which kind of PIC MCU to begin with?

[semiconductor]

I'm new with PIC and I want to start learning PIC and Programming PIC. But there's so many kinds of PIC available in market.

As expert, can you recommend me which kind of PIC to begin with? 16F84? 16F628A? ....

Can you recommend me some useful website for beginner with PIC

BTW, can you show me in brief the main difference between some kind of PIC

Thank you in advance!

 

[SphinX]

Salam,

PIC16F628 have more resources than PIC16F84 (2K Flash, 224 Byte RAM, 128 Bytes EEPROM, 3 Timers, UART and 2 Comparators) and it's cheaper than it

And it has a main feature, a Built-In 4 Mhz RC Oscilator (So you don't need to connect it to external Xtal)

**broken link removed**

You will find many good PIC tutorials here, Search EDABOARD.

Bye

 

[bimbla]

Go for 18F452. It is feature packed. It can be programmed in- circuit and moreover, it has a 'C' compiler for it.

bimbla.

 

[metao]

I suggest you shoulde start with PIC18F452 or
PIC18F4320
Becase PIC18 memory isn't page memory like
PIC16 that programer not worry about paging
when you write asm . And if you use C pic18
is good choise 4 U.

 

[Henrico]

Salam,

PIC16F628 have more resources than PIC16F84 (2K Flash, 224 Byte RAM, 128 Bytes EEPROM, 3 Timers, UART and 2 Comparators) and it's cheaper than it

And it has a main feature, a Built-In 4 Mhz RC Oscilator (So you don't need to connect it to external Xtal)

h**p://www.interq.or.jp/japan/se-inoue/e_pic8.htm

You will find many good PIC tutorials here, Search EDABOARD.

Bye

I agree with SphinX, reason being is that it is also pin compatible with the now outdated 16F84/16C84.The big advantage here is that there are lots of tutorials on these devices , so it will be easier for you to get started,THEN you can move on to the higher end Pic's
Take a look at this site , LOTS of tutorials to get you started.
www.winpicprog.co.uk

Good Luck

 

[swapgo]

Hi
I suggest you PIC16F84 or PIC16F84a because U have lots of information in the Net available for this IC. U have even free programmers available in the Internet. So Start with this and go for the others as u get comfortable with this.

Bye
Gopi

 

[kentken]

First, 16F84 is a dead model.

Start with the ones in Nigel's tut's (web link above).
These are a good place to start, they have lots of built in features. Then move up to a 16F87x series.
The 18F series are only realy needed for complex projects. They have more instructions and more built in features.
The memory paging is not that big of problem.

Have Fun
Kent

 

[sztibi82]

I learned PIC16F84 from the site:
www.kitsrus.com

it is a very good description there.

 

[swapgo]

hi

PIC16f84 is cheaper in price than PIC16F87x series so to start with go for PIC1f84. I started with pic16f73 .

If affordable go for ICDs . U can learn very quickly.
ICD1 schematics is available in www.piclist.com

Bye
Gopi

 

[samcheetah]

PIC16f84 is cheaper in price than PIC16F87x series

yes, but as already suggested the PIC16F628 is cheaper than the PIC16F84 while having better functionality. basically the PIC16F84 is obsolete now so dont start with it.

 

[djalli]

Actually 16F84 is widely used. I just heard here in forum they are building smart card readers with that. Of course in prototyping the circuit in breadboard I will use PDIP chip but final product will have 16F84 in a tiny surface-mount chip.

16F84 is good way to go. It has simple basic MCU settings you need to start. I am maybe being patriotic here along many who started with 16F84 but is not a bad idea knowing 16F84 is widely used. Then move at others.

 

[samcheetah]

yes, i agree that the F84 is widely used but the F628 has more capabilities than the F84 at a lesser price. there may be lots of PICs better than the F84 in the 16 series but none of the better ones are cheaper than the F84. i know that most of the books on PIC programming are based on the F84 but that doesnt restrict someone from using a better alternative because there isnt much of a difference between the F84 and the F628 from a programming prespective. the F628 has more memory and more registers. it has more hardware functionality e.g. it has comparators which the F84 doesnt have, it has a built in 4MHz oscillator, it has more I/O pins available (16 instead of 13 for the F84). even if u have a book or tutorial based on the F84 u can use the F628 and add more functionality to your design. now, i dont say that u DONT use the F84 at all. its just a matter of choice.

 

[Regnum]

no doubts, 16F628 is the point to start from.

 

[ME]

Please read this old topic:
PIC 16F84 vs. 16F627 / 16F628

I would recommend to use PIC 16F627 or 16F628 instead of 16F84. They are cheaper and better pin compatible replacements for 16F84. The only reason not to use the new 627/628 is a lack of awareness.

The 16F84(A) is obsolete and way too expensive now, compared to newer and more modern parts like its sucsessor PIC16F627 and it's bigger brother 16F628.
Often 16F628 are only sligthly more expesive than 16F627, so it would be a good idea to buy 16F628 instead of 16F627.

 

[glenjoy]

It is good to start at PIC16F628, but look at this way, the Datasheet of the PIC16F628 is about 4 times as thick as the Datasheet for PIC16F84, the learner might get shocked of the said Datasheet by just mere looking at it, as the impression too many to read.

But if he/she sees the datasheet for PIC16F84, then he/she can be happy because the datasheet is thin.

In PIC16F84, it might be expensive of let us say US$ 1.00 than the PIC16F628, but it is the first impression that is important here, the learner's first impression on the chip, the impression that it is not hard to learn micros.

 

[samcheetah]

It is good to start at PIC16F628, but look at this way, the Datasheet of the PIC16F628 is about 4 times as thick as the Datasheet for PIC16F84, the learner might get shocked of the said Datasheet by just mere looking at it, as the impression too many to read.

that reminds me of the moment i first saw the 170 pages of the PIC16F62X datasheet. man was i shocked or what 8O uptil then i was used to reading datasheets spanning upto 4-5 pages. but then i realized that working with microprocessors is serious bussiness and one day you will have to master all the aspects of a microcontroller if u want to design good systems. and you will have to move onto a better PIC no matter what which will have an even bigger datasheet. so one has to be comfortable with reading big datasheets if he wants to become a good designer.

and if the PIC16F62X datasheet looks intimidating at first sight, think about the 688 pages of the Midrange reference manual that one has to consult from time to time. so u have to add some seriousness and professionalism when you are working with microcontrollers.

but then again ill say that its just a matter of choice. you could start with the F84 and then move on to better replacements. if u are a good learner, there wouldnt be much of a time wastage in starting off with the F84. another reason for starting out with the F84 might be that most of the people around you started with PICs using the F84 and u think that u might get help from them if u do the same.

i hope that helps