Need some basic information about PICs

[David Fairbanks]

I'm looking to build a device with an ethernet (or USB) input and basically parallel output. The research I've done suggests that a PIC should be able to do the job but I'm not sure of the terms and areas that I need to research to do the various steps.

I want to be able to hook this device directly to a computer (platform independent), have a program send a packet to the device, the PIC decides which output port to send that bit to.

I know both ethernet and USB use packet addresses to get the packet to the device in question. I'm not sure if the bit itself is what the PIC uses to decide where to send it or if there's a better way. What I mean is if I basically send it bit A (01000001 for instance) the PIC send a pulse to pin 1, if I send it bit B (01000010) it sends a pulse to pin 2. Or would it be better to address each pin in the packet and the pic then deciphers it from there.

From a programming stand point, this sounds very simple to me. I'm not even sure if a PIC is overkill.

From what I understand USB to Parallel cables don't do this, so I need to come up with a piece of hardware to do it.

Ultimately I think I'm going to have to have someone else design and build the hardware because my area of expertise is in web application development not hardware.

 

[atferrari]

PIC18F4550 could be of interest.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I'm looking to build a device with an ethernet (or USB) input and basically parallel output. The research I've done suggests that a PIC should be able to do the job but I'm not sure of the terms and areas that I need to research to do the various steps.

I want to be able to hook this device directly to a computer (platform independent), have a program send a packet to the device, the PIC decides which output port to send that bit to.

I know both ethernet and USB use packet addresses to get the packet to the device in question. I'm not sure if the bit itself is what the PIC uses to decide where to send it or if there's a better way. What I mean is if I basically send it bit A (01000001 for instance) the PIC send a pulse to pin 1, if I send it bit B (01000010) it sends a pulse to pin 2. Or would it be better to address each pin in the packet and the pic then deciphers it from there.

From a programming stand point, this sounds very simple to me. I'm not even sure if a PIC is overkill.

It would be, apart from the USB requirement, if it was a serial port it would be trivial to do, but still a job for a PIC - which would make it cheap and easy.

But for your USB requirement it's already been done, and you can buy it cheaply (or make your own):

https://www.schmalzhaus.com/UBW/