PIC Chip Programming
PIC Chip Programming
(OP)
I am looking for a good website that gives the fundamentals for programming PIC microcontrollers. Any sites you can point me to would be appreciated.
Rich...
Rich...
Richard Nornhold, PE
nornrich@redrose.net





RE: PIC Chip Programming
RE: PIC Chip Programming
If you are looking for an inexpensive programmer, I strongly suggest the Ottawa Robotics Enthusiasts version of a pic programmer. This uses the parallel port of a PC and is extremely easy to build.
The programmer uses the Dontronics software and their instructions are quite easy to read and set up the software with. The site in question can be found at:
http://www.ottawarobotics.org/articles/picprog/picprog.html
I am quite happy with the one that I built.
As far as tutorials go, I kinda like Nigel's tutorial on the PIC processor. He has some nice easy examples, however, I find that a standard push in the wires prototype board works quite well instead. You can find them at Radio Shack for under $20.00 and much less at some mail order electronics catalog stores.
Nigel's tutorials are good "hands on" types of examples that get you started and allow you to play around easily with some simple I/O. The URL is:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk/pic_tutorial.htm
Of couse, the MPLAB available from microchip.com is a must. It is a free download.
It all runs under windows and downloads to the little pic programmer.
It' a fun little chip. Enjoy!
RE: PIC Chip Programming
All the stuff you need to get started in one place, including a forum where you can ask questions.
There are also tons of stuff on the web for the PIC, but if your mind isn't made up yet, you might want to give AVR a try (I am in no way connected with Atmel).
Rick
RE: PIC Chip Programming
Adam
RE: PIC Chip Programming
So long as the uController comparisons are coming out, anyone tried the OOPic? This is just a marketing gimmick for a 16F84 compiler, right? Granted, physical objects seem a natural marriage with OO.
Regards,
Thomas
RE: PIC Chip Programming
RE: PIC Chip Programming
I have this one for you...
http://www.myke.com/elcheapo.htm
this one really works...and it's free....
it has got an inbuilt programmer troubleshooting section too..Will be quite useful if you are new to electronics...
RE: PIC Chip Programming
For a wealth of information on PICmicro's: http://www.piclist.com/
Here is a good website for starting with pics: http://www.voti.nl/swp/
Hope these help anyone reading this post in the future.
RE: PIC Chip Programming
RE: PIC Chip Programming
ive used motorola a lot and ive found a good product there. check motorola.com and have a lok at semiconductors.
regards
killa
RE: PIC Chip Programming
There's another thing that makes AVR beter that is the In System Programming. With it you don't have to disconnect your chip from the circuit, you just connect the programmer there and that's it!
Best regards, Carlos Cardoso
RE: PIC Chip Programming
FYI
PIC chips offer in circuit programming as well.
RE: PIC Chip Programming
rgds Zeit.
RE: PIC Chip Programming
So what clock speeds can AVR run at? (assume I want 3 10bit A/D converters in an 8pin DIP package). I do not care about memory at this point or additional features, I just want an idea of the what is meant by faster. The same chip from microchip can run at 20MHz (depending on the clock source). Maybe you referring to the cycle time?
RE: PIC Chip Programming
http://www.microchip.com/1010/pline/tools/picmicro/demo...
As far as horrid assembly language none of the new stuff
compares to the UYK 20 by Sperry Univac. We even had to toggle in each byte by hand.After that no assemly language
ever seemed difficult.
Good Luck
RE: PIC Chip Programming
An Avr clocked @ 6mhz will will @ speed with a PIC @ 12mhz because its cpu executes an instruction PER clock cycle instead of doing the divide/ 2 that PICs do. So, for all practical purposes, the AVR is about twice as fast as a PIC at the same clock speed. The instruction set itself seems to be more efficient for C and Basic compilers because the instruction set was designed and 'Honed' to maximize the 'typical' C compiler's efficiency.
Yes, the AVR assembly is much more straightforward than
the bss and bsc stuff that PIC has goin. The tools available to develop with AVR look like they're much more
mature than PIC's, which is why I use them!
RE: PIC Chip Programming
For so few instructions it took an awfully long time to get it right!
I just hate the syntax of Microchip PIC.
I've used a PICalike from Holtek that has the same machine code, but in my opinion the Holtek assembler mnemonics were much easier to understand.
rgds
Zeit.
RE: PIC Chip Programming
For AVRs there is one here: http://www.qsl.net/ba1fb/avrisp.gif
It works excellent and is supported by CodeVision AVR C, ICCAVR, and PonyProg.
I agree that the AVR assembly language and processor structure is lightyears ahead of PICs. Unfortunately, most of the time there is just the "one" PIC that exactly fits your application, with exactly the right pincount and peripherals.
I don't think a homemade PIC programmer is worth spending the time, you can get one for below CAN$80:
http://www.hvwtech.com/pages/products1a.asp?CatID=4&Sub...
http://www.dontronics.com/index.html
RE: PIC Chip Programming
RE: PIC Chip Programming
Try this site. I learned alot from this guy.
http://hobby_elec.piclist.com/e_menu.htm
RE: PIC Chip Programming
The PIClist
www.piclist.com
RE: PIC Chip Programming
I too worked with the UYK 20 by Sperry Univac as a Navy Fire Control Tech. I remember well punching in data a few bits at a time. In my application the program emulated the old analog MK 47 Gun computer; gears, synchros, servos, ball and disk integrators, resolvers, tube or transistor amplifiers, and many dials and hand cranks. All this to put a bullet in the same space as a target at the same time 12 miles away. Taking in consideration; ships movement, target movement, projectile initial velocity, winds, fuse time, and earth's rotation. Quite an accomplishment in it's time.
Just a little history of the roots of modern computing.
RE: PIC Chip Programming
My favorite switch on the UYK 20 and UHG 60 was the "Battle Short" switch. It basically would bypass most of the safety circuitry so the system could continue operating under extreme conditions. Now that I'm feeling nostalgic I think I might design a Battle Short switch into my latest treadmill design!