Download Great Cow Basic Software Here:

Great Cow Basic Software

We created this GreatCowBasic.com Website to make it easier to download, install and get your first program running on a pre-designed open source hardware platform. 
Note: You need to have Microsoft dotnet software installed to use the PICkit 2 programmer. If you don't have that you can download it here.

Open Source License

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All GCBC files are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Great Cow BASIC CHIPINO (GCBC) Starter Kit
​Quick Guide

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The best way to get started is with the Great Cow Basic Starter Kit. It includes everything you need to create your first program.  Follow these simple steps below to get your Great Cow Basic CHIPINO running with your first program. There is nothing easier than this anywhere. No drivers to install. No software setup. Just copy the software to your computer, connect the USB cable to the computer and CHIPINO and you are ready to roll.

Download & Install the Software

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1) Download the software installation file: GCB_Installer-xx.exe here: Great Cow Basic Software
2) Double click on the GCB_Installer-xx.exe and follow the installation wizard thru to the finish.

USB Programmer Cable

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Connect the programmer cable.





  1. Insert the USB programming cable into an open USB port.
  2. Allow windows to recognize it.
  3. That's it, your ready to connect the CHIPINO module.

CHIPINO Module

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Connect the CHIPINO module to the programmer cable.




  1. Plug the 6 pin black connector into the 6 pin header pins on the CHIPINO. 
  2. Make sure the red wire lines up with the < arrow on the CHIPINO.

Blink LED Program

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Load the blinkLED.gcb program into the GCB IDE.





  1. From the Great Cow Basic screen click on File > Open > and then select the CHIPINO folder from the drop down menu.
  2. Highlight the blinkLED.gcb program and click on open.
  3. Under the Run menu select Make Hex and Flash or just press F5 key.
  4. The screen will pop up showing the program being compiled and then the programmer software will launch.
  5. The screen will show Program Suceeded / Operation Suceeded
  6. The LED will start blinking on the CHIPINO module.

That's it. Your Done.

That's  all there was to getting the Great Cow Basic CHIPINO to work on your computer. Now you can load other sample programs or try out the Demo-Shield if you purchased the Deluxe starter kit or purchased the Demo-Shield separately. You can check out all the sample projects we've created at the Sample Projects page.

Accessories

Demo-Shield

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The Demo-Shield offers many common parts already soldered in place ready to go.
  • ​LEDs
  • Switches
  • Light Sensor
  • Speaker
  • Potentiometer

Proto-Shield

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The Proto-Shield makes it easy to design your own shield or test out a circuit. All the CHIPINO pins are available at the headers so you can connect to the CHIPINO pins with simple jumper wires.

LCD Shield

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The LCD Shield makes it easy to display messages or even control the CHIPINO through a menu system. The LCD shield has input switches that you can read from one analog port. The LCD screen has 2 rows or 16 characters. You can use standard letters and numbers plus all the ASCII characters you see on a computer. You can even create custom characters to display.

Battery-Shield

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The Battery-Shield uses for AAAA 1.5v cells to produce the 9 volts the CHIPINO needs to run. This shield makes the CHIPINO portable. It replaces the need for external power or power from the USB programmer cable. If you create a CHIPINO project that needs to be outside or away from a power source then this is a great way to power CHIPINO. You can also stack Battery-Shelds on top of each other to get a longer battery life.