On Sat, Jun 05, 2004 at 04:37:07PM -0500, Matthew Shoemaker wrote:
> Hello, I was wondering if anyone could give me suggestions as to were to
> start learning about pics?  Any software to help, websites, anything?  I
> have not be working with electronics much, but am hoping to get back
> into it.  Because of this I also would like ideas of where to start in
> my journey back into the world of electronics.  Thanks!

Tough question. The problem isn't the fact there is little information on the
subject, in fact it's exactly the opposite. There's way too much information
for the average novice to swallow. So instead of pointing out some specific
resources (many of which I'm sure you'll get in replies to your query) let
me throw out some suggestions from one perspective - mine ;-)

1. There will be more than enough time to try to learn everything. So don't
   do that now. Instead focus on getting a handful of simple yet useful
   projects going.

2. Don't spend an arm and a leg on development tools. All of the software
   resources you need are freely downloadable, and depending on your
   electronics comfort level, there are a bunch of simple methods for
   programming PICs that you can use. My personal recommendation is to
   at least consider using a bootloader, as then no "programmer" at all
   is required. Most of my successful projects have been developed using
   Wouter van Ooijen's WLoader bootloader (http://www.voti.nl/wloader)
   for example.

3. The Microchip Reference Manuals and the Datasheets for your chip are
   absolutely required. You may not have to print the manual (it's over
   600 pages) but you'll want to have it handy due to the complete explanations
   and code examples for everything under the PIC sun.

4. Start with and use PIC assembler until you understand why you need to know
   it, and then consider why you may want to ditch it for something else.
   The key point here is that PIC assembly is the lingua franca language of
   PIC development. You have to know it simply to have an intelligent
   conversation about how something gets done. For example the above referenced
   code examples are all in PIC assembly.

5. Follow the measure it thrice, cut it once rule. Simulators are most
   excellent if ferreting out silly errors. So simulate what you need to do
   before committing it to a circuit.

6. This is the tough one, and I'll probably get some flak over it: whenever
   possible, use hardware resources to get things done. This is important to
   know because a lot of PIC resources are directed towards chips that lack
   hardware resources, specifically the 16F84. Limited timers, no hardware
   USART/I2C/SPI, no PWM/capture, no ADC or comparitors among other things.
   So a lot of tutorial material is geared towards software solutions to the
   lack of hardware resources. I firmly believe that this is a mistake for
   the hobby PIC user. Since there isn't an economy of scale issue (we need to
   save 4 cents on the Bill of Materials to enjoy a quarter million savings
   on the project yadda yadda...) use as many of the resources that are
   available to help. It's one reason I'm so high on the 16F88. It has
   absolutely everything a hobbyist would want in an 18 pin package including
   nanowatt features and self programmability. But since it cost more than
   the 16F648A or the 16F72 (in a 28 pin package) the professional BOM crowd
   shuns it. But it's perfect for hobby use, just add power!

7. Some encouragement: do it because it's fun to do. Build something whimsical
   or something useful to you.

BAJ (http://www.finitesite.com/d3jsys)

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