PIC rules, ARM drools

Posted by Jim Pruett on Sep 24 2007 under   

The PIC is a wonderful processor. You can build a PCB around it in a weekend. I use the PIC16F877a and buy development kits from modtronix.com for $85 complete with compiler!

ARM tools cost thousands of dollars to get started. There is a fee gnu compiler from SDCC, but it isn't ready yet. IMHO, free tools are never worth a hoot. There must be money somewhere, or it just won't make sense.

So send me PIC ideas. I love that thing. Six dollars in qty=1 from digikey, delivered in a week. Try that with an ARM!

PIC-on,

jim

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posted by Jim Pruett
Jim Pruett has designed consumer electronics that all have one common theme, they are patentable. Every processor from DSPs to the PIC to the Starcore. Every language from Python to uClinux. He started out where every EE starts out, at Motorola, then gradually through failures including readynote.com, he emerged as an inventor. After a six year stink in LA, Jim ended up in Memphis, TN with his wife and toys.

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The GNU-GCC compiler tool set for ARM is free. I can program NXP-LPC2xxx ARM processors using just a serial wire and free software.

Arm tools from IAR plus demo board for the AT91SAM7S is only about 300 dollar.
With the kikstartversion you kan make 32K code, wicht is quite a lot.
PCB's with ARM and USB connector are available from 35 dollar at www.olimex.com.
This ARM is about 5 times faster as the 18F4550 and has way more memory. The chip prices are about equal.

Regards,
Bert

Hi SG,
You are correct in your assessment. You do not really need ARM to do simpler tasks.
Another fact which I should point out is that ARM is a fab-less semiconductor company. They do not manufacture (or sell) any ICs. They sell their RTL code (as a software) to different vendors - who either manufacture the ARM as such or add it to their on SoC. So, though low performance ARM processors (e.g. ARM7) may not suit the final application designers, but these are of great use for the companies who manufacture SoCs. I have worked on a number of Multi-processor Multi-media platforms, with DSP and ARM combination. For the chip manufactures (like TI or ST), ARM7 is an easy choice as they can straightaway use the RTL available from ARM. Using a PIC (or any such) here will be impossible. And the RTL cost is not high (it is much less than a dollar). Probably the manufactures (again not ARM) who develop and sell ARM7 evaluation boards try to make some extra money, but ARM7 as such has its own market (which is quite low margin).

It truly depends on the specie of ARM ( 9, 7TDMI, Cortex-M3) and the manufacturer we are discussing. The ARM9 provides 400MHz and a MMU. They are very useful for higher end application. The counter point is, of course, the supporting hardware can be very costly. The ARM7 fall in the sub 100MHz and no MMU. Everyone and their brother are making these things with little differences and your tools don’t easily move between a SAM7 and LPC2000. As for the Cortex-M3, they are essentially 16 bits (Thumb instruction only) with some 32Bit registers. This is an interesting back step on the part of ARM to improve code density.

The PIC24 and dsPIC are better compared to the MSP430 and 56F8000 devices. The PIC24 has the advantage in price vs. memory over the MSP430. MSP430 is still champ in regards to low power. In the dsPIC vs 56F8000, tools rule the day. The PIC24/dsPIC compiler full optimizing version will set you back ~$900. Where as, the 56F8000 compiler is about $4000. Hmmm… I think may PIC win here.

As for ARM vs PIC, if all you need a Smart Car why drive an SUV?

Thanks kunalbangalore.

I tried the ARM. It is bigger if you need bigger. It is faster if you need faster. I indeed did not compare apples to apples, rather chocolate to sex, both are good!

Hi Jim,
It is great to know that PIC is such a cheaper option. You may be right that PIC rules. But I do not agree much with "ARM Drools".
It is not right to compare the cost (either chip cost or development tools cost) of ARM with PIC, because as per my understanding ARM and PIC are way apart. Can PIC be clocked at 400 MHz for a high performance application? Does PIC provide MMU Support? List can go on.
.....