Microcontroller

[gates2231]

Sir,
    MY name is chinni krishna from india.i am very much new to robotics.I need a lot of help about robotics,especillay MCU.I bought intel 8051 chips but i don't know what to do with them.After reading your article on microcontollers i understood that ,microcontroller is like a processor and i need a motherboard to work with it and programmer to program it and compiler like operating system.i am willing to spend about 3000 ie., about 75$.i checked out cerebellum but they stopped manufacturing it.i browsed the sites you gave,but i cannot make out if they are selling chips or along with mother boards.so please kindly furnish me with the information about the companies which sell microcontrollers with motherboards and if possible built in programmer.also it would be very kind of that if you have any unsed cellebrum microcontrollers i am ready to buy it as i found it is only 40$.please kindly help me.

[Hal9000]

Hey there,

The microcontroller you are using is of the 8051 variety. I've spent 2 years using it.

I've been using the atmel chips (mainly the AT89S53) and I use this programmer

http://www.quasarelectronics.com/3123.htm

and this is a nice book which I have ( I just did a search for '8051' on amazon to find it )

http://www.amazon.co.uk/C-8051-Thomas-Schultz/dp/158961237X/sr=8-6/qid=1167835867/ref=sr_1_6/203-5027532-7414329?ie=UTF8&s=books

To get the C code in the right fashion to be used in the chip, I have been using the free Keil compiler

http://www.keil.com/c51/

The magazine EPE (Everyday Practical Electronics) also has tutorials about how to program in C for the PIC microcontroller. Personally, i'm finding the PIC to be a lot more forgiving and easy to develop for. Plus there seems to be a lot more resources avalable for it than the 8051.

However, if I were going to teach anybody about programming microcontrollers in C, I would seriously give them a copy of this as it gives a very lighthearted approach to initailly complex matters, which I like:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/123-Microcontroller-Experiments-Evil-Genius/dp/0071451420/sr=11-1/qid=1167836380/ref=sr_11_1/203-5027532-7414329

It can be a really hefty operation to get yourself started on microcontrollers, but once you've had a few goes at a few examples you will soon realise it's not all that bad, especially if you have that last book I just put up

Oh, and also I haven't read it, but this book only just came out...........looks pretty good

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Programming-Embedded-Systems-Michael-Barr/dp/0596009836/sr=1-12/qid=1167836460/ref=sr_1_12/203-5027532-7414329?ie=UTF8&s=books

Hope the links help

Ian

[ed1380]

I'm also new in electronic, and have the same budget. I need help deciding what is a good cheap pic for a biginner. Also what is good cheap software for compilination. maybe even a programing board. Thanks

[Hal9000]

A nice PIC to begin with is the PIC16F628A.

I would suggest buying this also http://www.quasarelectronics.com/3128.htm

but if you are a beginner, and don't know whether you will continue using PICs then maybe construct your own. A search on google should be quite revealing.

[Admin]

This may affect your decision (and other people who visit SoR often) . . .

All source code I write and post in my tutorials will be for the PIC 16F877. Im going back into using AVRs soon, so will often post source for those too. This basically means that if you use either of those microcontrollers, Ill make your life a little easier with working source code

[annoyin_kid]

before i start what is MCU?

hey chinni didnt anyone tell you not to give away you personal information on the internet. people can track you down and steal your identity and commit crimes with your identity!!!!!

well by the sounds of it you have never programmed a microcontroller in your life. if that is the case try picaxe (www.picaxe.com) and if you do know some programming us it anyway. it is really easy to use, they are dirt cheap, the programming software is super cheap (well actually it is free) and you dont need much electrical knowledge to start using picaxe. all you need is a breadboard, a picaxe chip (i suggest the 18X) some resistors, some leds, 1 computer and a programming cable (which you can make) for like US$5. im not sure if you have people who sell picaxe in india but im sure you can order it online from the picaxe website. then download the programming editor software from the website, open up the help files and start by getting the leds to work, then make them blink, then get a speaker and get that to work, then get a ldr and use readadc on it and learn about variables and then take it from there.

wait i just remembered sometimes you wont be able to download the programming editor software, the download just stops in the middle. get a friend using a different internet service provider and see if he can download it.

well i hope this helps
if you get stuck with code use the picaxe forum - they know what they are doing and you are bound to have a reply in less than 24 hours

[Hal9000]

Hey, I hadn't really looked at PICAXE before but it actually looks really good.

I would probably choose that if I were to learn again.

[ed1380]

I think MCU stands for microcontroller unit.

A nice PIC to begin with is the PIC16F628A.

I would suggest buying this also http://www.quasarelectronics.com/3128.htm

but if you are a beginner, and don't know whether you will continue using PICs then maybe construct your own. A search on google should be quite revealing.

contruct my own programmer? Will the programmer kit in the link work with the PIC16F628A and PIC16F877? What extras will I need to buy to be able to use it?

This may affect your decision (and other people who visit SoR often) . . .

All source code I write and post in my tutorials will be for the PIC 16F877. Im going back into using AVRs soon, so will often post source for those too. This basically means that if you use either of those microcontrollers, Ill make your life a little easier with working source code

So you will use that pic in the $50 robot tutorial you are currently writting?

[Admin]

So you will use that pic in the $50 robot tutorial you are currently writting?

I will use AVR for the $50 bot. But if the demand is high, I can also write code for the PIC, too.

[ed1380]

Could you tell me the model number and such so that I could maybe get it now and get familiar with it, until the tutorial is completed.

[Admin]

Its not official yet, but it will most likely be ATMEGA8-16PC.

[ed1380]

how many channels of pwm is requiered for 1 motor forward, reverse? I'm asking , because I couldn't find it on SOR.

[Hal9000]

I think MCU stands for microcontroller unit.

A nice PIC to begin with is the PIC16F628A.

I would suggest buying this also http://www.quasarelectronics.com/3128.htm

but if you are a beginner, and don't know whether you will continue using PICs then maybe construct your own. A search on google should be quite revealing.

contruct my own programmer? Will the programmer kit in the link work with the PIC16F628A and PIC16F877? What extras will I need to buy to be able to use it?

This may affect your decision (and other people who visit SoR often) . . .

All source code I write and post in my tutorials will be for the PIC 16F877. Im going back into using AVRs soon, so will often post source for those too. This basically means that if you use either of those microcontrollers, Ill make your life a little easier with working source code

So you will use that pic in the $50 robot tutorial you are currently writting?

Yeah the programmer that I gave the link to works with all Flash Microcontrollers. The Flash in PIC speak is the 'F' when you write, for example, PIC16F628A.

This therfore claims to program all PICs with an 'F' in.

MCU. Yes probably means Microcontroller Unit.

My mate often used to write uC. The 'u' being micro, and the 'C' being Controller.

I had a lot of paracetemol this morning and I have to do quite a lot of circuitry today. There's nothing like the smell of flux.

[Admin]

how many channels of pwm is requiered for 1 motor forward, reverse? I'm asking , because I couldn't find it on SOR.

This depends on the hardware you use to drive the motor. Most motor drivers are designed to just need a single PWM channel.