Finally, something I can give my opinion on <g> !

I am also a newbie who knows very little about uCs and electronics in
general.  I chose the PicStart Plus for several reasons and here they are
<g> :

1) It has the MicroChip name on it.  This may seem stupid, but from a
newbie standpoint, I figure if MicroChip can't get it right, then who can
<g>.

2) Unsure of which PICs I'll be using, the PS+ supports most if not all of
the PIC line.

3) Intergrates with MPLAB making it easy for me to use.

4) The price isn't bad. As a comparison, Jameco sells a Parallax programmer
that doesn't support all the chips the PS+ does for $120. Plus for some of
the chips you need a 40 pin ZIF adapter which will set you back another
$60. And from what I see, it doesn't support the 17CXX devices. ( Not
bashing the Parallax programmer here, guys ). The PS+ cost me about $200
IIRC.

5) Free firmware updates.

The reasons I chose not to build my own programmer :

1) Being an electronics newbie I wasn't confident in my ability to
troubleshoot the project if I had problems.

2) Most only support a narrow range of PICs and I wasn't sure which PICs I
will work with.


There are other reasons but the short of it is : I figured if I was going
to learn about PICs and electronics, the last thing I needed was to be
wondering if I was doing something wrong or if it was my programmer. The
PS+ is simple and has support.

Note that I am not bashing DIY programmers. In fact, I would like to build
my own someday just to see if I can.

I have both Easy PIC'n and PIC'n Up the Pace.  They are good books but I
can't recommend them. 1) I think they're kind of expensive and second there
is no way to get the code listings in the book.  You have to hand enter
them.  I know, I know, I'm lazy but I would rather spend time stepping
through the code or trying to make my circuit work than keying in mistakes.

I believe Myke Predko has a book that is recommended often on this list.
  It's on my list of things I need to buy. www.myke.com is the link and the
book is "Programming and Customizing the PIC Microcontroller".  From his
website it appears the book contains a design for a DIY programmer.

HTH,
Eric

On Wednesday, May 26, 1999 4:15 PM, Nathan Bean [SMTP:natebean@HOTMAIL.COM]
wrote:
> I'd like to get started in PIC microcontrollers.  However, I don't know
> which programmer I should get.  Is the PicStart Plus worth the money or
> should I get another type (or homebrewed).  Also, what would you
recommend
> for a good book?  Easy Pic'n, maybe???
>
> Thanks in advance
>
>
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