An introduction to the Walter/Palya controller and ECBASIC

An overview of the Walter/Palya ECBASIC experiment controller is provided. The hardware, firmware, and underlying design considerations are presented. The controller is a simple printed circuit board microprocessor that interfaces directly to 8 inputs and 40 outputs and directly to any general purpose computer. It can be programmed in a specially written BASIC (ECBASIC) that provides high-level commands for most experimental manipulations. It can function as either a stand-alone computer or a networkable preperipheral processor. It costs about $150.