Barry:

I really agree with Dan......I have not been using PICs long......took it a
step at a time. Actually started with the PICs that came with the PICDEM
board, an eraser, and did a lot of single stepping within MPLAB....so I
could see what was happening.

Then I graduated to the 16F84....no more prom erasing....and MPLAB worked
fine with that.  Now worked my way up to the capture/compare stuff on the
16F873.

HOWEVER, it really is worth while working with timer0 and having to cound
cycles, then appreciate timer1 later.

I think the biggest area where newbies fail is in configuration of the
part. I certainly did, burning time until I realized that the ADCON is
defaulted ON.......!@#$!@#$!@#$

Now I ALWAYS read the spec sheets before starting with a new (to me) chip
#.

But it's fun!  :)      Phil Anderson..

Good luck!






On Monday, September 18, 2000 11:53 AM, Dan Michaels
[SMTP:oricom@LYNX.SNI.NET] wrote:
> Barry Gershenfeld wrote:
> >This is actually my second attempt at becoming a PIC hacker.  Six weeks
> >ago was my first attempt.  I succeeded at putting a counting sequence
> >out port D.  At that time I had big arguments with the C compiler over
> >how to set the port to output (Eventually did it one bit at a time!)
> >Since I'm trying the MPLAB tutorial, I'm sticking to assembler today.
> >At least that removes one layer of obfuscation.
> >
> >Equipment - MPLAB 4.12,  ICD, and 16F874 handbuilt on a board (takes
> >the place of the "demo" board.  This '874 actually works, as I was
> >able to get the port-counter to run from power-up without the ICD
> >attached.
> .........
> >Any advice is appreciated.  There will more questions, no doubt...
> >
>
>
> Barry,
>
> It may be too late, but I made this point in another thread
> last week - and actually got **2** other piclisters to agree with
> the logic in it ---
>
> It is probably easier and quicker to get up to speed with PICs
> if you don't jump straight into the deep end of the pool with lead
> weights already tied around your neck. [mixed metaphors - sorry].
>
> Might be better to use a cheap programmer, text editor/assembler
> rather than IDE, and a PIC 16F84 to begin with. Then go to the
> more complex '87x type chips, after basic things are working well
> on the '84.
>
> They adopted the "learning curve" - graded progression - method
> of education in schools for good reason.
>
> --
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>

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