How to start learning microcontroller?

ikelectro · Aug 28, 2012

Hello, everyone! I'm learning basic electronics about 1 year & 6 mnths. now i'm whishing to
learn microconrtoller. how should I start? I want to learn Completely in internet knowledge. so plz friend suggest me
1. which site I may follow?
2. whish pdf should i download?
3. How to learn programming(where can i get stuff about assembly language)?
4. about development board, and softwere...
it,ll be helpfull if you guys suggest your valuable knowledge...

Ian Rogers · Aug 28, 2012

If you buy a starter kit... For any micro you should have enough to get you started.... Years ago, when I started ( No internet) I bought a 8051 development board... It came with a chip, an assembler a C compiler (lite) and quite a few sample codes.... It was enough to get me into micros.... Then conversing with a certain Uni professor, I managed to get an application to market..

You first need to look at several micro PDF's and choose which one will suit your needs (and pocket)... Then return here and let us know

ikelectro · Aug 28, 2012

Ian Rogers said:
If you buy a starter kit... For any micro you should have enough to get you started.... Years ago, when I started ( No internet) I bought a 8051 development board... It came with a chip, an assembler a C compiler (lite) and quite a few sample codes.... It was enough to get me into micros.... Then conversing with a certain Uni professor, I managed to get an application to market..

You first need to look at several micro PDF's and choose which one will suit your needs (and pocket)... Then return here and let us know

ok. thanks a lot. I'll contact with you guys. when I buy some.
and let me ask you one question what development board(in cheap)'ll be preferable to buy in your opinion.
and one more thing I dont know even any prgrming languages!

Ian Rogers · Aug 28, 2012

Just answer one thing!! What do YOU want the micro to do for you? You must have something in mind...

Pic's are VERY popular, and have quite a following on this forum....

3v0 · Aug 29, 2012

You can get started with a breadboard, a PIC, and a programmer. Everything but a few switches etc exist on the PIC itself. See .

Be careful about the shops in India selling programmers and development or starter boards. Some of what they are selling is quite out of date. Ask here first with a link to their schematic. If they will not provide one walk away.

There are several programmers you can build for a little money. If you can afford one buy a pickit2 or pickit3 from microchip. The clones are no cheaper and microchip has a better replacement policy for broken ones.

aljamri · Aug 29, 2012

Or you may do the whole thing using your computer, using any PIC simulator such as Oshonsoft or Proteus ISIS software.

ikelectro · Aug 29, 2012

Ian Rogers said:
Just answer one thing!! What do YOU want the micro to do for you? You must have something in mind...

Pic's are VERY popular, and have quite a following on this forum....

yes. i have something in mind. If i use microcntrlr then my all circuit size may be small, it'll help me in making moving display, or may be help mein display devices( in temperature censer, light censer etc).

ikelectro · Aug 29, 2012

3v0 said:
You can get started with a breadboard, a PIC, and a programmer. Everything but a few switches etc exist on the PIC itself. See .

Be careful about the shops in India selling programmers and development or starter boards. Some of what they are selling is quite out of date. Ask here first with a link to their schematic. If they will not provide one walk away.

There are several programmers you can build for a little money. If you can afford one buy a pickit2 or pickit3 from microchip. The clones are no cheaper and microchip has a better replacement policy for broken ones.

ok. i'll take your suggestion when I buy one.....

riya78992 · Aug 29, 2012

ikelectro said:
ok. i'll take your suggestion when I buy one.....

Hi,

You can first plan with which MCU you want to start with. You can then buy the development platform for the same & do some R&D over it. you can then read books for programing that particulate MCU.

First you choose a MCU then we can suggest you the books to read & programming.

ikelectro · Aug 29, 2012

riya78992 said:
Hi,

You can first plan with which MCU you want to start with. You can then buy the development platform for the same & do some R&D over it. you can then read books for programing that particulate MCU.

First you choose a MCU then we can suggest you the books to read & programming.

ok... but it'll take some time to have one board..atlast 3to4 mnths. plz saty with this thread.

Jon Wilder · Aug 30, 2012

If you plan to code in assembly, the MCS-51 family of microcontrollers is the way to go in my opinion. The code makes much more sense, you can transfer data directly from one register to another (you cannot do this on a PIC), and it has compare/branch instructions as well as multiply/divide support. Also has vectored interrupts which are really neat over the PIC.

3v0 · Aug 30, 2012

If one wants to start looking for the wolds neatest chip or instruction set we would not stop at the 8051.

3v0 · Aug 30, 2012

ikelectro said:
ok... but it'll take some time to have one board..atlast 3to4 mnths. plz saty with this thread.

If the problem is due to a shortage of money I think we can get you going a lot faster then that.

Do you have any experience constructing electronic circuits ?

ikelectro · Aug 30, 2012

3v0 said:
If the problem is due to a shortage of money I think we can get you going a lot faster then that.

Do you have any experience constructing electronic circuits ?

yes. i can make electronics circuits. plz tell me whats in your mind.

3v0 · Aug 30, 2012

There are several programmers you can build for little or no money. The down side is that they are only programmers and not real time debuggers.

For absolutely nothing you can start working with simulators.

With either of these you can get started now.

I you want to get started with PICs download MPLAB X which has a built in simulator for all PIC familes from 8 to 32 bits.

ikelectro · Aug 30, 2012

Ok. i'll tell you when i download it. plz then guide me.

3v0 · Aug 30, 2012

There are good online tutorials from the microchip site
https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/52027a.pdf
https://www.microchip.com/Microchip.webcontent.provider/Video.aspx?id=en542704
https://www.microchip.com/pagehandler/en-us/family/mplabx/#tvtraining

There maybe a lot more out there. Know that MPLAB X is not the same as MPLAB.

ikelectro · Aug 31, 2012

3v0 said:
There are several programmers you can build for little or no money. The down side is that they are only programmers and not real time debuggers.

For absolutely nothing you can start working with simulators.

With either of these you can get started now.

I you want to get started with PICs download MPLAB X which has a built in simulator for all PIC familes from 8 to 32 bits.

but there are no link for windows x32.what should I do? My pc is running in x32.

Ian Rogers · Aug 31, 2012

There is only one install package

https://www.microchip.com/pagehandler/en-us/family/mplabx/#downloads

WTP Pepper · Sep 3, 2012

Silabs do some impressive development boards geared towards the ancient but well established 8051 core. Software is free from their website.
I am sure many others do the same. They encourage hobbyist by making kit available at a good price with alot of support from on-line communites and here of course.

It's always a good idea to have a small project in mind to focus upon. Mine was a simple burglar alarm that set a siren going for 20 minutes after it triggered. It eventually turned into a Beomoth of a design that sent me an SMS when activated and I could silence the alarm remotely using SMS.

Armed with a decent development environment, an idea and no girlfriend to interfere - the world is your oyster.

How to start learning microcontroller?

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