Ok thanks for replying I'm sure if it's a success I'll mail you a few thousand pounds to say thanks :wink: .
You still overestimate by knowledge of Electronics. I am currently doing Electronics at GCSE but aren't too great at it. I understand the basics of PICs - I'm not to sure about IC chips though - are they just without the programming part?
The Holtek datasheet makes no sense to me whatsoever.
e.g. "The 212 encoders are a series of CMOS LSIs for remote control system applications. They are capable of encoding information which consists of N address bits and 12-N data bits. Each address/data input can be set to one of the two logic states. The programmed addresses/data are transmitted together with the header bits via an RF or an infrared transmission medium upon receipt of a trigger signal. The capability to select a TE trigger on the HT12E or a DATA trigger on the HT12A further enhances the application flexibility of the 212 series of encoders. The HT12A additionally provides a 38kHz carrier for infrared systems."
There are different parts on the datasheet, do I want all of them or one? If so, which one? Do all the different encoders do the same basic job?
You gave me two order codes - are they both ICs? Do I need both, and do they have different functions?
Finally, you say to set the address for the recievers you connect pins high or low. But how does this work for 10 different frequencies for 10 recievers?
Also, this product has to be extremely user-friendly, and I want recievers to be programmed simply and easily by the customer, without any electronics experience. I was thinking of a system that - when there is no PIC chip in the programming socket in the transmitter box, pressing the 1-10 buttons will broadcast the relevant frequency, and all recievers programmed to that frequency will sound. However, when a PIC chip from a reciever is in the programming socket (a light will go on to indicate the change in function of the buttons), pressing the buttons will instead program the PIC to that relevant frequency. Or, if this is too hard to have buttons having two seperate functions, then a different set of 1-10 buttons would have to be located on the transmitter box for the programming.