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Conceptual switch question

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I went to the AVRfreaks website, wow, I was so intimidated by reading their intro on what not to post, that I left and never went back. They do not like new people asking basic questions. I picked up the book " Programing and customizing the Picaxe Microcontroller"
but after the AVR fiasco ,I just never got a development platform for the pic.

You mentioned the junebug, pickit2 and the student C18 compiler, BoostC demo or the swordfish basic demo version. If I knew what any of those were it may sway me to dig a little deeper.
 
You won't retry AVR but you'll spend 10-100 times the price on each device for a basic stamp? AVR/PIC aside, you can program either in basic without the associated cost of a Basic stamp.. Non basic stamp based Basic style languages tend to have more powerful controls as well. As far as AVRfreaks go they don't mind new people asking basics questions, as long as you read the PDF and application notes FIRST. The information is already publicly and blatantly available to you if you look =)
 
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I have tried and retried the AVR to no avail. It tells me to make a directory. ??? don't know if I was putting the code in the right place on the winever, got lost, frustrated, with no signs to point me in the right direction, I pulled the plug so to speak. With the basic stamp, I could make things work, the AVR, not so much so.
 
You seem to associate a problem with setting up the development environment vs system you're using it with a flaw in chip architecture itself. This is.. well.. typical, and should not be associated with the architecture itself.
 
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They are all compilers.

The C18 student version is Microchip C compiler for the PIC18F family.

BoostC is another good C compiler that works for many of the PIC familys. The demo version is free but the full version is very affordable at about $70.

Swordfish Basic.
The Special Edition (SE) version of Swordfish is a free, fully functional and non expiring version of the compiler. It includes everything you get with the commercial version, including the full list of supported microcontrollers and library source code. The compiler is only constrained in terms of the amount of RAM available during compilation.
Swordfish Compiler

Stacey has a very good set of tutorials and instructions to get you started. Even videos. I have not looked at much of them but what I seen was very good.
**broken link removed**
 
@ Sceadwain
No not at all, I could not understand what I was doing in the development environment and gave it up on that merit alone. It had nothing to do with chip architecture.

You have to know I picked up electronics as a hobby 6 months ago & joined this forum 3 months ago, I have the capacity to learn very quickly but there is not always the time/tutor help available, so I sometimes have to chose a rout that works at that moment.

Like I said I would love to take a class in an alternative micro.
 
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@3vO

What else would I need to get started in PIC?

You posted a link to the compiler. Any special hardware? Type of Pic chip?

I would like to get away from the stamp, though it was a good launch point for me.
 
I did the same thing mike, but years ago. I started with basic stamps blinking LED's then I found AVR's. I NEVER went back. You just need a programmer and to read a bit. I personally prefer ASM on smaller AVR's and I've never used bigger AVR's cause well, they're not needed for anything I do..
 
The main thing is a programmer. Either a PICkit2 or 3, or the Junebug. About the only thing else is a target.

For a target I like chips like the 18 pin 18F1320 or the 28 pin 18F2321. They both have internal clocks so all you need to do is slap them on a breadboard, hook up the ICSP lines from the programmer, add +5 and gnd with a bypass cap and you are up and running..

Start here. I walks you through step by step
**broken link removed**

@3vO

What else would I need to get started in PIC?

You posted a link to the compiler. Any special hardware? Type of Pic chip?

I would like to get away from the stamp, though it was a good launch point for me.
 
Thanks 3vO, I will propably order up some PIC related items and give the nomenclature a run through.
 
I opened the Book and it looks very similar to stamp language so,
I ordered the PICkit2 starter kit today, just one question,
How do you pick a PIC? There seems to be about 1000 to choose from.
 
I wish I had push you harder in the direction of the Junebug.

What Book are you talking about ?
I suggest the 18F1320. Above all check the tutorial you want to use and pick the chip it is using. Swordfish does runs on the 18F chips but not the 16F.

I do not think the target/PCB that comes with the starter kit will do you any good. The documentation says this about the demo board.
Low pin count demo board supporting 8/14/20-pin mid range PIC microcontrollers

As I said in another post it is easy to run a PIC from a solderless bread board SBB.

3v0
 
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Never mind the book, I may be able to cancel the ordrer, it won't ship out till the 4th of April. Tell me more about June bug, what makes that a good choice?
 
The Junbug was designed by one of our members Bill from BlueroomElectronics.

It is a somewhat simplified PICkit2 clone in combo with a PIC18F1320 target. It has 3 switches, 6 charlieplexed LEDs, 2 pots, and an IR reciever. This is enough IO to get your feet wet but not so much that it makes the target difficult to understand. Bill has published the full schematics and the unit uses Microchips firmware (same as PICkit2).

Check the link in my signature.

3v0
 
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Yeah, I Googled Junebug and see ole Blue on that site. I put in to cancel the order for the starter kit. If they OK the cancellation I'll get the bug from Blue :)

Probably better support on this site, with the guy that makes the kits hanging around and all.

Thanks
 
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