Short notice speaker request

[Gene Holmerud]

Sure:

It's for a DOE program to encourage middle and high school students to 
study math and science.  Some 15 years ago DOE realized a lot of their 
engineers and scientists were not far from retirement, etc.  So, to help 
avert the mess we're in now, they started this program.

Since it's a lot like the College Bowl from the 1950's (slightly like 
Jeopardy now), it needs clocks and BuzzIn systems.  After 12 years in 
Arizona, those have been failing, so I and a team are upgrading the 
equipment. Please browse to <http://members.cox.net/geneousproducts/> 
for more than you want to know.  Some photos are at 
<photos.yahoo.com/geneousproducts/> including some taken by Joseph 
Sinclair at the Eastside Xmas meting.

The guts are a Microchip PICmicro controller driving a handful of ICs, 
LEDs, etc.  My plan is to connect it, via USB, to a laptop running my 
clock program, but right now we need to get 9 more "stand-alone" 
versions built this month.

Thanks,
Gene

PS:  The 9 we're now building are fully wired for USB (I cloned 
Microchip's USB Demo board), just the firmware only runs the 
BuzzIn/LockOut logic.  Since the PICmicros can be programmed 
"in-circuit" upgrades are not a problem.

Vaughn Treude wrote:

>Gene,
>Great!  Sounds like it would be a good fit.  Since I missed the Eastside
>meeting (as usual), can you tell me a little more about it?
>Thanks!
>Vaughn
>
>On Fri, 2006-01-06 at 17:22, Gene Holmerud wrote:
>  
>
>>I'd like to present my Science Bowl project (used for the Trivia contest 
>>at the Eastside meeting last month).  Might get some volunteers for 
>>construction.  It's a nice blend of hard/firm/software.
>>
>>Gene
>>
>>Vaughn Treude wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Hello everyone:
>>>My IEEE consultant's group, which is meeting next week, has had our
>>>planned speaker cancel at the last minute.  I'm trying to round up
>>>somebody to speak on a technology-related topic.  I know I've heard some
>>>good PLUG presentations in the past, but I'm not sure who has done
>>>what.  In particular something of general interest, such as computer
>>>security or the Myth TV project or web page development, would be good.
>>>The meeting is this coming Thursday, which I think is the same night as
>>>the east-side PLUG meeting.  Here are the details:
>>>
>>>Time: 6:30 PM, second Thursday of the month (1/12/06)
>>>Place: The Denny's at Scottsdale and Osborn (they have a nice meeting
>>>room in the back)
>>>We normally chat for a while and order food, and the presentation is
>>>usually done around 8 but we'll make it earlier if the speaker prefers. 
>>>We'll pay for the speaker's meal (yeah, we're big spenders.  :-) )
>>>It doesn't have to be anything long.  I think the presentations are
>>>usually a half-hour to an hour.  We try to get out of there by 9 or 9:30
>>>at the latest.
>>>We're all pretty computer-savvy, though mostly Windoze or Mac people. So
>>>you couldn't assume in-depth Linux knowledge, but at least we all know
>>>what it is.
>>>
>>>I know this is late notice so I certainly understand if nobody steps
>>>forward.  But I'd greatly appreciate it, and it could certainly be a
>>>recycled PLUG presentation.
>>>
>>>Please contact me ASAP if you might be interested or need more info.
>>>BTW, our meetings are always open to non-members, in case any of you are
>>>interested in the consulting business.  If the speaker wants to bring
>>>friends along for moral support, we welcome that, too.
>>>
>>>Thanks!
>>>Vaughn
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>      
>>>
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