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I need a new microcontroller

  • Thread starter Thread starter So
  • Start date Start date
So

So

Lifer
So, for the past few years I've been sticking with 8051 series chips, mostly because I have a programmer and a small stock of 'em. I'm thinking about a new project, and I think it's time for a change.

My next project is going to have a handful of buttons ~5, a parallel LCD and a chip connected by SPI (or I2C if necessary), and either RS232 or USB so I'll need about three ports. Other than that, I don't care too much except that I can program it cheaply and that I can get a free / cheap / easy to set up C compiler.

What does everyone like?
 
Pic or Arm both are good. You can also go to microchip.com and they will send you free samples. The 18f4550 is pretty cool, USB included and only needs a couple parts for support.
Program Memory Type Flash
Program Memory (KB) 32
CPU Speed (MIPS) 12
RAM Bytes 2,048
Data EEPROM (bytes) 256
Digital Communication Peripherals 1-A/E/USART, 1-MSSP(SPI/I2C)
Capture/Compare/PWM Peripherals 1 CCP, 1 ECCP
Timers 1 x 8-bit, 3 x 16-bit
ADC 13 ch, 10-bit
Comparators 2
USB (ch, speed, compliance) 1, Full Speed, USB 2.0
Temperature Range (C) -40 to 85
Operating Voltage Range (V) 2 to 5.5
Pin Count 40

If you want something ready to use , I am using this in a project.
http://futurlec.com/ET-STM32_Stamp.shtml
$25 and ready to plugin to a breadboard. Very powerful for the price.
 
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Pic or Arm both are good. You can also go to microchip.com and they will send you free samples. The 18f4550 is pretty cool, USB included and only needs a couple parts for support.
Program Memory Type Flash
Program Memory (KB) 32
CPU Speed (MIPS) 12
RAM Bytes 2,048
Data EEPROM (bytes) 256
Digital Communication Peripherals 1-A/E/USART, 1-MSSP(SPI/I2C)
Capture/Compare/PWM Peripherals 1 CCP, 1 ECCP
Timers 1 x 8-bit, 3 x 16-bit
ADC 13 ch, 10-bit
Comparators 2
USB (ch, speed, compliance) 1, Full Speed, USB 2.0
Temperature Range (C) -40 to 85
Operating Voltage Range (V) 2 to 5.5
Pin Count 40

If you want something ready to use , I am using this in a project.
http://futurlec.com/ET-STM32_Stamp.shtml
$25 and ready to plugin to a breadboard. Very powerful for the price.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I've worked with PICs before and was happy with them. Can I get a programmer for a reasonable price (<$100) and is there a good free IDE out there for PIC-C (or at least a compiler)?

I don't really want a breadboard design, as I'd like to build these onto PCB's and protoboards that I keep around, when I'm done -- if possible.
 
Originally posted by: drinkmorejava
I've been using an SiLab C8051f02x for the last semester. Pretty good chip, but I've only ever used a BasicX microcontroller before this.

No parallel though. We use usb to serial converters for downloading and the terminal window.

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://www.silabs.com/product...u/Pages/C8051F02x.aspx"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/mixed-signalmcu/Pages/C8051F02x.aspx">https://www.silabs.com/p.........C8051F02x.aspx</a></a>

Modelworks stuff is prob going to be cheaper though.
Click to expand...

Hmm... looks like it only comes in a TQFP package though. I'm not quite ready to build something I can't get in a dip package yet. I know, I'm being stodgy about it.
 
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Pic or Arm both are good. You can also go to microchip.com and they will send you free samples. The 18f4550 is pretty cool, USB included and only needs a couple parts for support.
Program Memory Type Flash
Program Memory (KB) 32
CPU Speed (MIPS) 12
RAM Bytes 2,048
Data EEPROM (bytes) 256
Digital Communication Peripherals 1-A/E/USART, 1-MSSP(SPI/I2C)
Capture/Compare/PWM Peripherals 1 CCP, 1 ECCP
Timers 1 x 8-bit, 3 x 16-bit
ADC 13 ch, 10-bit
Comparators 2
USB (ch, speed, compliance) 1, Full Speed, USB 2.0
Temperature Range (C) -40 to 85
Operating Voltage Range (V) 2 to 5.5
Pin Count 40

If you want something ready to use , I am using this in a project.
http://futurlec.com/ET-STM32_Stamp.shtml
$25 and ready to plugin to a breadboard. Very powerful for the price.
Click to expand...

