Van: David Knaack <dknaack@RDTECH.COM>
Aan: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Onderwerp: Getting started??
Datum: donderdag 3 juni 1999 0:06

Hello David,

> Greetings all,

> I'm attempting to get started with microcontrollers, and after doing
> some searching on the internet I'm even more confused than before.

[Snip]

> There are so many choices for these things I don't know what to get.
> What PIC would be simple to start with?  What programmer can I
> use with it?

A good choice would be the 16F84.  It has got 1K-word EEPROM code-memory
(no need for UV erasure), 68 bytes of ram and 64 bytes of data-EEPROM.

The programmer can be minimal (my home-brew version has got: a 78L12, a
78L05, a BC337, a LED, 3 caps and a few diodes and resistors.  Software:
Homebrew Assembly :-).

Assemblers are readily available (free at Micro-chips site), and
C-compilers are available (other vendors) too.

[Snip]

> I know a guy who is always pushing the AVR, are there reasons I
> should or should not give them a try first?
>
> Can someone help get me pointed in the right direction?

There is no "right" direction here.  Some feel more at ease with PIC,
others with AVR.  One thing is to be said for the AVR, You've got someone
near you who knows a lot (I hope) about them ...

Greetz,
  Rudy Wieser