BASIC Stamp General Information

BASIC Stamps are small computers that run Parallax BASIC (PBASIC) programs. They have fully programmable I/O pins that can be used to directly interface to TTL-level devices, such as buttons, LEDs, speakers, potentiometers, and shift registers. And with just a few extra components, these I/O pins can be connected to non-TTL devices, such as solenoids, relays, RS-232 networks, and other high current/voltage devices.

Though they are available in various physical packages, all versions of BASIC Stamps have the same logical design, consisting of a 5-volt regulator, resonator, serial EEPROM, and PBASIC interpreter. A tokenized PBASIC program is stored in the non-volatile serial EEPROM, which is read from and written to by the interpreter chip. This interpreter chip fetches the instructions one at a time and performs the appropriate operation on the I/O pins or internal structures within the interpreter. Because the PBASIC program is stored in an EEPROM, it may be programmed and reprogrammed almost endlessly, without the need to first erase the memory, as with most PICs. To program BASIC Stamps, you just connect them to an IBM PC or compatible and run our editor software to edit and download your program.