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A while back there was a discussion on the best way to get started with PICs. The development board from http://www.futurlec.com/PICDevBoard.html was mentioned so I bought one. This is a great board! It has: 1) RS232 brought out to a 4 pin header 2) Sockets to add RS422 and RS485 drivers for networked boards 3) Socket for DS1307 Real Time Clock and a socket for a backup battery. 4) Socket for 24xx serial EEPROM 5) 14 pin header for LCD with pot to adjust contrast 6) 34 pin header with most of the important ports 7) 10 pin header for Low Voltage Programming - software and examples included Ready to go - $27. Cheap! I changed the crystal from 4 MHz to 20 MHz because more speed is always better! I also loaded Ric Farmer's PICLoader into the upper 2k so I can download programs to the lower 6k via the serial port. Follow the MiniSumo Mark III links at www.junun.org for the PICLoader and the BotLoader (the part that runs on the PC). To use the PICLoader as delivered you must run 20 MHz! You will need a wall wort (I used 9V 300 mA) and an adapter (L) from Radio Shack. |
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PIC 16F877 Development Board
Started by ●June 16, 2003
Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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Please alow me to comment a few aspects of this board functionality, as you have described and I have seen: On Tue, 17 Jun 2003, rtstofer wrote: > > A while back there was a discussion on the best way to get started > with PICs. The development board from > http://www.futurlec.com/PICDevBoard.html was mentioned so I bought > one. > > This is a great board! not entirely for me, see below why It has: > 1) RS232 brought out to a 4 pin header a very usefull interface. Can be done with one bipolar transistor, three resistors, one diode and one capacitor, also with a mosfet and less resistors. Or like there with a MAX232... and a bunch of (4) capacitors. > 2) Sockets to add RS422 and RS485 drivers for networked boards usefull indeed, 75176 is the cheapest one, for experiments and indoor usage, or outdoor with suplementary devices for ESD protection > 3) Socket for DS1307 Real Time Clock and a socket for a backup > battery. for a smart PIC designer this is unusefull. TMR0 is enough for a very accurate RTC. Also TMR1 with external 32768 quartz. > 4) Socket for 24xx serial EEPROM good thing, up to 24512, 64 bytes eeprom memory, maybe one socket is not enough if a datalogger is growing up from the board > 5) 14 pin header for LCD with pot to adjust contrast nice, both 4 bit and 8 bit mode allowed, not enough for serial LCD projects > 6) 34 pin header with most of the important ports unusefull thing, a largest protoboard area was much better, also using a 877 in tssop package to minimize the ocuppied board space > 7) 10 pin header for Low Voltage Programming - software and examples > included LVP needs a smallest header, however if LVP why not HVP also ? Software examples are very usefull for any beginner. > > Ready to go - $27. Cheap! indeed, and with my free observations might be less than $ 20 best regards, Vasile > > I changed the crystal from 4 MHz to 20 MHz because more speed is > always better! > > I also loaded Ric Farmer's PICLoader into the upper 2k so I can > download programs to the lower 6k via the serial port. Follow the > MiniSumo Mark III links at www.junun.org for the PICLoader and the > BotLoader (the part that runs on the PC). To use the PICLoader as > delivered you must run 20 MHz! > > You will need a wall wort (I used 9V 300 mA) and an adapter (L) from > Radio Shack. > > > to unsubscribe, go to http://www.yahoogroups.com and follow the instructions > > ">http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ |
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Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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Mr. Surducan, you cut his wings from one shoot. The man is so entusiastic about his aquisition and now you dissapointed him. OK, i agree with you, but must tell the man the whole story. So, rstofer, what Mr. Surducan wants to say, is when you want to became a PIC developer it includes that you must make your own developement board. It's perhaps a waste of time, let's say for $27, BUT when you build it with your hands, believe me, you learn many things about PIC accesories. That is true in case you are not already an electronist designer. Because a PIC alone can't do much things. I made my own developement board, and I put on it only the accesories i wanted to. So, like Mr. Surducan said, it's not a big deal if a producer make its own advertising for his board, with so many features. That's nothing, because you can add it yourself, for a smaller price. Maybe a developement board for a PIC will be interesting, let's say if it offers Ethernet interface or something like this. So, don't hesitate to make your own searches, don't stay on the level of high languages for PIC and all-in-one solutions: most of the work is done by somebody else, and it is hidden from the user perspective. You may find yourself programming , but without any relation with PIC or microcontrollers.... |
