Hi, I'd suggest to simply and obviously use the microchip free IDE - MPLAB and start out with assembly. PIC assembly mnemonics to me is intuitive and assembly is easier for beginners to understand. If you start out with a topic and get stuck/confused, read the same topic but elsewhere. I've found probably because there are so many things to it, all articles/books do not cover all minor details that matter to someone starting out. Hence frustration builds easily. With assembly you'll be more I'm touch with HW which is better of course. Since you have done C back in the day, you could try that too but I think only the student version is free. On Nov 23, 2012 9:35 AM, "lardconcepts" wrote: > Hello, I'm Jon, based in mid-Wales, interested in making products for > people > with visual impairments. > > Hope this post is acceptable and fits in with the "first post" criteria! > > This is going to be a bit long as I wanted to cover all the obvious > questions before they arise, give a rationale to some of my thinking, and > prove I've done my groundwork! If time is short, skip down to the tl;dr > section to get to the meat. > > I had a great training course recently at BCA in Birmingham with > Arduino-evangelist Garry Bulmer who was running an excellent one-day > course. > > I was so enthused I bought an Arduino Uno kit on the spot and was chuffed > when, two evenings later with nothing more than the Uno, 1 switch, 1 > resistor, 1 speaker and 3 bits of wire, I had the Uno saying "ready" and > then "button up" or "button down" depending on the state. > > Having never done MCU fiddling before, and my programming knowledge limit= ed > to PHP, I was quite pleased. Next project is to use a cheap Freeduino to > see > if I can make a light activated chicken-run door opener for under =A320. > > Things I want to do to start with to get going before the =93proper=94 st= uff.. > > > Make a kitchen countdown timer that rings a little handbell for a few > seconds. > Make a chicken door opener. Both for under =A310 each. > > Eventually I want to.... > > Build a data logger which will intercept and log the NIBE heat pump statu= s > and running time data from the external F2015 unit to the SMO 05 controll= er > which runs on a CAT5 cable (once I=92ve found out the data protocol!). > > Interface with the IR interface =93eye=94 of my electricity meter and log > hourly > readings of the actual energy usage (as opposed to the highly inaccurate > but > cheap clamp-the-wire monitors). > > Looks like I have some choices here: > > Arduino/Freeduino: Incredibly fast start - I had it speaking the words > =93ready=94, then =93button up=94 or =93button down=94 (depending on stat= e) using the > PCM library, loudspeaker and the Uno in under 4 hours of opening the box > and > 30 lines of code. But for each and every concurrent project, you need an > Arduino. > > The Picaxe - uses PicBasic and special pre-bootloaded PIC chips. The syst= em > is incredibly cheap and fast to get learning, allows the programmed chip = to > be taken out and used standalone in a breadboard, but at some point I=92m > going to need to expand beyond PICBasic. > > Even I could cope with these first two options. Mainly because each has o= ne > high-level simplified language to learn, and one simple all-in-on > IDE/compiler/programmer. > > Standalone PIC: Then there=92s the bog-standard =A32 PIC chip and super-c= heap > K150 programmer allowing the programmed chip to be taken out and used > standalone in a breadboard. > > So when a K150, cable, CD with hex flashing software and a couple of > PIC16F690 chips arrived yesterday morning, I was starting with a blank > sheet. I can write php and understand the basics of object oriented > languages, and did a little C at college, enough to get me started quicke= r > on the Arduino than if I=92d done none. But I also understand that Arduin= o=92s > =91Wiring=92 is an extremely simplified superset of C, so I=92m going to = have to > get more down and dirty for programming the K150 of course. Maybe assembl= er > one day, but for opening a chicken run door when it gets light, I=92m fai= rly > sure C will suffice to start! > > The problem I have is.... so many options! > > I hope I have proved to have done my homework with this 12 sheet > spreadsheet > with over 200 listings and links to different types of projects, referenc= e > and help sites etc. which can be found at http://bit.ly/Ue2nez. According > to > Chrome I looked at 118 related sites on the day I got the K150, and over > 330 > in the last 4 days. So I=92ve definitely done some groundwork! > > Yes, I know I should buy the PicKit3 and that somehow having bought the > K150 > makes me the spawn of > satan according to the replies other K150 owners have got on forums. One > day > I=92m sure I=92ll buy it, but right now I=92m just getting going as a hob= by. I=92ve > bought an official Arduino so I=92ve salved my soul that way! > > tl;dr - enough waffle, what=92s the question? > > As I understand it, as long as I can compile hex, I can program a PIC chi= p > with the K150 or pretty much any compatible programmer. > > Unless I=92m mistaken, I have the following choices: > > MPLAB X and PIKlab are both free IDEs compatible with most Microchips PIC > chips. > > Hi-Tech C Compiler, Sourceboost, Codeblocks and SDCC are all Microchips > compatible compilers, some free like SDCC, some free with limited > functionality, some only free for one specific chip. > > Then there=92s PicBasic Pro, =A399 for the full suite or =A330 for the st= udent > edition of the compiler alone. > Right now, =A399 is a fairly high amount for =93having a play=94 - anythi= ng to > recommend Picbasic over C? > > I=92ve also been watching some of the official and unofficial training vi= deos > for some of the above. > > At this point in time, my intention is not world domination or the next > RaspberryPI, it=92s to be able to blink an LED, maybe take keypad input, > maybe > even make a Charlieplexed LEDcube for Christmas. > > I=92m getting on in my years and am of limited brain and time; the obviou= s > thing would be to have the time to try all of the above and see which > suited > me. Not really practical. > > I need to pick one, learn it, and stick with it. Yes, Google has been my > friend, but a lot of the reviews of these IDEs and compilers refer to qui= t > old versions. I=92ve even found links to sites at Demon Internet and > Geocities > - 1994-1996 seems to be the peak bubble of activity for discussion on > burning your own PIC code. And a lot changes in 8 years. > > So my question would be: > If YOU were starting out now, what IDE and compiler would you choose, and > why? > > Thanks, and sorry this was such a long post! > > > > -- > View this message in context: > http://microcontrollers.2385.n7.nabble.com/PIC-What-IDE-and-compiler-shou= ld-a-PIC-programming-newb-choose-and-why-tp179254.html > Sent from the MicroControllers - PIC mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > > -- > 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 .