BackFire1

Hello everyone. I got a quick question that I hope you can help me with. I'm fairly new to PIC programming, I taught myself the basics with V2 of EPE's PIC Tutorial. I am now looking for a good book with plenty of example code to take me further, (I'm still at a pretty basic level). I would like it to cover a wide variety of Flash PIC controllers as the EPE Tutorial, though excellent, was concerned mostly with the PIC16F84A. I use a velleman K8048 for my programming, though this shouldn't really matter. I had already brought the book "Programming and Customizing PICMicro Microcontrollers" before I had read the online reviews, which were generally unfavorouble, and I agree with them. That said the book of similar title concerened with STAMPs is excellent. But has anyone got a good PIC book recomendation? I thank you all in advance.

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Its undeniable; The smoke in components keeps things working.

Nigel Goodwin

I don't really know of any books, but you might try my tutorials, which will give you some ideas and things to play with!.

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PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk

BackFire1

I have bookmarked your tutorials and hope to start using them tomorrow! I shall post with any difficulties I encounter! I like the idea of a book as well though, for reference and so on, so I'm still open to suggestions!

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Its undeniable; The smoke in components keeps things working.

mvs sarma

Hi,
After Nigel's tutorials , perhaps you may only appreciate Microchip's original documentation.

In fact ,while still i am to study them in detail, i feel these tutorials have been quite good for a start and for reference even.

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Regards,
Sarma.

BackFire1

Having looked through the tutorials they certainly offer much advice, though I already have a PIC programmer I'm happy with and will be building most of my circuitry on breadboads for prototyping, so the tutorials requiring dedicated boards are of limited help.... That said Nigels explanation of RS232 with PIC's is the best infomation source I've seen so far, and his tutorial on RF modules was also very interesting, so cheers Nigel!

__________________
Its undeniable; The smoke in components keeps things working.

Nigel Goodwin

The reason for the boards is simple, they are cheap and easily available for anyone to make, with no special skills. If you build the boards EXACTLY as I show, it WILL work - building them on breadboards is much more prone to errors. Most of the reports I get of problems is down to people using breadboards!.

Still, be careful and you should be OK - if it doesn't work, check your layout!.

__________________
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk

ljcox

I used a book printed on the UK.

PIC Your Personal Introductory Course by John Morton.

I have the second edition (2001) which is a bit dated, but still relevant.

It explains PICs and assembly programming fairly well and it has 17 sample programmes and associated circuits.

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Len

ljcox

I use prototyping PCBs sold by the electronics stores.

The best one has 2 "vertical" tracks - one for 0V and the other for +5V and "horizontal" tracks of 3 hole tracks each side all in a 2.54 mm grid. So components and wire jumpers can be soldered to the tracks like a normal PCB.

You can mount ICs over the "vertical" tracks such that the pins are in the last and first holes of the "horizontal" tracks.

The pattern is
HHHVVHHHnHHHVVHHHnHHHVVHHH etc
HHHVVHHHnHHHVVHHHnHHHVVHHH etc
HHHVVHHHnHHHVVHHHnHHHVVHHH etc
etc
where V = "vertical" track, H = "horizontal" track and n = no connection between tracks.

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Len

BackFire1

Thanks for your suggestions Nigel and Len. I programmed with Basic STAMPS for years and got to know their quirks. Now I want to increase my processor power and just advance my skills in general. The hardest part I think will be getting to know the quirks of PICs. I note with interest in Nigels tutorials, the one concerned with analouge to digital conversion, that the two registers holding ADC data were in two banks! this is definately something I would consider a quirk! And its stuff like this that has an impact in real world programming. Now if only I can software debounce I'll sleep easy......

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Its undeniable; The smoke in components keeps things working.

Sceadwian

Basic Stamps are actually PIC's programmed with a basic interpreter. I'd suggestion checking out Atmel's micro controllers as well, they have some advantages over PIC's and are particularly strong at I/O

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Nigel Goodwin

I agree that AVR's have some advantages over PIC's, but PIC's have some advantages over AVR's as well - not the least being their far greater popularity.

But apart from that, what is 'particuarly strong' about I/O on an AVR compared with a PIC?.

__________________
PIC programmer software, and PIC Tutorials at:
http://www.winpicprog.co.uk

House0Fwax

Here's an example. have a look at experiments 5A and 5B.

http://users.tpg.com.au/users/talkin...nts_page1.html

BackFire1

Thank you Houseofwax!

__________________
Its undeniable; The smoke in components keeps things working.

OY2L

Easy Microcontrol'n By David Benson. See www.sq-1.com