While looking around at the N8VEM project, I also happened on the Arduino. The Arduino has to be one of the coolest things I've ever run across.
Years ago I played, very briefly, with a Paralax Basic Stamp. This is a micro controller that can be used to build fun circuits, and is programmed in Basic.
The Arduino is its big brother, and amazingly, all the hardware and software are Open Source. Well, not the individual chips, but all the boards, the development environment, the documentation, and tons of interesting circuits, machines and projects.
See much more at the Arduino Home Page.
I got involved because it's an easy way to get into reading schematics, examining circuit boards, and soldering electronics together. Sean and I have already built some pretty cool stuff with Arduino, including a couple of piggy-back boards, called Shields inthe Arduino language, some basic LED circuits (blinking, fading, controlling), a 20x4 LCD panel board, and a doodad that is somewhat like a Theremin. Our first real project will be to design and build an infrared proximity alarm.
I'll upload some pictures as soon as I get a chance.
