OVERVIEW
NanoLab 1 is a customized BASIC mini computer on two Arduino Nanos: one as CPU (interpreter + PS/2 keyboard) and one as GPU (VGA text renderer).
WHAT IT CAN DO
- Type and run integer TinyBASIC at a live
>prompt (variables A–Z, ~1 KB program buffer) - Store numbered programs, edit lines, browse a short command history with up/down
- Full flow:
RUN,GOTO/GOSUB,IF/THEN,FOR/NEXT,DATA/READ/RESTORE - Print to VGA text, clear the screen, cycle text color, draw block graphics
- Play tones on a piezo (
TONE,TONEW,!) — enough for simple music programs - Save and load programs from EEPROM (
ESAVE,ELOAD,ECHAIN,ELIST,EFORMAT) - Check free memory with
MEM; break a running program with ESC - Short aliases for common work:
?for INPUT,.for PRINT,!for TONEW
HIGHLIGHTS
- Dual-Nano CPU/GPU split with a serial protocol between boards
- VGA text output and PS/2 keyboard input
- Boot flow with memory status and tones
- Expanded BASIC commands, aliases, and EEPROM workflow tools
- Stack Dual Arduino Nano · Tiny BASIC · VGA
- Input PS/2 keyboard
- Display VGA text GPU board
- Language Integer TinyBASIC (A–Z, no floats/strings)
- Storage ~1 KB RAM buffer · EEPROM load/save