Best Microcontroller

[DAFLY98]

Hi all, I am just wondering what your Favorite programmable microcontroller is
and why? I am trying to find out as much information about different types of
microcontrollers to compare.


Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[MArk]

My favourites are Atmel 89c51RD2, AC2, CC01, CC02 depending on application,
I like
them because they are ISP programmable.

 

[Christian B. Andresen]

Hi all, I am just wondering what your Favorite programmable microcontroller is
and why? I am trying to find out as much information about different types of
microcontrollers to compare.

The 8051 / 8052 familly.

 

[Jan-Erik Söderholm]

My favourites are the Microchip PIC line,
I like
them because they are ISP programmable.

Jan-Erik.

 

[Roger Hamlett]

Hi all, I am just wondering what your Favorite programmable
microcontroller is and why? I am trying to find out as much
information about different types of microcontrollers to compare.


Thanks,
Jeremy

I'm afraid I don't think there is any such thing...
The 'favourite', must change with the application. The PICs, are very
popular for small applications, because there are a large number of variants
with different hardware based round the same 'core', and a lot of 'code
examples' exist, making them popular for hobbyists. However the higher speed
versions can be fussy. Scenix, and the AVR's (Atmel), are probably the
preferred ones for slightly faster applications. Then you have units
for special applications (8051 based USB interfaces for example, and
devices designed for high noise enviroments, such as the automobile
industry).
This is why there are so many types in existence, from different
manufacturers. To work out the 'best', requires generating a list of
hardware features required. This will 'rule out', eighty percent of the
types on the market, and a sensible choice can then be made from the
remainder.

Best Wishes

 

[Lewin A.R.W. Edwards]

Hi all, I am just wondering what your Favorite programmable microcontroller is

and why?

I love my love with an A because she is Available.
I love my love with a B because she is Battery-voltage.
I love my love with a C because she is Cheap.
I love my love with a D because she is Dependable.
I love my love with an E because she is Easily prototyped.
I love my love with an F because she is Flash-based.
I love my love with a G because she has enough Grunt to perform
realtime tasks.
I love my love with an H because she has High source/sink current
outputs.
I love my love with an I because she is In-system programmable.
I love my love with a J because she has a JTAG port.
I love my love with an L because she is Low-power.
I love my love with an M because she is Multi-sourced.
I love my love with an N because she is Not end-of-life.
I love my love with an O because she has an Orthogonal instruction
set.
I love my love with a P because she has PWM controllers.
I love my love with a Q because she is not subject to minimum Quantity
orders.
I love my love with an R because she has many Registers.
I love my love with an S because she is fully Static.
I love my love with a T because her Tools are free.
I love my love with a U because she is Universally well-known.
I love my love with a V because she is tolerant of a wide input
Voltage range.
I love my love with a W because she is available in Wide-bus or
narrow-bus versions.
I love my love with an X because she is resistant to X-rays.

(This is the EVALUATION version of this text. To upgrade to the full
version with entries for K, Y and Z, please send $19.95).

 

[Rich Webb]

I love my love with an A because she is Available.

[snip...snip...]

Uh, maybe you should take a short break from writing that next book.

But...

I love my love with a K because the designers understood K.I.S.S.
I love my love with a Y because the Yield is high.
I love my love with a Z because she got legs!

 

[Hal Murray]

Hi all, I am just wondering what your Favorite programmable microcontroller is

and why? I am trying to find out as much information about different types of
microcontrollers to compare.

I assume you are talking about 8 bit micros where all the RAM/ROM
is included on chip.

High volume production or home hacking?

Atmel AVR parts are popular. I think their $79 starter kit
(ATSTK500) covers all their AVR parts. They are reasonably
friendly for assembly programming.

If cost is your major concern, PICs have a reputation for
low cost. (I've never purchased large quantities.) They have
a starter kit (PICKIT) for $36. It's a good way to get
off the ground, but it only works for a few of their smaller
(and cheaper) parts. Some people think they are harder to
program.


I haven't been tracking the 8051/6802 type chips. Some people
probably think of them as more like "normal" CPUs.


If you need more horsepower, lots of companies are shipping
ARM based chips.

 

[Robert Monsen]

Hi all, I am just wondering what your Favorite programmable microcontroller is
and why? I am trying to find out as much information about different types of
microcontrollers to compare.


Thanks,
Jeremy

You should have posted this to alt.religion...

My favorite so far is the Zilog Z8 Encore. You can program it and DEBUG it
in circuit! It has a jtag pin... I've had trouble with it in high noise
situations, however. probably the jtag pin picking up rf and crashing the
thing.

Another favorite are those tiny PIC 8 pin flash reprogrammable things. They
are just so totally cute, assuming you can get the darned software working
with no real feedback except perhaps a flashing LED or two. (You can run
their simulator, which helps quite a bit, but only in assembler). Like
programming with the 'printf' debugger, where printf can only print 'x' and
' '.

Unfortunately, there probably isn't a 'best' one, since one's preference
usually depends on what you've used in the past, and whats worked for you.
I'd want a posting from somebody who had recent experience with all of the
major competitors (which I don't have, unfortunately.)

Regards,
Bob Monsen

 

[Wouter van Ooijen]

Hi all, I am just wondering what your Favorite programmable microcontroller is

and why? I am trying to find out as much information about different types of
microcontrollers to compare.

