Need small micro dev kit

[Michael A. Terrell]

Arizona is for ol' farts, too ;-)

Yours are all dried out!


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Paul E. Schoen]

Andy writes:
I like the PIC 16F84 . It is cheap, has a 20mhz clock, and
draws
about 5 mils --- costs about 5 bucks... Has on-board EEprom
memory and versatile built-in I/O . I've used it in several ham
projects...


Lots of PIC versions are available, and there are development
kits and programmers for sale very cheap.
Many have built-in A/D converters.

Also, a BASIC compiler is available....

It isn't the fanciest one, but for one-chip applications it does a
fine job. Just google up some info on it and plan to spend a
week or so learning to program it. It has a simple machine
instruction set. And a simple BASIC instruction set for the
BASIC compiler.....

Good Luck,
Andy W4OAH

I am doing a project with the PIC16F684, which I think is similar to the
F84, but it has a built-in PWM that can be configured as a four-channel
H-bridge system. It is in a 14 pin DIP package, and can be programmed using
the PICkit1, which is about $30.

My project is a boost converter using a switched inductor to generate 800
mA at up to 50 VDC, from a 12 VDC source. I have simulated it using LTspice
(Switcher CAD), and I was able to get up to 90% efficiency. I will be
breadboarding a prototype soon. The design is scaleable to almost any
voltage and power level. If you use this PIC, I can help you with source
code and debugging, but I am using assembly code.

I also have a project on the back burner for a three phase low voltage
motor controller, for which I will use a higher level PIC such as the
PIC18F2331 and the like, which have six or more PWM modules. I have a C
compiler for the 18F series that I might use, although I find
well-documented assembly code is fine for low-level stuff. For higher-end
projects a debugger like the ICD2 is a good investment at about $150.

Good luck, and be careful

Paul

 

[Yzordderrex]

Thanks for the response Paul and I hope you don't mind my top posting.
I ordered pickit2 this morning so it should be here in a few days.
I'll probably spend a few weeks getting the thing to run and learning a
little bit. My background is power electronics engineer with mainly
motor drives and I need to expand outward with the micros. I'll
probably have some questions and I hope you and maybe Andy could help
out some. I use SwitchercadIII myself with ham radio stuff and power
converters. If you have any probs getting boost converter to run I
might be able to help there.
regards,
Bob

 

[jasen]

The text below was part of an ongoing thread that I was participating
on another board. Some of the members on the other board asked exactly
what I was wishing to accomplish so the topic is treated in more detail
than most. I'm still looking for a small (INEXPENSIVE) kit

My microprocessor skills are almost non-existant so I am looking to
getting my feet wet.

have you programmed anything in any sort of assembler before?
how about C?

Whatever platform I choose (based on you guy's input) it
should be above everything else easy to learn. It must also have the
computing power necessary to do the pwm routine. I'm basically looking
for somebody to tell me to go to digikey and order such and such a kit.

look at the free documentation for the different devices,
pick the one that makes the most sense to you.

this sort of task sounds like to could be done using a $3 microcnopntoller
chip and a few dollars worth of extra bits.

A setup where the chip can be reprogrammed while still attached to the device
is desirable. especially if you get the program wrong a few hundered times...

Bye.
Jasen

 

[Yzordderrex]

OK Jasen thanks,

I ordered the pickit2. It is as good platform for about 50 bucks.
There is a one day seminar down the street from me in a week or so. I
am in-between jobs so this should be a good resume builder as well as
fun project.

thanks
Bob