Developement board

[DaveC3]

I would suggest the 18F4550. It can be programmed via MicroChip's free USB Boot-loader (after the boot-loader hex code is loaded). After that it has plenty of inputs and outputs, all the special functions like I2C, Serial, 13 A/D etc.

The student's applications can be from a very simple blink program to almost any other application you can think of. Being a USB device it can also be used fro PC to PIC communications, joysticks, game controllers, special USB keyboards, displays etc.

The USB Boot-loader makes it easy and fast to test code.

Thanks

Dave

[mister_e]

Of course not the F877(a) as it's almost obsolete anyways. I would suggest the 16F887 or PIC18F4520... but that doesn't cover the USB. So go for the 18F2550 or 18F4550. As long as you can deal with the fact that the dedicated USB pins can't be used as standard i/o (mostly only as Input), then you should be able to cover almost everything you have on your current list...except the USB slave... where you need an interface in between OR go for a bigger PIC with USB OTG... but it won't work with PBP... nothing is perfect

PICKIT2 will be perfect... and now it has the Logic Analyser utility, that could be handy.

A bit pointless to go for the Bootloader... at least student won't learn how to set config fuses and how to program them in-circuit and how to design something for ICSP support. Pickit2 is a fast programmer, sure it's faster than most Bootloader.

Is there a board with everything in your list? Probably not 100%. Have a look at MikroElektronika EasyPic 5... and their expansion modules. And probably that one...
http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=8817

You could still design your own 'main board' on which you just plug some plug-in modules.

HTH

[PJALM]

Thanks Mister_E

The whole point of the class is to learn PCB fabrication and layout so designing their own board is what we intend to do. the 18F4520 is nice but small. I was thinking something around the 80 to 100 pin count. Probably whatever the biggest one the PicBasic supports if not then we may just use mikroBasic instead. All those pre made boards are nice but doesn't help them learn the whole PCB fabrication process. The board they make is most likely going to be 4 to 8 layers so i want to stuff it with as much as we can.

[mister_e]

Well you could go for the 18F97J60. This is the biggest PBP can support, and i think it's the bigest 18F of Microchip 'till now.

I'm waiting for few samples of it. BIG PIC indeed, small pins though, maybe not that easy to solder.

18F8722 is still 'interesting' for a 80 pins, but not that much features.

[PJALM]

Thanks again

That PIC sounds perfect for what we want. Soldering that part shouldn't be a problem for we have the latest in SMD soldering equipment.