The first Basic Stamp was a robot controller on a chip (produced by Parallax).
It was called "Basic" because it used a form of the BASIC programming language. And it was called a "Stamp" because it was as small as a postage stamp.
The original BS is now called "Basic Stamp 1" or BS1, and was controlled by a PC (using the serial COM port), and was programmed using a PC editor/downloader.
The speed was slow, and the memory limited, but the BS1 language was still a fairly good form of BASIC.
Then came an upgrade to the "Basic Stamp 2", or as we call it the BS2.
The BS2 was a giant leap. First came the BS2-IC, then the BS2-E, and then the BS2-SX. Since then the BS2 has grown, and the surrounding support products have developed as well.
The BS2 needs to plug into a PCB (printed circuit board) of some sort. The original BS1 plugged into a PCB called the "First Step". Then the BS2 had a board developed for it called the "Next Step". Since then there have been many BS2 support PCBs. The support PCBs provide the necessary plugs and connectors to simplify working with the BS2. The crudest of these just has a socket for the BS2, a DB9 plug (for cable to PC), and power control. Power control includes the plugs to put power in, an on/off switch, and power rectifier transistors.
Since then the PCBs have also grown. The latest we offer is the "Board-of-Education" or BoE. The BoE is actually a word joke...the "Board" means a PCB, but also the "Education Board" in the USA. So the BS2 plugs into the BoE, and is designed for use in schools, hence the use of "Education" in the name.
The BoE has the usual plugs and power parts, and also has extra servo connectors, and a central white plugboard. The plugboard is used to connect standard (TTL at 5 volts) electronic components to each other, and to the BS2.
So the BoE is designed for use in the classroom, where it is used to teach electronics and robotics.
Parallax have developed a suite of courses for teaching the BS2 and BoE in the classroom. They have named this the "Stamps-in-Class" courses. The courses start with "What's a Microcontroller", then "Smart Sensors" and "Basic A-D", culminating with "Robotics with the BoE"
Each of the courses use the BoE (and a bag of electronic components) to do experiments in class. When finished the students strip the BoE down, return the parts to the bag, ready for the next class to use from scratch.
The class groups work through the exercises (online text provided), and eventually mount the BoE onto a roving robot platform (called the BoE-Bot)
Each of the courses require a different bag of electronics, which we can supply.
Please see the entire range of Parallax robot courses for SIC (Stamps-in-Class)
Please proceed to the Basic Stamp page