Good day, everyone!
I'm just starting with programmable microcontrollers, and I was wondering what the best PIC chip would be to start with? I've found various starter kits online, but I'm not sure which one would be the easiest for a beginner. I have MPLAB IDE v.8.60 programming software on my computer already. Can anyone help?
Thanks a lot!
Der Strom
I'd have to go with wannab. For about 50 bucks you get the programmer and the dev board. There is a header on the dev board where you plug into to program it. It comes with and uses the PIC16F887 which is a great chip due to onboard peripherals(PWM, USB etc). It comes with LEDS, pot, push button and you can bread board up anything you want due to the many pads on the PCB. I'd suggest getting a serial LCD to work after you blink LEDS and stuff like that. Goodluck!
i got the junebug after asking loads of questions on here first! i would say if your a newbie then the junebug is a great choice you get alot for the money, there is plenty of goodies on it to practice your programing on. yes its true you will probaly want to move onto doing your own boards pretty quickly but thats the best bit about the bug once you finished flashing ya leds flick a couple of switches on the bug and off you go programing icsp! so i personaly think its hard to beat it for the cash. yes you could buy a "real" pickit 2 and a dev board but the cost is higther and i dont think you will gain much if anything at all.
my advice pm blueroomelectronics and have a chat with him about a bug
You might want to look at Swordfish Basic or Amicus Basic. There is lots of good info at **broken link removed** and on the TAP-28 web page.
As far as a starter board, the TAP-28 lacks all the bells and whistles of some dev boards but has enough features to get you started and reliable connections for various breakout boards.
This thing uses a built in ICD2 RS232 clone. We were building these things prior to switching to the USB picKIT2 and junebugs. The ICD2 works but is slower and you can build one for under $20 if you can get you hands on another programmer to flash the PIC it uses.
Other then that it is mostly a bunch of switches and easy to replicate interfaces. Expensive, outdated, and slow.
Honestly most of you need for interfacing is done on the PIC. The idea of a development board does not make much sense as it once did. I suggest a programer and a 2 or 3 breadboards.
This thing uses a built in ICD2 RS232 clone. We were building these things prior to switching to the USB picKIT2 and junebugs. The ICD2 works but is slower and you can build one for under $20 if you can get you hands on another programmer to flash the PIC it uses.
Other then that it is mostly a bunch of switches and easy to replicate interfaces. Expensive, outdated, and slow.
The easyPIC6 uses a build in ICD on USB not on the RS232
I have two PK2 Clones (its cheap to build them by us, about 10$), there is the problem that i use mikore's software ( mikroBASIC) and i have always to export the program to hex file and then to program the PIC
now I am working on a tutor board, something like a demo board for testing the project...
There is a problem with the MicroE's software not talking to the pk2.
In general we are better off with a compiler that integrates with MPLAB so we have a choice of programmers and up to date support for new chips. Perhaps MicroE does and I missed that to. BASIC is not my first choice of language. SwordFish basic is a decent way to go.
When MPLAB X comes out of beta testing it should be a nice IDE.