Wow, I almost forgot all about futurelec. They have a buttload of programmers, cheap.
 
Little off topic, but what is the best way for someone to get into using these with no experience? I've always outsourced the microcontroller stuff at work, but it would be good for me to know when it is cheaper/faster for me to do it or cheaper/faster for me to waste my time explaining to someone else what to do. Any good books/websites/etc?
 
Originally posted by: dullard
Little off topic, but what is the best way for someone to get into using these with no experience? I've always outsourced the microcontroller stuff at work, but it would be good for me to know when it is cheaper/faster for me to do it or cheaper/faster for me to waste my time explaining to someone else what to do. Any good books/websites/etc?
Click to expand...

I would start with something like Arduino. Very simple and easy to use. There are tons of tutorials and guides around the internet which make it very easy to learn. Once you get comfortable with that platform you probably be able to pickup other more useful platforms more simply.

Arudino takes out a lot of the complications of getting things setup, letting you get right into the hardware and programming.

That being said, I've never used Arduino, but I got a started on a similar simplified development platform. I just know Arudnio has a lot of beginner guides and used by casual hobbyists a lot.
 
I think with the recent string of EE threads I have tripled my knowledge 😀
 
Originally posted by: dullard
Little off topic, but what is the best way for someone to get into using these with no experience? I've always outsourced the microcontroller stuff at work, but it would be good for me to know when it is cheaper/faster for me to do it or cheaper/faster for me to waste my time explaining to someone else what to do. Any good books/websites/etc?
Click to expand...


If you have never done any work with them then I would start with probably Arduino. It was designed for people that want to get into micro's without having to learn a whole lot.

I would go with a pre-assembled USB board so all you have to do is connect a usb cable and run the software to program the board. You don't have to worry with things like rs232 level shifting and power supplies.
http://www.sparkfun.com/commer...fo.php?products_id=666

Sample projects:
http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage
 
Originally posted by: Modelworks
Originally posted by: dullard
Little off topic, but what is the best way for someone to get into using these with no experience? I've always outsourced the microcontroller stuff at work, but it would be good for me to know when it is cheaper/faster for me to do it or cheaper/faster for me to waste my time explaining to someone else what to do. Any good books/websites/etc?
Click to expand...


If you have never done any work with them then I would start with probably Arduino. It was designed for people that want to get into micro's without having to learn a whole lot.

I would go with a pre-assembled USB board so all you have to do is connect a usb cable and run the software to program the board. You don't have to worry with things like rs232 level shifting and power supplies.
http://www.sparkfun.com/commer...fo.php?products_id=666

Sample projects:
http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage
Click to expand...

In addition:

http://www.ladyada.net/learn/arduino/
 
Originally posted by: Modelworks
For the compiler:
http://www.sourceboost.com/

Programmer is really cheap, you can make one yourself if you want.
I use this one:
http://www.instructables.com/i...-based-PIC-Programmer/


I use a bootloader to make it easy, so I can program the bootloader and then never have to put the chip back in the programmer.
http://www.etc.ugal.ro/cchicul...ware/picbootloader.htm
Click to expand...

Hmm, having a bit of experience with PIC makes it seem the way to go, although I may have to pic up that cheap stamp board for temporary projects, or maybe an arduino.

Thanks a lot, modelworks.
 
I teach an embedded RISC class, as well as a first year microcontroller class. In the microcontroller class, we use the S12UB from Freescale, you can get the board for $80 as a student. Has all the I/O you want, plus free IDE with C and Assembly (Codewarrior).

For the RISC class, we use the PIC18F4520. If you buy the PICDEM2+ board, you can use the board for development and programming. The IDE and C compiler are free as well (MPLAB). The cost of the board with the emulator is $170 for students.
 
AVR is the cream of 8bit stuff, IMO. fastest, there's an avr target for gcc, in-circuit programmer is <$30 (usb, works in windows and nix..)

I alternate between PIC / AVR / 8051 depending on what mood i'm in.
8051's cause they're dirt cheap.. (well 89S52's, which actually work with the above AVR programmer^^)

I suppose it depends what sort of power your project needs. Nice thing about PICs is that they're more or less free... http://sample.microchip.com/
if you do go with PIC, don't bother with those flake-ass JDM serial port powered programmers... either build a parallel port one, or buy a USB pickit2 for under 30 bucks.

edit: If you want to stick with your 8051, but it isn't fast enough, look at some of the hotrodded ones that dallas makes... 33x faster than an original intel 8051. more peripherals and stuff too.
 
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