gnupic: Programming 16F877 for a newbie
Subject:
Re: Programming 16F877 for a newbie
From:
David Kelly ####@####.####
Date:
11 Jan 2001 04:09:55 -0000
Message-Id: <200101110413.f0B4D9R72228@grumpy.dyndns.org>
Mike writes:
> --VrqPEDrXMn8OVzN4
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> Content-Disposition: inline
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> Hey all. Got a question I'm hoping to get a pointer on.
>
> I'm very new to PIC's, and this semester I've got a class that'll be using
> them. From what the prof was saying we'll be using the F877 in the lab.=20
> I'm thinking of buying a couple to diddle with here at home. The question
> is what'll be the easiest route for me to program these beasts once I get
> 'em?
Odds are the class will feature the Microchip ICD, as the F877 is the
standard chip with the ICD. The quickest and easiest way to get started
would be to buy an ICD for $159. Or the slightly less expensive
rebundled ICD at http://www.phanderson.com/icd/.
I don't completely accept the arguments at
http://www.phanderson.com/icd/ against Microchip's demo board and chip
carrier. The chip carrier makes it possible to retrofit the ICD on to
the PIC board of your choice. Having seen what is involved to support
the ICD, I now lay out my own with ICD support. Also my ICD demo board
had a socket for the AMP RJ-11 6 pin connector and could be used
without the bulk of of the chip carrier.
I do have a bone to pick as to Microchip's terrible schematics. I hate
that typical PC dot-matrix-printer look of schematic. At the very least
they should ditch the page boarder and blow up the important stuff
enough that it is readable.
http://www.mccad.com/ has an ecad package which prints much more
attractive schematics. They come from a Macintosh background where
apparently printing correctly and non-ugly is more important than in
the PC world. The free version is a bit too limited at only one sheet
of 8.5x11. Their schematics look best printed at 50%, and that leaves
it big enough to view nicely on the monitor.
--
David Kelly N4HHE, ####@####.####
=====================================================================
The human mind ordinarily operates at only ten percent of its
capacity -- the rest is overhead for the operating system.
