Ordering Information (Updated Feb., 2012): Minimum order is now $10 (not including shipping costs); maximum order is $100.
Orders below $10 or above $100 will be automatically refunded.
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The AxMate-18 Project Board
In the June 2010 issue of Nuts & Volts Magazine, the PICAXE Primer column introduced the new "AxMate" line of PC boards which further simplify the powering and programming of PICAXE projects. Currently, there are four AxMate Programming adapters - see the links at the left side of this page for details. The AxMate-18 Project Board differs from the four AxMate Programming Adapters in that it provides all the circuitry (including a socket for the processor) that's necessary to implement a complete circuit for any 18-pin PICAXE processor, which includes the PICAXE-18X®, the PICAXE-18M®, and the recently released PICAXE-18M2® processor.
One of the many impressive features of the 18M2 processor is that it provides a total of 16 I/O lines, which is three more than either of its predecessors. Even more impressively, 13 of the 18M2's I/O lines are bi-directional. In order to make the AxMate-18 Project Board as up-to-date as possible, I decided to label its breadboard connectors to match the 18M2 pin-out. If you intend to use the AxMate-18 with either an 18X or 18M processor, the following pin-out conversions will be helpful.
18M2 vs. 18M/X Pin-out Conversion Chart
| 18M2 Pin | 18M/X Pin |
| C.0 | Input 0 |
| C.1 | Input 1 |
| C.2 | Input 2 |
| C.3 (output only) | Serial Out |
| C.4 (input only) | Serial In |
| C.5 (input only) | Reset |
| C.6 | Input 6 |
| C.7 | Input 7 |
| B.0 | Output 0 |
| B.1 | Output 1 |
| B.2 | Output 2 |
| B.3 | Output 3 |
| B.4 | Output 4 |
| B.5 | Output 5 |
| B.6 | Output 6 |
| B.7 | Output 7 |
The photo below shows a complete AxMate-18 breadboard circuit. In the photo, I'm using a PICAXE-18M processor, so I included the necessary "reset" circuitry, i.e., a 4.7k resistor that ties the reset pin (C.5) to +5V. On the new PICAXE-18M2 processor, pin C.5 will be able to be configured as either a general-purpose I/O pin or the traditional reset pin, so the 4.7k resistor will be optional. In any case, don't forget to include the six jumpers that connect the two power rails of the breadboard.
A Complete AxMate-18 Breadboard Circuit
An Important Note about Breadboards
If you look closely at the above photo of the AxMate-SF circuit, you can see that the holes in the power rails are "staggered" when compared with the holes in the main section of the breadboard. For some strange reason, this staggered arrangement is used on all the small (400-point) breadboards that I have ever seen. However, all the larger breadboards (830-point) do not use this staggered arrangement; the holes in their power rails are exactly in line with the holes in the main section of the breadboard. The following photo more clearly shows the difference between the small and large breadboards.
Another VERY Important Note about Breadboards!
Before inserting the AxMate-SF, the AxMate-RE, or the AxMate-18 into a staggered breadboard, it's very important to be sure the breadboard is oriented correctly. The photo below is a close-up of the AxMate-18 correctly inserted into the breadboard. Note the two circles and arrows that indicate where the Power and Ground connections are made. The two connecting pins on the AxMate-18 are labeled "+" and "-" which indicates the polarity of each pin. Also note that the breadboard is oriented so that the +5V power line is below the Ground line. This is the standard orientation that I use in all my projects and photos. For the three AxMate boards that require staggered breadboards, this orientation is critical. Accidentally rotating the breadboard 180 degrees before inserting the AxMate-18 (or the AxMate-SF, or the AxMate-RE) board would result in the +5V and Ground lines being cross-connected, which could damage or destroy some of the components in your breadboard circuit.
The AxMate-18 was originally designed to be connected via the FTDI USB to 5V serial adapter. However, like the AxMate-FT, it can also be used with any FTDI FT232RL-based USB to serial adapter that provides the standard FTDI six-pin pin-out, and that has been reconfigured to invert the polarity of the serial input and output lines as described above.
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| Completed AxMate-18 | Bare AxMate-18 Board |
AxMate-18 bare PC boards are now available: $3.95 each
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