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Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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It wasn't my intention to dissapoint anyone, sorry if my message was perceived in that way. I just pointing at some aspects at which, the board creator doesn't think enough. 27$ for such an equiped and ready to go board is indeed a small price. But also it could be cheapest and maybe better. A simple eurocard protoboard (100x160mm) is less than 2 euro (say about 1.5$). Prototyping on it, required a lot of time. But it let to designer a flexibility which the board we talking about haven't. If we count the cable to connect the board with own application, and the application itself, another 20$ fly away from the user's pocket. Not talking about other problems like noises for AD aquisition and long distance signal transmission. ( see IDE cable) That's why any prototyping board must have a prototyping space at least the equal space used by own components. That's my opinion and, of course could be a wrong one. best to all, Vasile On Tue, 17 Jun 2003, ydexter wrote: > Mr. Surducan, you cut his wings from one shoot. The man is so > entusiastic about his aquisition and now you dissapointed him. > > OK, i agree with you, but must tell the man the whole story. > So, rstofer, what Mr. Surducan wants to say, is when you want to > became a PIC developer it includes that you must make your own > developement board. It's perhaps a waste of time, let's say for $27, > BUT when you build it with your hands, believe me, you learn many > things about PIC accesories. That is true in case you are not already > an electronist designer. Because a PIC alone can't do much things. > > I made my own developement board, and I put on it only the accesories > i wanted to. So, like Mr. Surducan said, it's not a big deal if a > producer make its own advertising for his board, with so many > features. That's nothing, because you can add it yourself, for a > smaller price. Maybe a developement board for a PIC will be > interesting, let's say if it offers Ethernet interface or something > like this. > > So, don't hesitate to make your own searches, don't stay on the level > of high languages for PIC and all-in-one solutions: most of the work > is done by somebody else, and it is hidden from the user perspective. > You may find yourself programming , but without any relation with PIC > or microcontrollers.... > > > to unsubscribe, go to http://www.yahoogroups.com and follow the instructions > > ">http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ |
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Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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You are right. That board is not flexible at all. I have schematics builded on eurocard and they are working fine. It's good to have the posibility to rebuild and to change. --- In , Vasile Surducan <vasile@s...> wrote: > It wasn't my intention to dissapoint anyone, sorry if my message was > perceived in that way. I just pointing at some aspects at which, the > board creator doesn't think enough. 27$ for such an equiped and ready to > go board is indeed a small price. But also it could be cheapest and maybe > better. A simple eurocard protoboard (100x160mm) is less than 2 euro (say > about 1.5$). Prototyping on it, required a lot of time. But it let to > designer a flexibility which the board we talking about haven't. > If we count the cable to connect the board with own application, and the > application itself, another 20$ fly away from the user's pocket. > Not talking about other problems like noises for AD aquisition and long > distance signal transmission. ( see IDE cable) > That's why any prototyping board must have a prototyping space at least > the equal space used by own components. > That's my opinion and, of course could be a wrong one. > > best to all, > Vasile > On Tue, 17 Jun 2003, ydexter wrote: > > > Mr. Surducan, you cut his wings from one shoot. The man is so > > entusiastic about his aquisition and now you dissapointed him. > > > > OK, i agree with you, but must tell the man the whole story. > > So, rstofer, what Mr. Surducan wants to say, is when you want to > > became a PIC developer it includes that you must make your own > > developement board. It's perhaps a waste of time, let's say for $27, > > BUT when you build it with your hands, believe me, you learn many > > things about PIC accesories. That is true in case you are not already > > an electronist designer. Because a PIC alone can't do much things. > > > > I made my own developement board, and I put on it only the accesories > > i wanted to. So, like Mr. Surducan said, it's not a big deal if a > > producer make its own advertising for his board, with so many > > features. That's nothing, because you can add it yourself, for a > > smaller price. Maybe a developement board for a PIC will be > > interesting, let's say if it offers Ethernet interface or something > > like this. > > > > So, don't hesitate to make your own searches, don't stay on the level > > of high languages for PIC and all-in-one solutions: most of the work > > is done by somebody else, and it is hidden from the user perspective. > > You may find yourself programming , but without any relation with PIC > > or microcontrollers.... > > > > > > > > > > to unsubscribe, go to http://www.yahoogroups.com and follow the instructions > > > > ">http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > |
