If time and money permits, try something new.  Expand yourself, have fun and 
enjoy.

Bill

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Denny Esterline" <firmware@tds.net>
To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." <piclist@mit.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 1:17 AM
Subject: [PIC:] How much can a PIC do?


> I've done more than a couple PIC projects but this one's upped the ante 
> and
> I'm trying to decide if I should throw a whole handful of PICs at it or
> should I move on to something else. I think your considered opinions might
> be some use here so...
>
> This is a testbed application for a local engineering college to study 
> some
> aspect of vehicle dynamics, I'm under NDA for most of the details, but
> here's the broad strokes:
> It will be on the car, mostly in the engine compartment (electrical noise
> and mass issues)
> Primary task is to run a PID loop between a linear encoder and a brushless
> motor ~10mS update rate
> Monitor several sensors and perform an unspecified (complicated, possibly
> floating point) algorithm to control the position of the motor
> Sensors include at least one remote node (probably CAN), 3x ADC, 2x timers
> and an accelerometer (probably an Analog ADXL...)
> Filter and log the data (~40 bytes @ 20Hz for minimum 10 minutes)
> Allow non-electronics types to retrieve the data and modify the algorithm 
> in
> the field (I'm thinking USB or SD memory card)
>
> Now I've done most of this before with PICs, but never all at the same 
> time.
> I'm thinking that I could segment the project and have a separate PIC 
> manage
> each task. Something like a PIC18FXX31 with it's quadrature encoder and
> motor control hardware could easily handle the servo, another PIC to 
> monitor
> the sensors, one more to process the algorithm. Put them all on some type 
> of
> bus and add another to just sniff the bus and log the relevant data.
>
> Sure, it's a plan - but is it a good plan?
>
> There's obviously other options, even in the MChip family, a DSPIC or one 
> of
> the new PIC24s. Or I could just move on to something else ARM7, ARM9,
> Freescale 56F8xxx, FPGA with soft core(s), PC104 SBC, etc, etc.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> -Denny
>
> -- 
> http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
> View/change your membership options at
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist 

-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist