Hi Steve, unless you have a particular need to use Basic I suggest learning PIC assembler. You can use MPLAB (available from microchip.com for free) and this lets you code in asm and even run the code in it's simulator. It's cheaper and much more powerful once you are comfy with it. There are a few cheap programmers you can build yourself for the 16F84 or 16F628 etc. If money is a real issue, try downloading MPLAB and have a good play with it. I did that and was coding PIC asm and running it on the inbuilt simulator before I ever bought a PIC chip. Also download the 16F84 datasheet and print it out, then read it from cover to cover. By that time most of it will make sense, just take your time. It's just as easy to learn asm as basic, but much more powerful in the future. -Roman Steve Greenfield wrote: > > I subscribed to the piclist and have been reading posts but nothing posted has > answered my questions. When I tried to search the FAQ list it is too busy so > I decided to send a post. Please bear with me! > > I am a computer sysadm with no electronics background. I bought the book: > > "PIC: Microcontroller Project Book" by John Iovine > > The book suggests to buy: > > PICBasic compiler program > > EPIC Programmer (programming carrier board) > > PIC Chip(s) > > The compiler costs around $100, the EPIC programming board & programming > diskette costs $59, and the PIC 16F84 microcontroller goes for $7. This > is $166 that I might spend, which to me is a lot of money. I would like to > learn the technology and use my book but is there a cheaper alternative? > > Please be specific if you respond because I don't understand much of the > jargon used in the posts. I want to use my book so I guess I am stuck > with the basic language in the beginning. Thanks for any help you send my > way! > > Steve > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList > mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu