PIC suggestions needed

I want to play with a PIC. Microchip has an inexpensive programmer.

Is this a good item to start with?

http://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?CMP=ILC-1c126onlinecatalog&sku=44K0230


Are there PIC's that take analog inputs made by Microchip?

Thanks,

Wes

 

Yes, excellent way to start.

Yes, plenty of them. Go to the Microchip website and serach for chips that
have an ADC in them.

The PIC16F690 in that starter kit above has 12 channels of 10bit ADC.

Dave.

 

Pickit 2 is the basic programmer. It can't read the protected areas
but can overwrite a protected area with new code.

The PicStart Plus can do it all including clone chips but for ~$200
from Microchip. The good news is that there are clones of the
picstart plus for lots less. They use the same free microchip
software and are supported with firmware updates.

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=4

But search for '"picstart plus" clones' I found them for ~$50
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Yes.
You need to look at the catalog list., it's indicated there.

and that start kit is just fine for a few..




http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5"

 

Yes, excellent way to start.

Yes, plenty of them. Go to the Microchip website and serach for chips that
have an ADC in them.

The PIC16F690 in that starter kit above has 12 channels of 10bit ADC.

Dave.

 

Absolutely two thumbs up. If you get
tired of using the starter board, the
programmer can program your chips
in-circuit.

The USB version also programs a heck of
a lot faster than the serial ones the
RnD types use at work.

If it does stop working, the PICKit
software has the option of downloading
the OS back into the programmer. That's
brought my unit back to life on more
than one occasion, after an 'oops' on
the circuit board...

Many PIC's have both A/D and comparator
inputs.

The PIC16F690 that comes (or did come)
with the Starter Kit has A/D capability,
and the tutorial has a small program to
read the potentiometer on the starter
board. Some PIC micros have up to 16 A/D
channels.

HTH

 

Look at:
http://www.voti.nl/swp/n_index.html
for an intro.

Even the smallest 6 pin versions, the PIC10F2xx, have types with
AD-conversion (10F222) or a comparator (10F204)

petrus bitbyter

 

Yep. As well as in-circuit programming, it supports in-circuit debugging
(with debug-capable ICs, or a debug header, although debug headers
aren't cheap), supplies variable-voltage power to the test circuit, and
can be used as a UART to talk to the PIC (although the included demo board
isn't wired for this; you need to connect pins 4+5 on the PICKit2 to pins
10+12 on the PIC16F690 for UART use, versus pins 19+18 for programming).

Also, see the thread "Learning PIC: where to start" on SED for
miscellaneous advice.

Yes. A large proportion of PIC chips in all families have an ADC,
including the 16F690 supplied with the demo board.

AFAICT, they usually (invariably?) only have one ADC, but you can
multiplex it between pins (the number of pins which can be configured as
analogue inputs varies between models). This won't be a problem unless you
need synchronised samples.

 

PICKit2, excellent way to start and the board can also be used to
program different PIC chips if you remove the socketed chip it's
supplied with. If you intend doing this I'd recommend you get hold of a
second 20 pin socket to save the one on the board (plug it into the one
on the board and fit chips into that one).

Plenty, if you buy the kit you mentioned from Newark then it comes with
a CD (which you can download from Microchip's site) that contains the
data sheet for the chip on the board and also a few tutorials, one or
more of which deal with analogue input.

 

You don't really need the 8/12/20 pin demo board. It doesn't take the
18 pin PICS of which the most useful is the 16F88. The 16F88 is a great
chip for getting into PIC programming as it is full supported by the
PICKIT 2 *INCLUDING* debugging with no extra emulation headers or
adaptors required. The 16F87 and 88 are the *ONLY* PICs of 20 pins or
under that have full debug support without needing an expensive ICD
header and adaptor. The 16F88 has SPI/I2C, UART, 10 bit 7 channel ADC,
2 comparators, 3 timers and a 256 byte data EEPROM. Its got as much
RAM and program memory as any low end part and more than most.

Other good PICS for getting started with are the 16F886 if you want a 28
pin part and the 16F887 for a 40 pin part. Both are feature rich, with
debug support built in. Just make sure you get PDIP (either 300 or 600
mil) or SPDIP packaged parts if you want to breadboard them.

All are easily breadboardable with the PICKIT2 if you make up a simple
8" cable with a 0.1" 6 pin header plug on one end to fit the connector
on the Pickit 2 and individual pins to plug into the breadboard on the
other. You will save $15 *not* getting the kit with the demo board
which can be well spent on few PICS, a couple of 4Mhz crystals for when
you need a spot-on clock frequency and a strip of 0.1" header pins and
some small bore heatshrink sleeving to make up the cable you will need.

If you INSIST on having a demo board, get the Debug Express kit. It's
demo board has a surface mount 16F887 with a button, a pot for the ADC
and eight LEDs. All pins are brought out to accessable through hole
locations so you can add some turned pin socket strips and patch it into
any project you are breadboarding, space to put a crystal, or resonator
for the clock (though the chip has a pretty good internal oscillator),
space for a 32 KHz crystal for Timer 1 for RTC applications and a
surface mount prototyping area with more than enough space to assemble a
MAX232 or similar level converter if you want an on-board PC compatible
serial interface and two 11 pin + power and ground locations for
headers to get signals in and out from the prototyping area.

 

For a good time without the cost and learning curve, check out:
http://www.picaxe.orconhosting.net.nz/
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That chip sounds like fun to play with also. Thanks for the link.

Wes

 

It's loads of fun. 2-3 AA cells, solderless breadboard, switches,
leds, pots, toy motors and I can play for hours. Where can you get
that much entertainment for $4?

I just had one of the controls on my electric range go out. A picaxe
is now replacing it. Solid state relay does the heavy lifting, a 20
amp DPDT for safety, and it modulates the power and flashes lights to
show what the power setting is. All for less than the cost of a new
electromechanical "infinite" switch.

Phil Anderson is a good source for the chips, spark fun and ebay some
others in the US.
www.phanderson.com
www.rev-ed.co.uk for software downloads

Kicchip makes a similar controller with the boot loader pre burned on
it for the same price range. They don't have the killer forum and the
excellent support the 'axe does, but they do have a killer programming
application. (not compatible with axe chips though)

Arduino is another good one, little more money ($15 and up) but vastly
more power.
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I ordered a couple from Sparkfun yesterday.

Sweet! Excellent solution. Adaptable to a washer or dryer timer going on it's back.

Phanderson has interesting items. I'll keep it in mind.

I'll give it a look also.

Damn, sounds like a lot of choices.

Thanks,

Wes

 

I liked it so much more than the old ones that I built a second and
replaced a perfectly good control. Tricolor leds to signal the power
level and a preheat function.

What he sells in the way of components are usually priced low too.
Lot of good interface info on the site too.

The 08M 'axe and you can do most of what you want. I've got two time
lapse cameras working with an 08M and 14M. Arduino allows basic and C
programming, but its a steeper learning curve and the support isn't
near as good as the 'axe.

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PS I bought the book "Programming and Customizing the Picaxe Micro
controller" by David Lincoln. Mine is ISBN: 0-07-145765-8

List price $40 - I paid $12 shopping for it. It is worth getting in
spite of its many shortcomings. NOT worth $40 though.

The frustrating things - Reved puts out new model chips faster than
the book gets updated, and the book is a one size fits all - slightly
different for the basic stamp, Oopic, and other controllers. The
index is only good for the first 5th of the book, anything after may
be on a different page than the index says or not there at all.
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