The Picture Below shows my Basic Stamp 2 Microcontroller Project that lights up the different displays in a 7-Segment LED Display to show many different words I experimented with, including my name CHRISTIANA.  I can't simulate the letters K, M, or W in it,but other than that most letters and all numbers.  Letter Q can be simulated by using the letter O plus the decimal point in this display (the 8th LED input). 

I wrote a simple PBASIC program (using the downloaded PBasic Interpreter from Parallax) in my PC.  It changes the state of seven of the 16 output ports in the Basic Stamp 2 as a function of time, so that it lights the appropriate segments in the 7-Segment LED Display at the correct time to display the correct letters and numbers.  The PBasic program is uploaded to the Basic Stamp 2 using the USB connector show in the top of it. Once the program is uploaded from my PC to the Basic Stamp, it stays there in its EEPROM (Electrically Erased Programable Read Only Memory) until it is cleared and replaced by a new program.  The Parallax Basic Stamp 2 is a very fun and easy way to get started experimenting with Microcontrollers.  We can also add a second 7-Segment LED Display to create a count up (or count down) counter from 0 to 99 or from 99 down to 0 using the other output ports (0 to 8) of the Basic Stamp.  By adding a relay, we could switch on (or off) a light or fan when the counter reaches its value.

The HomeWork board below shows the 9V battery (attached to its clip), the breadboard development area and the electronics components used. I recognize some of them. The reset button, the BS2 (Basic Stamp 2) Enbedded Microcontroller, the 5V Voltage Regulator (reduces the voltage from the 9V Battery to 5V to power up the BS2 Microcontroller), the Running indicator LED, and the USB Input connector. There are also some surface mount resistors and capacitors on the board. The link to this board is shown below. I'm still trying to find out what the surface mount IC next to the USB connector is used for.

http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/prod/boards/28188-HWBusb-v1.0.pdf