I have some comments on this in 'start with pics' at
http://www.voti.nl/swp


Wouter van Ooijen

-- ------------------------------------
http://www.voti.nl
PICmicro chips, programmers, consulting

 

[Dave VanHorn]

My favorite so far is the Zilog Z8 Encore. You can program it and DEBUG it
in circuit! It has a jtag pin... I've had trouble with it in high noise
situations, however. probably the jtag pin picking up rf and crashing the
thing.

The Z8 internal architecture is very nice.
Did they fix the clock thing? On the last Z8s I used, the cpu instruction
clock was Xtal/12.

 

[Robert Monsen]

The Z8 internal architecture is very nice.
Did they fix the clock thing? On the last Z8s I used, the cpu instruction
clock was Xtal/12.

The manual says 2 to 9 clocks per instruction. They also say "Up to 10 MIPS"
on the same page... So I'm guessing the clocks are the Xtal pulses, which
can run up to 20MHz. It needs an external crystal.

The PIC chip I'm currently using has a standard Xtal/4 instruction speed.
Its a RISC architecture, so one cycle per instruction, except jumps. So, I'd
say the Z8 Encore is about comparable. However, the instruction set on the
Z8 is also much richer.

The thing that sold me on PIC is the 8 pin package, however. I know there
are other 8 pin uCs around, but I noticed this one. Its really nice not to
have to ground 30 unused pins... The Z8 Encore also needs 3.3V, which means
you need to step down the traditional 5V (unless you go for all 3.3V.)

Regards,
Bob Monsen

 

[Dave VanHorn]

The thing that sold me on PIC is the 8 pin package, however. I know there
are other 8 pin uCs around, but I noticed this one. Its really nice not to
have to ground 30 unused pins... The Z8 Encore also needs 3.3V, which means
you need to step down the traditional 5V (unless you go for all 3.3V.)

We have a couple AVR variants in 8 dip, like the 2343.
It's got on-board R/C osc, and can go up to 10 MHz, which is say 9 mips with
typical code.
I did a couple intro projects on this, available in the avr-chat group at
yahoogroups.com
One is an emulation of a Whelen Slimlighter, and the other blinks three
lasers in morse, with different messages simultaneously.

 

[John Robertson]

I am looking to convert a Basic Stamp application to a cheaper
microcontroller and was wondering if there is anything to aid in
porting it over?

I haven't found anything in Google so far - unless I'm using the wrong
search terms...

John :-#)#
(Please post followups or tech enquires to the newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

 

[Roger Hamlett]

I am looking to convert a Basic Stamp application to a cheaper
microcontroller and was wondering if there is anything to aid in
porting it over?

I haven't found anything in Google so far - unless I'm using the wrong
search terms...

Why not use exactly the same 'microcontroller'?.
The Basic Stamp, is a relatively simple PIC controller (available for
perhaps 1/10th the cost of the 'stamp' module), running an interpreter,
which gives the 'language'. It is the combination of controller, EEPROM, and
interpreter, that you are paying for. There are several PIC Basic's
available, that provide similar functionality, and with these, the code can
be written directly to the chip. Use one of the 'flash' chips, and no
seperate EEPROM is necessary.
Alternatively, several people have also attempted to produce their own
'budget' clones of the stamp.
Try:
http://www.hippy.freeserve.co.uk/diystamp.htm
which has links to several cheaper clones running similar languages. The
'PICAXE', is probably the nearest to what you want.

Best Wishes

 

[petrus bitbyter]

I am looking to convert a Basic Stamp application to a cheaper
microcontroller and was wondering if there is anything to aid in
porting it over?

I haven't found anything in Google so far - unless I'm using the wrong
search terms...

John :-#)#
(Please post followups or tech enquires to the newsgroup)
John's Jukes Ltd. 2343 Main St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V5T 3C9
Call (604)872-5757 or Fax 872-2010 (Pinballs, Jukes, Video Games)
www.flippers.com
"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

John,

Basic stamps are an overkill both in hard- and in software. But it is a
deleberate overkill. The stamp developers set a kind of a standard that is
easier to learn and easier to use then the whole range of PICs not to speak
about the other tastes of micros. The most obvious benefit is a short
application development time and that's expensive time. So both producers
and users of the stamps are happy and have no use for porting. I'm only
aware of to exceptions: The amateurs with more time then money and the profs
that want to make high volume. Both have to fall back on the skills and
knowledge of general pic developers. The first step in porting is to choose
an appropriate pic. Even this first step brings in so many variables and
requires so much knowledge of the PIC range that it hardly can be automated.
So if you want to port an existing Basic stamp application you'll have
either to look for a skilled PIC user or you'll have to dive in it yourself.

petrus

 

[Mark Zenier]

I am looking to convert a Basic Stamp application to a cheaper
microcontroller and was wondering if there is anything to aid in
porting it over?

I haven't found anything in Google so far - unless I'm using the wrong
search terms...

There are compilers that produce a binary PROM image from
Stamp Basic source (or something close to it).

PicBasic and PicBasic Pro from microEngineering Labs, Inc.
http://www.melabs.com

Heck, even Jameco sells it.

I think there are open source projects for equivalents.

Mark Zenier [email protected] Washington State resident

 

[manuka]

You can chalk up 5 stars for the entire PICAXE range- & BS code very
compatible! Dirt cheap ( orders of magnitude LESS than BS2 ), ultra
user friendly, versatile & powerful. UK sourced ( www.picaxe.com ),
but they've been a sensation down under in NZ & Australia. Check the
likes of => www.picaxe.orcon.net.nz for enthusiasm. Manuka