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Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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Hey guys! Lighten up! This is something to play with not something to use. Many people ask the same question over and over on this list - "How do I get started?". Nobody asks "How do I control the universe with 1 chip?" The people that want to do that don't need to ask questions! So, once a person gets started, from ground zero, they can move onward and upward. It's just a place to start. Something to play with. And like most of these things it will go in my junk box. But this is certainly a good answer to "How do I get started?". The point is this: can you find another example of a fully built development board, ready to accept code, ready to talk to a PC, KNOWN TO WORK, no soldering required, with ICSP (albeit LVP) for $27? If so, let's hear about it and I'll try one of those as well. Gentlemen, this is a game! --- In , "ydexter" <ydexter@y...> wrote: > You are right. That board is not flexible at all. I have schematics > builded on eurocard and they are working fine. It's good to have the > posibility to rebuild and to change. > --- In , Vasile Surducan <vasile@s...> wrote: > > > > > > > > It wasn't my intention to dissapoint anyone, sorry if my message was > > perceived in that way. I just pointing at some aspects at which, the > > board creator doesn't think enough. 27$ for such an equiped and ready to > > go board is indeed a small price. But also it could be cheapest and > maybe > > better. A simple eurocard protoboard (100x160mm) is less than 2 euro > (say > > about 1.5$). Prototyping on it, required a lot of time. But it let to > > designer a flexibility which the board we talking about haven't. > > If we count the cable to connect the board with own application, and the > > application itself, another 20$ fly away from the user's pocket. > > Not talking about other problems like noises for AD aquisition and long > > distance signal transmission. ( see IDE cable) > > That's why any prototyping board must have a prototyping space at least > > the equal space used by own components. > > That's my opinion and, of course could be a wrong one. > > > > best to all, > > Vasile > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, 17 Jun 2003, ydexter wrote: > > > > > Mr. Surducan, you cut his wings from one shoot. The man is so > > > entusiastic about his aquisition and now you dissapointed him. > > > > > > OK, i agree with you, but must tell the man the whole story. > > > So, rstofer, what Mr. Surducan wants to say, is when you want to > > > became a PIC developer it includes that you must make your own > > > developement board. It's perhaps a waste of time, let's say for $27, > > > BUT when you build it with your hands, believe me, you learn many > > > things about PIC accesories. That is true in case you are not already > > > an electronist designer. Because a PIC alone can't do much things. > > > > > > I made my own developement board, and I put on it only the accesories > > > i wanted to. So, like Mr. Surducan said, it's not a big deal if a > > > producer make its own advertising for his board, with so many > > > features. That's nothing, because you can add it yourself, for a > > > smaller price. Maybe a developement board for a PIC will be > > > interesting, let's say if it offers Ethernet interface or something > > > like this. > > > > > > So, don't hesitate to make your own searches, don't stay on the level > > > of high languages for PIC and all-in-one solutions: most of the work > > > is done by somebody else, and it is hidden from the user perspective. > > > You may find yourself programming , but without any relation with PIC > > > or microcontrollers.... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > to unsubscribe, go to http://www.yahoogroups.com and follow the > instructions > > > > > > ">http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > |
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Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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--- In , "rtstofer" <rstofer@p...> wrote: > The point is this: can you find another example of a fully built > development board, ready to accept code, ready to talk to a PC, KNOWN > TO WORK, no soldering required, with ICSP (albeit LVP) for $27? If > so, let's hear about it and I'll try one of those as well. Why do you need PIC anyway? |
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Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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For rstofen: Excellent response. Seems like no matter what someone comes up with, someone else always has a reason why it won't work or that there is something better. I'm with you! Sid Weaver W4EKQ Port Richey, FL |
Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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well, this is all very nice and handy except I don't think you
really get to the bottom of what PIC's are all about very quickly with this board . . . if you just want to program something and have it work right out of the box, then indeed this is a great deal at $27USD complete with a PIC and cable. But if you want to know what makes them tick, along with a circuit that you understand, I think you need a breadboard or such and make some mistakes. For instance, say you get the RTC, then what? Plug it in, download someone else's code, and watch it run? Again, it looks good for someone starting out with little electronics background, or maybe a classroom environment. Regards, John. --- ydexter <> wrote: > --- In , "rtstofer" <rstofer@p...> wrote: > > > The point is this: can you find another example of a fully built > > development board, ready to accept code, ready to talk to a PC, > KNOWN > > TO WORK, no soldering required, with ICSP (albeit LVP) for $27? If > > so, let's hear about it and I'll try one of those as well. > Why do you need PIC anyway? __________________________________ |
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Reply by ●June 17, 20032003-06-17
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I think rtstofer had a good idea when he mentioned this product. It
seems like a good portion of the new-to-pic people who are looking for something
on this list need a project done in the next week or two.. I'd probabaly go
with the pre-built development board if I had something urgent as well.. (I did
buy a pre-built one for features, but I orginally built my own)..
Charles
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