more below. At 04:09 PM 7/10/2003 -0500, you wrote: > > > > No way Alex! Don't leave. You're in learning mode. More below.. > > > >Nah, I'm not going anywhere. This is too much fun. > > > > > > >1. I use a compiler, because I think coding in assembler is > > silly (for > > >what I need to do, and 99% of what other people need to do) > > > > That's OK. Who cares? _I_ don't. But I personally don't use > > higher-level languages myself, for what I do, ASM is required. > > > >I hear that a lot, but I am always skeptical. Since you can use C and >mix in assembler for time-critical parts, I don't know why anyone would >mess with complete assembler. The code is much more readable and >manageable. > >What app are you doing that *has* to have assembler. Here's what happens to me. I write it in C, and the client starts selling and shipping the product. In six weeks or so (I can set my clock to it) it starts like this. "Bob, can you see if the widget will work at 115Kb as well as at 19.2?" "Bob, in addition to fixing all of Florida's voting machines, could you drain the everglades as well?" In the middle of the "drain the swamp" stage, I have to redo everything into ASM in order to save space and variables. This happened so many times, that I no longer bother with C or Pascal. But I have a BIG library of ASM routines that have been ruggedly tested, so I just pick what I need from it. Then, when the client calls, it is already in assembler and the client can afford to pay for my changes. See? > > > > >4. I built a project with an external crystal for a > > real-time clock, > > >and I didn't use external capacitors > > > > Use ceramic resonators, they have caps built-in. > > > >This was to drive timer1 to allow the PIC to have a real-time clock, it >wasn't the PIC oscillator because I used the internal one for that. As >far as I know, there aren't any 32.768K ceramic resonators, and if there >were they wouldn't be as precise as crystal. Yes, I usually use external caps with 32.7K. > > >5. I don't use decoupling capacitors on my breadboard experiments > > > > Now, you're a lucky guy. Would you be available for a trip to > > LasVegas with me? > > > >I have never seen it make any difference. I have heard that breadboards >have internal capacitance that takes care of it. I always have too many >wires on a breadboard, and the caps just get in the way. Seriously, if you put your PIC into an endless loop, doing something repetitively, the errors will eventually show up, even on the worst breadboard you have. >I do use them on production boards. I'm not that much of a gambler. Darn! I was ready to saddle up for LV, borrowed $20 from the wife. > > >6. I don't know resistor color codes by heart. I have a > > gadget from > > >Radio Shack that tells them to me > > > > I'm colorblind. I have to ask my wife what the colors are. > > SHE uses the gadget from Radio Shack. > >You have a forgiving wife. I think mine would be quite annoyed if I had >to ask her all the time. Most wives love to be needed. Ask her anyway. >You could use a ohm-meter and do the process of elimination. :-) > > > > > Nope, you're a lifer here. Join the rest of us. Ignore the jibes. > > > > --Bob > > > >I've been on the internet since the days when we just had 1's, so I'm >fine. Well, I remember changing vacuum tubes, so I was here when J.C. was just a CORPORAL!! --Bob >Alex > >-- >http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList >mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu --------------- NOTICE 1. This account can accept email & attachments up to 10M in size. 2. Federal Monitors: At request of client, some attachments are encrypted. Please DO NOT delay traffic; please reply with credentials for password. -------------- -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu