A REALLY accurate clock.

[Charles Linquis]

PBP does not support LONGs in 16F chips.

[sougata]

Hi Everybody,

Couldn't resist commenting. Microchip is actually trying to bridge the gap between the 18Fs and 16Fs with the inclusion of features already in the 18Fs.

I believe with the acquisition of Hi-Tech they would finally settle down the 8 bit tool chain into the Hi-Tech compiler stable. So need for a C optimized chip is obvious and thus the grown up 16Fs (enhanced mid range).

Since I started up with the 18Fs I always prefer them cause you got plenty of headroom to blow up your application into the next level. Interestingly the new exciting features are not available on the 18s or very limited, seems 16Fs would not stand the competition with the 18Fs.

Here are some interesting features introduced on the new 16Fs

1. CWG (Complementary Waveform Generator)
2. NCO (Numerically Controlled Oscillator)
3. CLC (Configurable Logic Cell)
4. DSM (Data Signal Modulator)
5. SetReset Latch
6. Comparator with Hysteresis
7. Fixed Voltage Reference 1.024/4.096
8. 5 Bit DAC
9. Multiple number Enhanced PWM with some features like PWM steering.

Charles, I am seriously thinking of using the 16Fs as a co-processor and still fiddling around the idea of developing the co-processor in C (better support perhaps with the newer libraries like mTouch) with SPI connectivity doing specific hardware tasks relieving the main processor (obviously an 18F) to do more. Think of the possibilities.

[Charles Linquis]

Those new features in the 16Fs are certainly neat!

And regarding your idea:I could use a good floating point co-processor! I think you could do other neat things as well.


I have done something similar for my own use. I always use all the pins on the processor, I guess I keep adding peripherals until all the pins are used. In any case, someone always wanted something else - something that my circuit didn't have.

I needed an "intelligent peripheral" that would do all sorts of different things, so I started with an 8F2321's (in I2C mode). I defined a command set that will take a '2321 and let you configure virtually anything 'on the fly'. It allows you to:

Set up all the TRIS registers
Write to any pin
Read any pin
Set up any A/D channels
Read pins (as analog or digital) once, or continuously (in a continuous loop).
Polls all digital pins on a timer interrupt (1 or 5ms rate)
Latches INT0 (It captures the transition so I don't miss it)
Can become an I2C master on certain events (INT0, for example), so that the other PIC can respond almost immediately.

This '2321 then becomes a part of a new board layout. I add the peripherals (level shifters, voltage dividers, thermocouple amps, etc) and connect it to the main '8723 with 4 wires (SDA,SCL,Vdd and GND). The '2321 is always programmed with the same code and the main PIC configures it on power
up. The '2321 has a default configuration (also modifiable) that it loads from EEPROM on startup.

This arrangement works well for me - especially since I can (field) bootload the main chip (8723), but not the peripheral ('2321), so having a part that I can
- under command, change the way it works has been invaluable. I have added features simply by telling the customer to add a wire to a pin on the board and
then emailing him the hex file that processes it.

I can't sell my part. But I think there is a need for something similar (with even more features). Do it!

[sougata]

Hi,

Still can't ignore the sub-dollar pricing (10K) for the newer 16F parts !!!!