[Diy_efi] Getting started with PIC or Atmel AVR or whatever

[The Punisher]

>PICs can be programmed from the PC parallel port with a VERY cheap/easy
>home-made circuit. There are n+1 schematics floating around the net. Just
>stand away from the mega-ultra-cheap/mega-ultra-easy, because they're 
>unable
>to source the Vpp required for some stricter models.
>
>
>Tomas

I second that!! stay away from the VERY simple pic programmers.
I use both PIC's and AVR's. For the PIC I use the Micro Engineering Labs 
EPIC programmer with a homemade ICSP cable usualy with a 16f877. I do most 
all of my development on a breadboard I bought from Jameco(get one, or 2, 
or3...)
I also use PicBasicPro from MEL(I like it). With PBP(or just pic basic) you 
can easly modify basic stamp code(which is VERY abundant)but run MANY times 
faster than a stamp(and a whole lot cheaper too).

Although I like the PIC's, I realy like the AVR's more. BUT there is ALOT 
less information and resources available for the AVR's. I use the STK500 
programmer from ATMEL(79.00) its AWESOME(and It comes WITH 2 AVR's so 
consider that in the cost)!!! I use a homemade ISP cable similar to the PIC. 
My current favorite compiler for the AVR is "Fastavr", but AVRGCC is free if 
you want to use C.

I also have used a homemade programmer for the AVR that uses a 74hc244 with 
good results. I got the schematic from the internet, and use "Ponyprog" for 
the programming software. Homemade programmers are a bit simpler to do on 
the AVR than the PIC.

I get My AVR's (and PIC's) from DigiKey, and the avr's are generaly less 
expensive than the PIC's. I now mostly use the "Mega" series running at 
16Mhz and they are supposed to be alot faster than PIC's at 20Mhz(I figure a 
33Mhz pic would be about equal). The cheapest I have found AVR's so far is 
Pioneer standard, but they shipped My order FED-EX and I payed over 20 bucks 
shipping on a 50 dollar order(digikey would have been cheaper).

Hope that helps some.
oh ya, check out www.avrfreaks.com for good and current AVR info.

Marvin Fugate

_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com


_______________________________________________
Diy_efi mailing list
Diy_efi at diy-efi.org
http://www.diy-efi.org/mailman/listinfo/diy_efi