If you miss the days when you used Basic on your classic computer or wrote embedded software with a Basic Stamp, then maybe dust off your Arduino UNO or any similar AVR board and try nanoBASIC_UNO from [shachi-lab].
Apparently, the original code was meant for the STM8S, but this port targets the ATmega328P. It is Basic more or less as you remember it. There are enough extensions to deal with GPIO, the analog systems, and so forth. At build time, you can decide if you want 16-bit or 32-bit integers.
One thing that is a little odd is how it handles direct mode. In classic Basic, anything without a line number executes immediately. Line numbers simply store your program line until you type RUN. nanoBASIC_UNO doesn’t force you to use line numbers. To indicate you are programming, you have to start with the PROG keyword. Then you can enter lines into the RAM buffer until you enter a # character. The program is stored in RAM, but there is a way to save programs to flash.
You can also build the code for Windows or Linux if you just want to experiment. Looks like fun.
If you missed the heyday of the Basic Stamp, you missed a lot of fun. If you just want a quick Basic hit, try your browser.
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FlashForth is better than this. Extend the dictionary in flash memory, use interrupts, multitask and so much more. flashforth.com
Cool! Reminds me of 8052AH-BASIC!
That was an 8052 microcontroller pre-programmed by intel with its own AH BASIC interpreter.
But “interpreter” doesn’t really do justice here.
It had serial i/o for a terminal, could do use interrupts in Basic applications and had built-in EPROM read/write support.
So it could add “files” one after another, which was useful for data logging or saving settings.
The AH BASIC (MCS BASIC-52) source is now free and had been updated, too.
It now can be run on various MCS-52 series of microcontrollers.
Info:
https://www.wolfgangrobel.de/sbc/8052ah.htm
https://hackaday.io/project/189145-8052ah-basic-single-board-computer/details
https://www.dos4ever.com/8031board/8031board.html
That being said, an Arduino alternative is very fascinating, too.
Especially since the Arduino Uno R3 is so common and can be built from scratch using an ATmega168 or ATmega328 (or compatible).