[HH] Arduino board programmed with an audio file

[markw at mohawksoft.com]

OMG, seriously? Are we going back to cassette audio storage of data and
programs? Is an Arduino just a TRS-80?

> Arduino board programmed with an audio file
> http://www.theverge.com/2011/12/30/2671276/arduino-programmed-with-sound
>
>   Programmer Mike Tsao has devised a clever method to program an Arduino
>   board using sound. It's called TribeDuino, and it uses the Arduino's
>   audio sensors to detect the time elapsed between peaks of sound --
>   short periods are interpreted as binary ones and long periods as
>   binary zeroes. It's similar to how early modems worked...
>
> The apt analogy here is not to modems, but the way early-80's computers
> loaded their programs from a cassette tape. (Perhaps the author isn't
> old enough to remember those.)
>
>   ...he wants to "build an Arduino development environment that works
>   with minimal hardware" -- he says it would be cool to be able to
>   "develop a sketch [program] on a smartphone web browser or
>   non-jailbroken tablet, then program the Arduino using just the
>   headphone jack."
>
> (Sort of the reverse of what Square does with their credit card reader
> that plugs into an iPhone's headphone/microphone jack.)
>
> That actually sounds practical and useful. Given Google's desire to use
> Arduino peripherals to extend Android, this seems like a slick way to
> create an Arduino programmer that just needs an app. and a headphone
> cable.
>
> This could even be something adopted by consumer device manufacturers as
> an inexpensive way to download firmware updates to devices that
> otherwise are not computer or Internet connected. Say a programmable
> thermostat. The Manufacturer bundles a cable, and provides an app
> download that pulls the latest firmware from the manufacturer's site and
> pipes it to the thermostat.
>
>  -Tom
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