John said:
PIC is king, I'm sure. But I'd like to hear from those who are using all
brands. Whichever you use, what do you like about it? What don't you like
about others? Suggestions re. learning?
I've programmed 68000 assembly and some higher-level languages (FORTRAN; some
BASIC; COBOL if forced to admit it), so no stranger to programming, per se.
PIC and Atmel AVR battle it out for the top spot in the entry level
market, you will get tons of beginner support (hardware, software, and
sample code) for either platform, arguably more than any other
platfrom.
Which is the "best" is dependant upon your application. For example,
if you do *really* low power stuff then the MSP430 series is very
popular. If you want seamless migration from Flash to OTP to Mask ROM
then PIC might be the way to go. If you want fast processing with a
reasonable number of options then AVR might be the best bet. The list
is endless...
For starting out, stick with AVR or PIC, and use a high level language
like C. Both platforms have free C compiler suites, but IMHO the AVR
GNU compiler is a PITA to get up and running, and the worst problem
you can have when starting out is having to fight your tools. Also, I
think the AVR STK500 programmer is (or was) a complete dog, horrible
for a beginner. PICs have their quirks too, but I had a *lot* more
trouble when starting out with the AVR's. But no doubt the AVR crowd
will shoot me down in flames...
The PIC 18 series C compiler is essentially free from Microchip, and
that combined with an MPLAB compatible programmer would be a very good
and powerful starting platform if you don't want to play with the
kiddie kits. However there are tons of good PIC starter kits and demo
boards around, just look at the Farnell catalog or any of the
multitude of PIC supplier website for starters.
Dave.