftw9113 Says:
I've actually got a terminal program on my cell phone. I just find it funny that I could program it from an android.
@hgbugalou Says:
This could be nice for some basic home automation tasks. No pun intended.
@retrogamingandyou2373 Says:
GWBASIC was one of the first languages I learned! :D Then I got older and played the Gorilla game at school on QBASIC.
@robertlucas6426 Says:
Windows seems so much more complicated than Linux .
@machinebyte7235 Says:
Thanks to this video I'm also PicoMite user now (and a Bascom user for years)
@interestingspagetti Says:
How many here say..? ( i still say "hello") But. "Welcome to another video,, from explaining computers....... dot com" in chorus with Christopher??? Like this comment if you do, hehe ;) Nehoo another great video. Not to distract.
@mahoneytechnologies657 Says:
Your damned right about the documentation, really well done! Sample code, sample circuits, took 5 min to be up and running. Having an editor built in is nice, I am sending a data collection product out into the field in Indonesia so having this feature is really worth while.
Basic was created to be easy to teach and understand! We used Basic at HP for easy to implement instrument control and it worked well! Many nag on the Goto command, when you goto a line number they are right to compline, but Goto a label name used as a call to Sub or a function, it works great.
So now we have C, C++, a couple of versions of Python, Basic, and at least one Version of Forth, and there is Assembly Language!
I have not tried it, but there is the possibility of embedding C also when speed is critical. The PIO Is unique!
Looking forward to what might be included in a second version, maybe some added PIO BLOCKS, more program memory. In the meantime there are a Ton of apps to be done with the RP2040!
We are Lucky as hell!
Now if someone will do a Pascal! I still like Pascal. Pascal was the follow on to Basic for learning to program. In the end it is not what the source code looks like, but the machine code it compiles down to. The style of program has many different flavors to suit different taste. There is no reason that many of the current programming languages can not be compiled down to good Machine code. Pick a language that looks comfortable and write programs, programs, programs .... Maybe more Important, write programs, then really Analyze them then rewrite them. I heard a good programmer say write a program until it works, then analyze it carefully and throw it away and start from scratch. If you think about it, that’s much like our current revision cycles for the current tons of software on the market, Just doing a little more thinking at the beginning of the process.w
@elnasty555 Says:
I just got a rpi pico for£4.70. I didn't get it to work with putty as win 10 doesn't show it as a com but just pico but installing tera term vt got the terminal working and it works and I'm very impressed by the interpreted basic. Thank you for drawing my attention to mmbasic and rpi pico.
LATEST COMMENTS