Hey. I have recently picked up this Velleman K8055 experiment kit and only know a little about it. However my main question is this, where can I download the software to write and upload my coding to the board via the serial USB cable? It says I can use C++ Builder, Visual Basics and Delphi but I am looking for free software to use?
You cannot “write and upload my coding to the board” as the firmware is both proprietary and fixed.
The K8055 does allow you to read in inputs, and control the outputs, via custom software and using the K8055d.dll library–examples are included on the CD that comes with the board. Microsoft offers the [color=#0000BF]Visual Studio 10 Express IDEs[/color] that are free and will let you work with the K8055.
On this page you can download the latest DLL version and some newer software examples:
velleman.eu/distributor/supp … 8055&type=
As cliffyk already said, Visual Studio 2010 Express is exactly what you are looking for. Dev C++ would also be an option, but that’s a more difficult option.
Ok, so if I download Visual Studio 2010 Express edition onto my laptop, will this have all the stuff I require to type up codeing for my board and also upload it onto the board via the USB cable?
After downloading and installing your favorite programming environment of Visual Studio (e.g. Visual Basic 2010 Express) you have to write a program.
This program communicates with the K8055 board.
You can read the data (analog or digital) from the inputs of the card.
You can send the data to the (analog or digital) outputs of the card.
There is no software upload needed to the card.
Here is a link to download an example project written in Visual Basic 2008 Express:
box.net/shared/euf9bd2rc4
The user interface of the demo program looks like this:
Ok sorry to be acting so dumb here but I need to ask another question and I have only worked with Arduino boards in the past.
If I want to make it so that I have an LED attached to digital output 1, and make it so it blinks every 2 seconds, is that possible with this board. If so, how?
Thanks 
[quote]If I want to make it so that I have an LED attached to digital output 1, and make it so it blinks every 2 seconds, is that possible with this board. If so, how?[/quote] Surely this is possible!
Just put a timer to your software.
Then use these functions:
ClearDigitalChannel(Channel)
SetDigitalChannel(Channel)
Every second time use [color=#008000]ClearDigitalChannel(Channel)[/color] and every second time use [color=#008000]SetDigitalChannel(Channel).[/color]
Is there a web page or book I can look at for COMPLETE noobs?
Thanks and sorry for being such a noob, I hate it lol