Firebird32

 Firebird32-Nano

Firebird32-Mini

 Firebird32-UTB

• Young kids:  To teach young kids with microcontroller either in schools or parent and child teams (PACT), using the StickOS BASIC programming language is the best. The Firebird32 installed with the "StickOS" created by Rich Testardi is a low cost platform to learn StickOS BASIC programming.  The Arduino IDE is easy to use, but the StickOS is even easier.  With the StickOS, you do not even need to install an IDE on your host computer, but only a standard terminal emulation program, such as TeraTerm for Windows, the "screen" terminal command in Mac OS X, etc.
  
   

• Beginners:  You can try the Arduino UNO or our Firebird32 for programming in StickOS BASIC language to get started. Many beginners and university students started microcontroller programming with the Basic Stamp in 90s.  The Firebird32 installed with the "StickOS" works like a modern Basic Stamp today.
  
   

• Advanced users: If you are serious about advancing to the next level of embedded programming with a 32-bit microcontroller, give Freescale 32-bit MCUs a try. You can start the Codefire V1 first, then upgrade to the V2, V3, V4, and Kinetis ARM Cortex-M4 using the same software toolchain in the future. More universities use Freescale MCU than any other MCUs, which is not a coincidence.  What Freescale is to the embedded industry is like Intel for the PC industry. Making an advanced MCU sometime requires a large capital investment in billions of dollars. Freescale has financial resources to make more high end MCUs than other smaller chip makers.
  
  Freescale offers the free CodeWarrior IDE with a step-by-step debugger and the debugger hardware USBDM ( it's called ICD or ICE by other chip makers ) for the CodeWarrior is only $19. The CodeWarrior version 6.3 and V10 are easy to use and robust. 
  
   
• EE students:  If you would like to work in the embedded industry after graduation, you need to master real C programming and learn some assembly programming in school. The Firebird32 is a low cost trainer to learn real C assembly programming.  Ask if your professor would like to use it in your classroom. It may just be what your professor has been looking for.

  In embedded industry, companies use real C programming to develop products. If an EE/ECE student does not master real ANSI C and assembly programming in school he or she is going to have difficulties finding a job or work as an embedded system developer in the industry after graduation.
  
   

• Motorola/Freescale MCU users:  One of our goals is to encourage previous 6800-68000 users come back for using the new FSL MCUs. You don't need to search for another MCU. The best 32-bit MCU Freescale ever made for general education is right here. The MCF51JM128 is the incarnation of the 68000. The Rodney Dangerfield of microcontrollers never got respect, but its time has finally come. You know how popular the 6800, 6805, 6809, 68HC05, 68HC11, 68000 and 68332 were in 80's and 90's because their superior architecture for learning . After all these years you can play with new Freescale MCUs again. Get a Firebird32 and you will bring back the old glory.
  
  Existing Freescale MCU users can keep staying with Freescale MCUs. Since our Firebird32 is as good as other low cost platform if not better, so there is no reason for you to switch to other microcontrollers from other chip makers.
  
  
   
• Professional engineers:  The Firebird32 is not only a platform for quick prototyping, but also capable of developing serious applications, like audio and video processing for games, digital storage scope and logic analyzer with high sampling rates for DIY projects. If you have been using a Freescale MCU based development or evaluation board with CodeWarrior, it will take you no time to get it up and running.