arithma wrote@mesa: Regarding the languages, I prefer to leave it totally open. I was hoping you were still involved in the hardware description languages actually. Could you be able to talk a couple of minutes about that when we're there?
@arithma: April 25 is a big no no for me, it may be a day off for you, but I work Mondays through Fridays (no matter what kind of holiday it is aside from religious holidays in Saida where the company closes, and personal days), and currently I'm working Saturdays and/or Sundays to equip a hospital's OR departments. I come back at 6:30 pm from work, so if you want to discuss microprocessors and their programming, you need to set a day where I can hold a 2 or 3 hour presentation + workshop (no one can learn PIC programming without hands-on experience). If you want to keep April 25, maybe if I get early I'll pass by, otherwise I won't make it.
On a separate yet related subject, why not hold a "TeckCon" i.e. technology conference where half the day is dedicated to software discussions and the other half is dedicated to hardware discussions. Unlike the idea of "open topics", we'll have a fully set schedule with keynote speakers from the LebGeeks community. Choose it to be in a middle of a vacation and on Saturday to have a better shot for having a larger audience. I can devise a presentation/workshop related to PIC programming (what are PICs, what do they consist of on a hardware level, how many forms of PICs are there and how do they differ, what are the steps taken to select a certain PIC for an application, how many programming languages exist and how do they differ, and finally a hands-on workshop on how to program with PIC BASIC, PBASIC 2.5, microC, and Arduino plus converting BASIC files into assembly with PICBASIC Pro Compiler <- this will be about devising a simple circuit involving a sensor like a photocell or a thermistor, an input interface like a toggle switch or a keypad, and a bunch of indicators like LEDs, buzzers and servo or DC motors and if time permits LCDs/GLCDs, and then applying the same circuit design with different PICS and programming languages to compare programming complexity and applied functionality). We'll have to hold it some time after May 10 and on a Saturday or Sunday where I'll have a bit more flexible schedule, plus I can devise a more concrete schedule about what the presentation/workshop would include. All hardware including programming boards (I have six, don't ask why), sensors, indicators, resistors, etc... will be provided by yours truly, and I'll divide you into teams of 2 or 3 depending on the number of interested attendees. I'm also considering having a presentation/workshop about basic electronics and circuit troubleshooting if anyone's interested. Maybe J4D would also like to take it as an opportunity to talk about his top-secret, hush-hush robotics project. It's all up to you guys....