Tom's link to Prof. Anderson's site actually leads to a very interesting
essay which covers the whole range of issues among several microcontroller
development systems. I can't say I agree with him on all of it (I am still
convinced that PICs are very much better for anyone with a fair amount of
interest and perseverence). It is also a bit outdated (it speaks of the
SCENIX SX as if it didn't exist yet and says that the MELabs assembler uses
Parallax mnemonics,and my copy certainly doesn't). BUT, it is an excellent
discussion.

Actually, the last part of his essay is VERY relevant to the current thread
about hobbyists/engineers vs. engineers who are not hobbysts. See
especially the part starting with "My observation of electrical engineers
over a period of 30 years..."

Sean

At 11:15 AM 8/26/99 +1000, you wrote:
>First of, good luck, I hope you find the MCU world as interesting as I have.
>
>See Peter H. Anderson's article Working with Stamps and PICs
>(http://www.phanderson.com/stamp/stamp-pic.html) for an extensive discussion
>of the relative merits of PICs and Basic Stamp style devices (covers other
>BASIC stamp like devices as well). I was ready to go out and buy a Stamp
>until I read this page (which isn't anti stamp in any way, in fact the
>author likes many of the Stamp related products). I would suggest that
>learning ASM for the PIC isn't exceptionally hard. There's not very many
>instructions to use, and IMHO if you understand the PIC instructions you
>will gain a much better understanding of why the PIC works the way it does
>(or doesn't work the way you want it to). Of course I've had a fair ammount
>of informal (and less formal) programming experience. Can write VB, Java and
>a bit of MIPS ASM and C so PIC ASM's at about the same level as BASIC in my
>book.
>
>I got this link originally from Ross Bencina (a fellow PICLister's) DIY MIDI
>Controllers using PIC Microcontrollers and Basic Stamps
>(http://www.audiomulch.com/midipic/) which was the page that opened my eyes
>to the wonderful world of PICs. I was thinking, I'm not paying hundreds for
>a couple of MIDI knobs, started searching for DIY MIDI. After much fruitless
>searching I found Ross's page jam packed with useful MIDI/PIC/Stamp info. If
>you have any interest in MIDI, check it out. Thanks Ross.
>
>I also have a copy of Myke Predko's Programming And Customising The PIC
>which is a good book for a beginner to PIC's (and MCU's in general). Don't
>know about the ASM stuff as I knew MIPS ASM so had no troubles, but it gives
>a very good description of the PIC archetecture from a low level.
>
>Tom.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Justin Headley <jheadley@CENTRALVA.NET>
>Subject: newbie conflicting
>
>
>> ok, i'll make this quick, i have no idea were to get started in
>> microcontrollers
><SNIP>
>> I was thinking that maybe i could get a stamp to start out on,
>> since they seem more user-friendly than PICs,
>
|
| Sean Breheny
| Amateur Radio Callsign: KA3YXM
| Electrical Engineering Student
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