T&L Publications

hey kev,

that is grand advice!!!!
if i could have gotten this kinda help a year ago i might actuallly have a project compelted by now!

cost is always an issue. and i dont wana throw good money after bad.
im going to check out the easychip5 you speak of.

but im not sure i m really for programing in c yet. but i will get there.

thanks again for the ton of info guys!!!!!

that easypic 5 is one sexy bitch!!!!!!!!

omg!

Like I said... If you want to do debugging with it, you MUST use their compilers (or use a workaround w/ a PICKIT2). Other than that, my easypic3 has been great to use. Although, it is so old that it didn't even come with debugging... If you are going to spend the money on a dev board, I would highly recommend it (based on my experience with the easypic3). You can use any 8 bit PIC on it from 8 to 40 pins.

The only drawback is the debugging part but I got around that, too. I made a jumper harness from my PICKIT2 to an empty socket on the board and I program and debug via the PICKIT2 without using the on-board programmer/debugger. Kinda a pain in the neck but it works.

Kevin

Wow, you go through all that effort to use your easypic. I sure don't get it. PICKit2 + SBB + misc parts gets you just as far. I guess there is money to be made in hand holding. Oh well, enjoy your way.

whats not to get?
i made a bad choice ...got no support

found a way better fourm
got the help and advice i need and go in my merry way...

not really im sure ill be here asking lots of questions
i am hell bend on getting the microchip thing down

with you guys's help i will get there!

thanks

goner - I wasn't responding to you.

oh my bad phil

Actually, if you get a development board, then he was talking to you. Apparently using a dev board is a no-no to him. But, to other people it is easier than hand wiring 8 buttons and 12 LEDs on a breadboard... To each his/her own, I guess.

Kevin

I can keep going if you want to.

What if you don't need 8 buttons and 12 LEDs? What if you only need 2? or 4? The point is you are paying a bunch of money for things that you won't use or will only use once. You get a much better sense of how things work when you put them together yourself. And then you can use the parts in your actual project.

The other thing that is bad about dev boards is that they slot you into a specific microcontroller and specific configuration. I like to prototype exactly what I'm going to build. Not something that is close (or not). My biggest objection to those gizmos is the price. For a lot less you get tremendous flexibility.

But like I said, each to his own.

And, I was talking to you, not him. He hasn't bought yet.

ok that was a question i had long ago when i was considering buy a chip

"whats the differance?"
and finding out that they are all basically microchips w 28$ stickers attached has opened my eyes ( and my wallet)


and listening to the banter and following some links if have learned that there are cheaper ways to get more.

bottom line this is all about learning for me, (and not blowing the bank) so i love hearing the pros and cons of each system.

Goner19,

I've been using a BS2, some PICAXEs and an Arduino board for some time now. You just can't beat the doco that comes along with them if you're new to microcontrollers. Learning C and getting an LED to blink too is more to bite off at one time than it seems. I wish the same strategy had worked better for you with the Kronos stuff. Oh well. I've played heck trying to get chip to sync to serial ports, but perseverance seems to pay off more often than not. Let us know if you ever get the darn thing to work.

--
Psycho,

I had been waffling for a while about whether to go with ATMega or PIC and made the plunge into PIC today due in part to your unbridled endorsement here in goner19's thread of the Pickit2 and a breadboard.

I've got a Pickit2, x2 PIC18F4550 and x4 PIC12F683 on the way from Digikey now, wish me luck. I'll report back in another thread to keep from hijacking goner19's.

i dont mind the hijacking!!!!

after such and information vacuum this is grandly over whelming and i love it!!


feel free to post im sure ill learn something in the process...

Hi again,


You may wish to learn assembler for the PIC, as there are only 35 instructions.
MPLAB has a built in compiler too, all free.

Also good info, MrAl.

A few things with using them (gathered from remembering the feeling of scratching my head for an hour wondering why my circuit won't work)...

Pay attention to the POR (Power On Reset) state of multiplexed pins. i.e., on ALOT of PICs, port A can be configured as ADC inputs and, in fact, they are analog by default. Therefore, if you intend to use them as digital I/O, you MUST set them up to do that or you will be pulling out your hair. Look for ANSEL (or similar) in the datasheet of your PIC.

Don't leave pins floating. I made a USB joystick (for MAME) with an 18F4550 and I didn't put pull-down resistors on the pins. It took me a few seconds to realize that they are required.

I think the one thing you see when reading in PIC specific forums is the problem of the MCLR line. Unless the MCLR option is disabled, you have to use a pull-up resistor on it to put a little bit of 5v current on it. You can use a pushbutton tied to ground for reset purposes but DON'T forget the pull up resistor!

Kheston:
The 4550's are great for USB. I am sure you already realize that. Also, the smaller 28pin 2550 (same thing, but less memory (I think) and a smaller package as a 4550).

Also, if you didn't realize it, you don't actually need the hardware in order to start playing. Whilst you are waiting for you goodies to arrive, go download MPLAB from microchip's website and you can use the built-in simulator. It will at least let you get used to the software a bit before the hardware comes.

Hope it helps,
Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Oh yes some good points. When we do some of that so much i think we start to do it
automatically and forget that it is something that had to be learned. It's a good idea
to talk about this stuff so someone just getting into the PICs will have a good head
start.

My advice would be to start with a very simple PIC chip and learn all the registers and
what they do. Do a little project or two and go from there.