Going from RDC to PGC

This month, Arduino guru Jack Purdum, W8TEE, sits in as Guest Columnist. Working with microcontrollers often requires more than a soldering iron … while many microcontroller projects use computer code already written by someone else, it is sometimes necessary to modify that code or write your own. So when you see someone at a club meeting or a ham-fest wearing a “Know Code” button, it may not apply only to Morse code! Jack offers us a primer on code-writing, with a focus on doing it right the first time! – W2VU

This article is an experiment. All hams come from varying backgrounds. Some of you have a more direct path to ham radio: you’re EEs, electronic technicians, ex-TV repair people, or perhaps had some other electronics-related career. I sincerely envy your talents. Others are software engineers, developers, and programmers who see the software synergy that’s taken place in our modern software-defined radios and other ham-related hardware products. I envy you as well because there are likely fewer holes in your training than in mine. Me… I have a Ph.D. in cliometrics and no formal training in software or hardware and I there are huge holes in my understanding of both. Still, I truly enjoy everything about both aspects of our hobby … I just happen to