Where do I start learning MCs? PLZ HELP!

Hi,

I really, really want to learn MCs. I decided to start with PIC16F84a because it's too popular and simple. I also decided to build my own programmer using this guide:
Cheap PIC Programmer

Now, I'm facing this big problem:
I can't really find a good reference where a person who doesn't have the least understanding of a microcontroller can learn microcontrollers using the PIC16F84A.

I don't know anything about microcontrollers [except that they're tiny computers with lots of pins] and I would like to find a good online guide for people like me.

Plz help!

Check the 'sticky' at the top of this forum - and forget the long obselete 16F84a, use a more 'modern' device - the 16F628 replaced the 16f84a well over 10 years ago now. If anything it's even more simple to use, which is why I used it for my tutorials.

Nigel Goodwin said:

Check the 'sticky' at the top of this forum - and forget the long obselete 16F84a, use a more 'modern' device - the 16F628 replaced the 16f84a well over 10 years ago now. If anything it's even more simple to use, which is why I used it for my tutorials.

Click to expand...

Hmm, I did not notice the sticky post before, sorry. I'm gonna read it now.
As for choosing another MC, I don't think I can. This is because I was in a country where these MCs are available, and I got a couple of PIC16F84a MCs and an Atmega32 only. Now I'm now in a different country were regular electronic components are barely available. So getting another MC is not an option. Anyway, I don't want to go deep into microcontrollers, I'm just a hobbyist who wanna know how these stuff work.
Thanks for helping,

See the PIC Lab-1 project on Talking Electronics website. It has 10 experiments using the PIC16F84 chip to read inputs and output to a 7-segment display and LEDs.

I was where you are 6 weeks ago. I got the book "Easy Microcontrol'n" by David Benson. It takes you from square one, in fact that's who publishes it, Square One Electronics.com . I'm now writing my own codes and thinking up my own experiments. Order the book and build the simple development board.
Aaron

Thanks for help,
Will check them soon...

As members will notice I deleted colin55's last post as 'dribble' The Square One" books although old are a great starting point for people who want to learn from the ground up. I have every book bar one and I still read them from time to time as they are are great reference and do explain the pic's nicely.

Regards Bryan