[[TOC(CATkit-proto, CATkit-board, CATkit-huds )]]
= CATkit =

CATkit is an open hardware project. The kit consists of a printed circuit board plus components, to be used as a standalone interactive Forth computer. CATkit is designed to work with [wiki:purrr Purrr], a Forth dialect for microcontrollers. This board serves as a teaching platform for physical computing workshops, and as a tool for artists looking for a simple system to create stand alone objects with a couple of knobs and switches or other sensors. For more information contact us at [mailto:catkit@goto10.org].

== First prototypes ==

CATkit has been under development since spring 2006. The first prototype was used in a live sound performance at the Piksel Festival 2006, in Bergen Norway. The first steps of hardware development were synced with the development of the PURRR language used to program the microcontroller on the board, turning it into a 1-bit sound synthesizer.

See: [wiki:CATkit-proto CATkit first prototypes]

[[Image(packets-prototype-3-xs.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(packets-prototype-4-xs.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(packets-prototype-5-xs.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(packets-two-prototypes-xs.jpg, nolink, float:right)]]

== The board ==

In the winter of 2006/2007 the design of the first printed board was made. The development of the PURRR language used to program the board continued throughout the spring of 2007. The kit can be quickly assembled and is ready to generate sound in less than an hour work. 

See: [wiki:CATkit-board The board]

[[Image(CATkit-1-200x150.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(CATkit-2-200x150.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(CATkit-3-200x150.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(CATkit-4-200x150.jpg, nolink, float:right)]]

== Workshops ==

The first [wiki:purrr Purrr] workshop using the CATkit board took place at the DRU, Bates Mill, Huddersfield (UK), 2-4 July 2007. The participants assembled and soldered their own board and learned how to program the PIC microcontroller using PURRR to read out data from the sensors, knobs and switches and to use this data to generate sound.

See: [wiki:CATkit-huds CATkit workshop]

[[Image(workshop-1-200x150.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(workshop-2-200x150.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(workshop-3-200x150.jpg, nolink, float:left)]]
[[Image(workshop-4-200x150.jpg, nolink, float:right)]]


The second [http://www.piksel.no/pwiki/CATkit CATkit workshop] will take place in Bergen, Norway, at the [http://pixel.no Piksel] festival, [http://bek.no/ BEK].

== Documentation ==

The [wiki:CATkit-howto CATkit how-to] explains how to get started with the CATkit board. The [wiki:CATkit-assembly CATkit assembly] page explains how to assemble the board from parts. The [wiki:CATkit-purrr CATkit Purrr] page explains the first steps in forth.

For more information about the software see the [wiki:purrr Purrr] page.