RE: PIC Programming - a where to start...

["Ian Davidson" <ian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Wayne

I program with PIC's for both HA and now also some small commercial
stuff. I do program in assembler but for the passed few years I have
used the Proton basic compiler from Crownhill. I can do most of a
project in basic in half the time and just drop to asm for interrupts
etc.

Have a look at the forum for the compiler which is here

http://www.picbasic.org/forum/


Excellent support, it's well worth the money and if you compare it to
most of the others you will find it has many more features. If you
search the forum you may find a post with a comparison to some of the
others.

Ian D.


-----Original Message-----
From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Wayne
Sent: 22 August 2007 09:45
To: Ian
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] PIC Programming - a where to start...

Cheers for the heads up!

The stuff I've been looking at so far is using a basic compiler that
compiles down into machine code that is written to the chip.
It has nice commands like 'sound' (to make a beep at a frequency for x
long) and 'rotate' to drive a stepper motor x degree's, as well as the
'usual' stuff.

Wow at building a telephone exchange! would not have considered doing
anything like that - does it take many external 'supporting' components
to get something like that working or can it be driven pretty much by
the chip itself? (apparently they can be 'forgiving' in what you feed it

and power / switch with them) - the closest I have to a phone exchange
is an Asterix system which nearly has caller line ID coming out on a
slimp3 box :)

Best start off with a few smaller projects first me thinks - One that
springs to mind is a basic fan controller for node0, more heat = faster
fan speed, that sort of thing.
Am I right in thinking you can get ethernet / IP stack's or USB output
from these things too? I must admit - haven't heard of a CAN network -
time for a google :)

the mind boggles!
Cheers!
Wayne.


Pete Shew wrote:
> Wayne, I generally use the 40 pin DIP cased ones as they are easier to

> prototype with and the prototype ends up as the finished product. I
> started with 16F877 (well the 16F84 which is a smaller DIP first). But

> these days I would go for the 18F4580 as it has what I need, including
a
> CAN bus interface.
>
> I started developing with the EPE ICEPIC kit but have since moved onto

> the MPLAB supported ICD devices which allow in circuit programming and

> debugging. First with a purchased ICD1 and then with a home built ICD2

> clone (serial only) and latterly a purchased ICD2 clone with USB
interface.
>
> I use (so far) exclusively assembler rather than C as I have
programmed
> in assembler of various sorts since the late sixties so I am
comfortable
> with it and like the closeness to the hardware.
>
> What have I done? Actual completed projects? A telephone exchange and
> the CAN networked central heating controller.
>
> Pete
>
> Wayne wrote:
>
>> Hiya all.
>>
>> A friend has been fiddling with PIC chips and self built robots
(the
>> trundle around the floor type) and has sparked an interest. So - I
got
>> to wonder ...
>> What do you use yours for!
>>
>> and - is there any recommended places to start with these things
and
>> what are your experiences with them? (I've done the google thing
but
>> there are SO many I was after a personal recommendation really)
>>
>>
>> (such a simple question :))
>>
>> Cheers
>> Wayne.
>>
>>
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