Is this the correct PIC?

[The Master]

Hi. Ive been trying to use the Microchip PIC search page to find a PIC that best suits my project. After entering some search criteria it came up with PIC16F526. Is this really the best match for my project? I thought i best check before i go ordering parts.

The project needs:-
6 outputs to other chips.
1 output to an LED
3 switch inputs
Serial in/out 9600,n,8,1 (using serin/serout and not the hardware UART)

It appears that i can use an internal MCLR and oscillator so i would have enough pins to do what i want. Can someone just check it to make sure its right please. It probably isnt

[mister_e]

Hi,
i've never been a real fan of the internal osc for serial communication, but some use it without problem. So yes the PIC you have selected seems right.

PIC16F676, PIC16F684, PIC16F88, PIC16F819, PIC16F690, PIC18F1320 are some other popular model.

9600 baud @4MHz may work, i would suggest you to use DEBUG/DEBUGIN instead of SERIN.

[The Master]

9600 baud has always worked on a 4MHz *external* osc for me before. I think that means 4MHz is enough but it might be a different story with the internal one.

How did you get that list of PICs? when i searched for what i wanted it only found that 1 result. I only specified a few search items too.

I wont ask why i should use DEBUGIN because im sure the manual covers it. It has arrived but ive not had chance to read it yet (i will do before i have to program something again). It came with a CD too I was expecting a floppy disk

[mister_e]

Those PIC are few of those i have in stock.

I was expecting a floppy disk

problem is that there's not a load of people who still have or use it. Most, see all, new computer no longer ship with it.

My first PBP disk was on floppy though... when i was young

[paul borgmeier]

>>Ive been trying to use the Microchip PIC search page to find a PIC that best suits my project

Have your tried the search tool at the MELABS website? I think it works just great -

http://melabs.picbasic.com/Scripts/perl/picsearch.pl

[The Master]

mister_e, I do still have computers with floppy drives in but im no sure if any of them work. I was worried i would put it in and the drive would damage it (its happened before). But now in a strange turn of events all my CD rom drives seem to have stopped working. 1 of them took a disk off me yesterday and wouldnt open until i jammed a paperclip in that little hole.

paul borgmeier, I haddnt but at first glance it looks a lot easier to use and has been added to my favs. Thanx

Edit: Just a thought. Is there somewhere i can get a full list of PICs that can easily be imported into MySQL? Im quite good with SQL queries so that would make finding chips even easier

[Archangel]

But now in a strange turn of events all my CD rom drives seem to have stopped working. 1 of them took a disk off me yesterday and wouldnt open until i jammed a paperclip in that little hole.

Hello T.M.,
Win95 & up . . . open up the device manager and remove the offending drive, reboot and let it find and set it up again. ALSO many times CD R and CDRW will do that (get stuck) I think the drive is looking for something it never finds.

[The Master]

Thanx for the advice but the drive has fixed itself :S. It must have just been that CD that it didnt like (not PBP). To be honest, the PC is quite old. The CD drive is a bit newer but it could be better. Im planning to replace the whole PC with something really good as soon as i can afford it. As for the other PC im not sure. Its a fairly decent one but the CD drive just didnt like that CD. It must be the CD since im sure both drives normally work fine.

[Archangel]

Some CDs are just that way, only good for hanging in your backyard fruit trees to scare off the birds