22 August 2013 Raspberry Pi gets a competitor A small, low cost development board designed to help beginners learn the basics of computing has been unveiled by RS Components. FIGnition inFUZE is supplied as a small, bare pcb and a set of components including an 8bit 20MHz ATmega328 microcontroller, 512Kbyte flash memory chip and 8Kbyte ram device. Designed for construction by beginners, the device comes pre-loaded with the Forth programming language, allowing users a simple way to learn and run computer code. Power is supplied via a usb port, and the board connects to a PAL or NTSC format tv displaying a 25 x 24 text or 160 x 160 bitmapped graphic image. No external keyboard and mouse are required to get started: all commands and programming can be executed easily using the on-board eight-key keypad. Jonathan Boxall, global head of semiconductors for RS Components, commented: "Building the FIGnition inFUZE from scratch is a great, interactive way for young people to gain their first hands on learning experience of how computer hardware works. "Its low selling price makes it widely accessible and a valuable tool for educational purposes. It is one of a growing number of easy to use open source development boards that provide a fun and useful introduction to computing to the engineers of the future." Author Laura Hopperton Comment on this article Websites http://uk.rs-online.com Companies RS Components Ltd This material is protected by Findlay Media copyright See Terms and Conditions. One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not. For multiple copies contact the sales team. Enjoy this story? People who read this article also read... NIDays 2013 NIDays is a technical conference designed specifically for ... Read Article Southern Manufacturing This year, Southern Manufacturing and Electronics is set to be ... Read Article Claire Jeffreys, NEW Claire Jeffreys, events director, National Electronics Week, ... Read Article Remotely access up to 16 ... Lantronix is set to launch its latest evolution device/terminal ... Read Article What you think about this article: Add your comments Name Email Comments Your comments/feedback may be edited prior to publishing. Not all entries will be published. Please view our Terms and Conditions before leaving a comment.