Suitable for a College project?

[Archangel]

Hi Matt,
here is Bruce's website, he is an authorized distributor of PIC Basic PBC, and PIC Basic PRO PBP, which are the 2 compilers supported on this forum.

http://www.rentron.com/

[monkeyhead]

Are the programmers any cheaper?
Or is the other only other operation to build or buy a jdm?

[mackrackit]

PICKIT2 from MICROCHIP is around $40 or $50. That and PBP--all set.

[mackrackit]

Forgot to mention that MICROCHIP will give out samples (three at a time I think ) and National Semiconductor also has samples, (voltage regulators, LM34, etc) You can get resistors, capacitors, and resonators cheap from surplus stores like allelectronics.com.

You may want to try to start with a mix of 16F676, 16F684 both have internal oscillators and for something a bit bigger a 16F877A (needs external OSC). The 18s are a bit "cranky" to start with but you will soon work you way up.

[Bruce]

MeLabs released a new demo version with support for several more PIC series.

Demo version PIC MCU support:

12F683, 16F627(A), 16F628(A), 16F688, 16F690, 16F84(A), 16F870, 16F871,
16F872, 16F873(A), 16F874(A), 16F876(A), 16F877(A): Supported.

http://www.microengineeringlabs.com/...s/PBPDEMO3.EXE

You might be surprised at what you can do with even the demo.

We have a few simple robotics projects in our Micro-Bot projects section that
were done with the demo version http://www.rentron.com/Micro-Bot/index.htm

Build or buy yourself a decent programmer that can handle controllers supported
by the demo version, and you're off to the races. A good solid device programmer
is worth its weight in gold. You'll see what I mean once you get started.

Nothing beats getting the full paid version at some point, but you can get a small
robot up & kicking around the house with the free PBP demo.

Last week we sold 2 complete development packages to a college student that made
the cash in his spare time, selling gadgets he made with the demo, to pay for
everything.

[Archangel]

Last week we sold 2 complete development packages to a college student that made
the cash in his spare time, selling gadgets he made with the demo, to pay for
everything.

Very cool, Bruce !

[RussMartin]

Forgot to mention that MICROCHIP will give out samples (three at a time I think ) and National Semiconductor also has samples, (voltage regulators, LM34, etc) You can get resistors, capacitors, and resonators cheap from surplus stores like allelectronics.com.

Fairchild also has a generous sample program.