I have a story that I want to relate to the Nerd Kits community. About a month or so ago, I started having problems with one of my MCUs. Replacing it with a different MCU resolved the issue immediately. The problem was that I couldn't compile any code to the chip. The compiler stopped at the "connecting to the programmer....." line. I shot a quick e-mail to support@NerdKits.com to see if they had any ideas as to what the problem might be. Keep in mind that this occurred before this forum had been released to the public. Mike asked me to send him the MCU that I was having problems with. A week or so ago, I received an e-mail explaining the problem with the MCU. While the cause of the problem is still not confirmed ( I'm absolutely positive it was something I was doing that I probably shouldn't have been doing), the workaround to the problem was quite simple.

The crystal that comes with the Nerd Kit's is set at 14.7465 MHz (I think I don't have it in front of me right now) & 14.7465 Mhz is a multiple of 115200, which is the fastest baud rate of the serial port. Apparently, whatever I did to mess up the MCU caused the MCU to work at a different speed. To that end, the crystal that comes with the Nerd Kit no longer allows the compiler to communicate correctly with the MCU. The fix is to use a smaller crystal (in megahertz) while programming the chip.

So, what would most companies do? Most companies MIGHT tell you the problem and leave you on your own to fix it or they'll tell you right before they tell you how much it will cost for them to fix it for you (or to get the parts you need to fix it yourself). What do the staff at Nerd Kids do? Mike not only told you what the problem was & how to fix it, he even sent me four of the lower speed crystals so that if the problem recurs, I can fix them on my own without any out-of-pocket expenses!!

For those of you reading this who have not yet purchased your own Nerd Kit & are interested in microcontrollers, BUY ONE FROM THESE GUYS, you won't be disappointed. For those of you who have already purchased a Nerd Kit & are ready to expand your learning by building more projects, by your spare parts from these guys. I'm sure you can get the parts cheaper elsewhere, but nowhere else will you get support even close to support you get from the nerd kits staff.

I can tell you a dozen other stories similar to the one above but the best way to know for sure is to experience it yourself, you won't be disappointed.

Chris B.

I agree that thier support is great. It's quick, it's useful and it is always helpful.