Todd Lyons wrote:
> Hello all, I'm a linux sysadmin, but originally an EE by education.

So what went wrong?  ;-)

> 1. From what I can tell, to use c as the programming language, I have
> to be using a PIC18 or higher, and with PIC16 or lower, I must use
> assembly.  Yea or nay?

No exactly, but unless you are footprint limited (and it doesn't sound that
way), think of PIC 16 as being for high volume products where the lower
price matters.  For a one off, it doesn't matter whether the PIC costs $2 o=
r
$5.  For really small volumes you can get free samples anyway.

So just stick to a PIC 18.  There is plenty of support for those.

> 2. In my project, I will need a display of some sort, a relay output,
> a few buttons, a remote temp sensor, and maybe a pot (or could use
> buttons to move target temp up/down).

Sounds pretty straight forward.  Note that Microchip also makes temperature
sensors.

> I don't have the means to
> design and build my own board,

It may be easier than you think.

> but when you make a project, do you
> typically use some prefab board?

Often we get a custom board made.  It's only $109 for 100 square inches
worth of PC board with two layers, plated thru holes, soldermask on both
sides, and silkscreen on top.  For us, that $109 wouldn't go very far doing
it on perfboard by hand, and then you don't get something nearly as nice.

For truly one offs, we created our ReadyBoards
(http://www.embedinc.com/products).  These have the basic infrastructure
around the PIC including power supply with flexible input power options,
RS-232 converter, MCLR drive, RB4-RB7 pushbuttons, and debug LEDs that
indicate both high and low state.  Then there is a large breadboard area fo=
r
adding custom circuitry.  This is a lot nicer than perf board because it ha=
s
plated thru holes connected in strips, power and ground busses, and a
complete ground plane.

> 3. I'm interested in using piklab and gpasm/gplink under Linux, but am
> willing to use the MPLAB IDE if I have to.

I hear of people using freeware tools on Linux, but MPLAB is still The Way
to develop PIC code.

> 4. Book recommendations are welcome.

If you already have a decent understanding of electronics and what
microcontrollers are, then third party books are a waste of time.  Get a
handful of 18F2620 and READ THE DATASHEET.  It's all in there, and it's
quite well written too.

> Part of my personality is that I'm impatient.

Get over it or find something else to do.  If you don't spend the time to
sit down and learn things properly now, you'll waste a lot more time before
long.  If you continually persue instant gratification, you won't get
anywhere and you'll suck at what you do get to.

When it comes to engineering, the one marshmallow now people need not apply=
..


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