This sounds like the answer is the same as I asked when I said "what tools and stock parts will I need to set up a shop?"

There are two ways to approach this:

1. The measured, sane, and slow way:  Whenever you do a project, buy about 10 times as many parts as you think you need, especially if they are really cheap. You can't buy one resistor, you can buy 10 for 10 cents each, or 200 for $2.00.   Soon, you will realize you have a great stock of parts that precisely fit the types of projects you are doing.  Organize these parts in the most organized way you can - so that you can always find them.  

2. The fun way:  Blow about $300 at Mouser on their engineer's kits for leaded ceramic capacitors, stock 1/8 watt leaded resistors, stock leaded radial electrylytic capacitors, and a half dozen PICs.  

I try to keep the following items in stock at all times:

Regulators:  5 volt T0-92 and TO-220 LM7805's
Resistors:  1K 10K 100K 1/8 watt
Caps  .1 uF ceramic, .01 uF ceramic, 22 uF 35V electrolytic, 100 uF electrolytic
PICs - 16F877's, or as Olin suggested, skip the 16F generation and move into 18F's
Proto boards - Microengineering labs proto board for whatever PIC you are using (melbas.com)

Tools:
A scope is required.  Any scope is better than no scope, and scopes expand to fill the budget available.  If you have $50 you can get an old surplus analog scope from the 1960's that still works good. If you have $5000, you can get a nice new HP megazoom digital with 18 channels. 

Decent soldering iron - skip Radio shack and plan to spend at least $50
All kinds of tiny screwdrivers, needlenose pliers, tweezers, hemostats, and so on.  You will never stop buying these, so get a few now, a few later as the need arises. 

A decent voltmeter.  Plan to spend at least $50.

A variable power supply.  I usually build my own, you can spend as little or as much as you like on this. 


-- Lawrence Lile, P.E.
Electrical and Electronic Solutions
Project Solutions Companies
www.projsolco.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Olin Lathrop [mailto:olin_piclist@embedinc.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 6:25 AM
> To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
> Subject: Re: [PIC:] New to Pics and PICList...Advice Please
> 
> Chris Bond wrote:
> > Hi. I am new to this list. I am experienced with assembly and using
> > chips such as the 8085 and Motorola 68000 and a recent graduate of
> > electronic engineering. I have been reading my butt off on the topic
> > of PICS and have a programmer and MPLAB and software for simulation.
> > My question is this: For the wide range of PICmicro's I might work
> > with, what would anyone suggest for a good component and tool base to
> > begin working with (crystals, caps..and such.)
> 

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