Newbie: Which language do I need to learn?

[king.oslo]

Hello,

I have been writing php and javascript for some time, and feel comfortable with that. Now I want to learn some new skills.

I fly remote controlled planes, and would like to make a piece of software that i can load into a computer running inside of of the a plane. I would like to have sensors and GPS receiver inside the aeroplane so that the aircraft can take-off, fly a set of way-points and land at its destination, preforming some basic tasks along its route, such as dropping payloads, switching its running-lights off at certain events, or knowing the distance to ground etc.

What programming language should I aim to learn in order to write software that can do all of these things?

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,
Marius

[alienkinetics]

Depends on the processor you choose and what compiliers are avaliable.

Im guessing a pocketpc (WinCE) based system is most likely your best bet. One with a GPS device already installed would be ideal. Which means you could go with any .NET language, C/C++, or Java. I would use ANSIC.

Then you would have to start looking into hardware interfaces.

Active Robots - Phidgets USB Interfaces - Phidget Stepper Motor Controllers- UK
Active Robots - Phidgets Easy to Use USB Interfaces UK

Cylon Robot Project: How to you get a PC (or a Pocket PC or a Palm) to talk to all that robot hardware?
Robotics FAQ

Obviously weight would be an issue. I'd work out how much weight your system needs to be and start looking for products that suit your purpose.

[daught]

You might want to take a look at Arduino. This would be a hardware and software solution

[zener]

i am sorry i posted this in the wrong thread