What's the difference between PIC, Atmel and AVR?

[mr_byte31]

hi every body i am new learner in microcontroller i learned to use 16f84
and it was very easy a lot of my friend use atmel , avr and send it is better and i want to ask what is the different between them????

 

[7rots51]

Re: is it good

Atmel 8 bit AVR micro is the best microcontroller for us.You should start with AVR,forget old PIC.

 

[Gomez]

Re: is it good

The 16f84 has a very old structure. Forget this. AVR is a bit better, but on both you has the problem that you need an ICD, which is mostly to expensive for a learner.

I work with controller for 10 years (my first was 68HC11) and on work we have 12.000$ emulators for H8/3068. I've learned that you need an emulator when you want be efficient and understand what the controller makes. Otherwise you sit so many hours with your controller and search for some simply errors.

I would say the 68HC11 is better than PIC and AVR for learner then for the 68HC11 you can get a monitor and debug your program (pcbug) with a computer. But the 68HC11 isn't state of the art and you can get controller, which are better. Learner shouldn't take the cheapest and smallest controller. Learner should take the biggest controller with the most features. So you can test all special parts and you has no problems with small ram, bank switching and so on.

For my private projects I take only the M16C. Certainly it cost 10$ more than a PIC
but you get a C compiler and a software debugger for nothing. This controller has two address match interrupts for breakpoints and you can step through your program and read out your variables and ram and so on. For 10$ more can you keep more time for learning and it makes more fun to learn. With 256k flash and 20k ram can you make a lot of thinks. For instance the rtos µCosII runs very fine on this controller and you can learn a lot about rtos.

Gomez

 

[atferrari]

Re: is it good

Atmel 8 bit AVR micro is the best microcontroller for us.You should start with AVR,forget old PIC.

Who is "us" :?:

What about new PIC :?: Or PICs :?:

Didn't check lately, but SOME development tools, including Microchip's MPLAB cost little if any money at all, I should say...

 

[sarang1_in]

Re: is it good

I will suggest you to start with 89C51. You can try 89C2051 small micro (20 Pin)
here you will get a good platform to start with.
**broken link removed**

Regards
Sarang

 

[janakiram.sistla]

Re: is it good

hi
i worked with both pic 16f and 89c51 but i feel good positive sign in pic than atmel i donn no regarding avr but i have a little knowledge it atmost has all the features that both has so try using avr it will b nice

 

[michaelmoore44]

Re: is it good

I first learned on atmels and I had a very easy and enjoyable time doing so.

One advantage that atmel has in your case is that your friends are using it. Atleast if you have trouble you have someone to go to and learn with that should be a big help.

I agree with gomez that the emulator is a very nice thing to have when learning to program microcontrollers. It is definitly not a necesity, it is more of a luxury. But, atmel's JtagICEmkII only costs $300 which may be too much but certainly more within reach than $12,000. Or if you search this site you should be able to find plans to make your own JtagICE for the atmel µC

good luck

 

[Gomez]

Re: is it good

I agree with gomez that the emulator is a very nice thing to have when learning to program microcontrollers. It is definitly not a necesity, it is more of a luxury. But, atmel's JtagICEmkII only costs $300 which may be too much but certainly more within reach than $12,000. Or if you search this site you should be able to find plans to make your own JtagICE for the atmel µC

The point is, that you don't need a ICE for a M16C, but you can work how with an ICE!
**broken link removed**
Because the M16C has two address match register., that's all. Why can Microchip or Atmel not implement such a register? The community would write a monitor and all would be fine. I'm sure that would not cost so much for Microchip or Atmel. I guess this both want rather sell your ICD. I can't remember me that this both would offering a compiler for free. It would cost to support this.

That it's what I understand under a great support for a product. Not only selling. Professional support for a product is important. I rather buy a product from a manufacturer, which has published good tools, than a product which is only cheap. When all so think, than the manufacturers says, why should I? For 300$ can I buy a lot of M16C controller rather than I need in the next ten years and I can
experiment with all the futures, which a Atmel or PIC not has. PICs and Atmels are made for products which are sells in high quantities. No comfort and no support from manufacturer for buyers with small quantities.


But an other very interesting controller is PSoC from cypress!!!
(unfortunately without monitor - s*it)

Gomez

 

[mr_byte31]

Re: is it good

i use now 16f877 it is very powerful and instruction set is very easy
when i started to learn 8051 it was not nice
i heared about avr and its abilities and i think it will be very goog if any body can help for finding a good documentation for it
i am from egypt and the only controllers (atmel,avr,pic)
and rarelly to fin other controllers