On Thu, 12 Jun 2003, Stephen Webb wrote:

> I started with the 16F84.

8< snip...

> For starters I think it's a good choice.  The other features (PWM, A/D
> converter etc) can be tricky to get working (for me at least) and would
> probably just muddy up the learning process...

I have to respecxtfully disagree on this one.  The 16F628 would be THE
choice for small-sized (18 pin) work.  The built-in UART alone is worth
any very minor hassle remembering to turn off the comparators to use
PORTA.  Plus it's cheaper, at least in the US, and faster.

If I were starting out right now -- I dunno, maybe the 18F parts, but if
you're ever going to need to cram something into an 8-pin package, you'll
need to know the 12/14 bit parts.  My curent favorites:

12F629/675 (8-pin, ultra low power)
16F628 (18 pin)
16F877A (40 pin)

Eventually I'll probably use the 18F parts in place of the '877, but there
seems to be a lack of attention to the lower end of the 18F part lineup.
Probably not a big issue for the average hobbyist.

Dale
--
It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
Get a PicoKeyer: http://www.hamgadgets.com

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