On Sat, Mar 13, 2004 at 07:06:05PM -0500, Robert L Cochran wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm learning how to use solderable perfboard. I want to create test
> boards for the PIC16F84A similar to the ones shown here:
>
> http://www.boondog.com/%5Ctutorials%5Cpic16F84%5Cpic16f84.html

Not a bad tutorial. But as per my usual I'll comment on the choice of the
16F84A as the target chip in a minute. On to your question.

>
> I'm using the Datak brand of perfboard with copper pads on the solder
> side. I'm using wires clipped and unwound from lengths of category 5e
> network cable. My question is, how do I solder a bus on the perfboard
> for the ground (earth) and another bus for +5v?

You get a board that has buses on them.

>
> Or is it better to use Datak "proto-board" -- I have 2 kinds which offer
> buses. The first is the No. 12-617 Experimenter's Protoboard and the

That's the ticket. BTW a board very similar to it is sold by the Radio Shack.
However they are flimsy and the copper lifts easily.
> second is the No. 12-611 Experimenter's Universal Protoboard with center
> buses.


> I also have a Velleman '1 Hole Island". I've held off using these
> because I'm not sure of the most effective way to use them. For example
> what would I do with the center buses?

Not sure. Boards on the order of the 12-617 do quite well.

Another possibility is using stripboard like this one:

http://www.themodhouse.co.uk/store/product_info.php?Your_Store_Name=64x95mm_Stripboard&products_id=142

You simply cut where you want connections to end.

Back to the 16F84A now. My 16F84 is obsolete page outlines my thesis that
newer parts are better to get started with:

http://www.finitesite.com/d3jsys/16F628.html

Right now I'm thinking that for the 18 pin package that the 16F88 is as good
as it gets. 4K memory, self programmable, A/D, CCP/PWM, comparators, multiple
timers, hardware USART, Syncronous Serial Port, 368 bytes of RAM, and nanowatt
technology (which can add up to an additional 3 I/O pins) puts a premium
power package in a price point that is cheaper than the 16F84A.

A perfect example comes on the tutorial outlined above. To quote under the
serial communications section:

"The PIC16F84 has no serial port but with some hardware and programming,
PIC-to-PC serial communication can be established."

The author then outlines how to bitbang serial as most of us know how to do.
However it busy waits, uses the sole 8 bit timer for the chip, and occupies
a whole bunch of code space to track serial. It's the old 16F84 way of doing
things.

With most modern PICs (excluding the 12F629/675 and the 16F818/819) a hardware
USART makes this all obsolete, and trivial to setup and track. Fr. McGahee's
PICUART code makes it simple (relatively) to get it going, so there's some
support.

But it illustrates the "simulate in software" attitude with almost everything
related to the 16F84. The newer chips have hardware to handle tasks like
Syncronous and Async serial, PWM, timing capture, A/D, and the like. And
trust me once you get beyond the most simple intro projects, each of these
tools have a place in your toolkit.

Just some additional information.

BAJ

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