just a quick question...

[Togo5]

hey guys

im wanting to buy a microcontroller, i think i have found one on the net.. ..but if it is advertised as "K8048 PIC Microcontroller Programmer Kit" is this a microcontroller AND a programmer in one or is it just a programmer FOR a microcontroller ? 

Thanks in advance

 

[jsmoker]

You get a PIC16F627 with the programmer.  The experimenter board is ok, but it gets old real fast.  If you're just dabbling, it's ok, but if you plan on really getting into programming PICs I'd invest a little more and get something expandable with a ZIF socket.  Plus some of the cheaper programmers have a limited selections of PICs that you can program.

-Jason

[Hal9000]

Yeah, I use these for all PICs

http://www.quasarelectronics.com/pic_programmers.htm

The one below can program loads of stuff. My tutor told me about them, I have never personally used them, but take a look. You can only buy them on ebay I think

http://members.shaw.ca/topprogrammer/Top2048.html

Look at the supported chips list!

http://members.shaw.ca/topprogrammer/moreTop2048SupportedList.htm

and you also get these free, which are supposed to be expensive:

PLCC32-DIP32 and PLCC44-DIP44 adapter(socket verstion)

[Togo5]

the microcontroller mentioned in the question doesnt have any I/O ports?? so how would have outputs e.g. motors if the programme uses them???

thanks

[nanob0t]

The thing is a programmer, so you would not be able to access the I/O ports from the board.  The chip provided actually has 16 I/O ports built into the chip.  They are the pins on the chip, which can be accessed using DIP sockets on a separate board.  This board is meant to allow you to program a specific chip, then place the chip on another application.  An example:

You use this programmer to program your chip you get with the set.  Afterward, you remove the chip and place it in a socket on the top of your robot and it runs. 


Hope This Helps. 

[Togo5]

cheers youv bin well helpful so far!!

think iv got it lol, so do i build a circuit board around the newly programmed chip?? e.g. with the motors/servos as outputs, battery and all the other eccentials....? how do i know what goes where lol???

[nanob0t]

Yes, the thing you are looking to purchase is just a terminal to program.  You will need a separate circuit board to place the chip in.  You will most likely need a 16 pin DIP or whatever socket to solder into place. 

Motors and such, you will need to study the data sheet of your chip to figure out where you want to put it.  I am not sure, but the chip may have a PWM pin.  You would then have to decide if you just want to turn the motor on/off, or if you want to vary the speed of the motor with the PWM.  It may do some good to do a little studying of IC chips and microcontrollers before you get started.  The little time you spend educating yourself will save you a lot on your robot and reallly keep down the frustration 

In terms of sensors, it depends on what you get.  Some just require power, which can be hooked to the power pin of your microcontroller, and maybe one I/O port.  You then control your sensor by sending whatever information through that specific pin.

In terms of what going where, you just have to do a little bit of work and everything should fall into place. 

[Brandon121233]

It would probably be a lot easier to buy a development board for a PIC that has the bootloader already burned in, that way you can just learn how to use a MCU instead of trying to build your own board.

[Togo5]

Brandon121233.......

where would i get one of those from? what are they actually called so i can search?

Thanks

[Brandon121233]

PIC development boards, you can look some of these http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/categories.php?cPath=2_9 or another beginner oriented and great priced board is from the MarkIII robot store http://www.junun.org/MarkIII/Store.jsp but its a kit so assembly is required http://www.junun.org/MarkIII/Info.jsp?item=28. I don't have much experience with PIC's so if somebody could help out with a suggestion for a good dev. board for him, that would be better.