Hi If you are going to code on a cheap PIC (the PIC16 series) you will likely need to learn PIC assembler. All my coding on those parts was in assembly language. They are old enough / slow enough / small RAM enough that things like C (or the other high level languages you listed) really don't do well on them.
A PIC might cost you $1.31. The pc board it goes on will likely cost you $10 in quantity. The regulators and clock source might cost you $2. Throw in $3 for resistors, capacitors, and connectors. If you go for a one up PC board, figure $50 or so. All of that is before you do anything related to your project. That will likely add cost for a power supply, an enclosure, and often a display. It is not at all unusual for your total outlay for even a simple project to hit $100. In that case the micro is 1% of the total cost. A very fancy, factor of 100 better micro than a basic PIC is *maybe* $6 these days. Depending on how you define and measure better, the answer could be $3. There really is no way to use a PIC without something around it. The chip can't just float in mid air. You will always have the "stuff" that goes around it. It's never really a choice between a single IC and an entire assembly. Bob On May 25, 2013, at 3:08 PM, Jason Rabel <ja...@extremeoverclocking.com> wrote: > My reasoning for using a PIC (or similar) is mostly two factors. > > First, simplicity... The few things I have in my head that I've wanted to do > aren't complicated or require special busses. It is > things that you could *probably* do with a whole pile of logic chips, or keep > it simple with just one PIC. ;) > > Second, cost... Spending $30-$40 for a one time project is fine. But say > after 10 or so, the cost savings of a $2 chip vs $30 > embedded system starts to add up. > > I agree with you that I need to figure out the project details first and what > I'm trying to integrate with and work backwards. I'm > really glad people are giving me feedback though I didn't know so many > different options existed (and at so many different price > points). If you don't ask, you will never learn. ;) Both the Arduino and TI > Launchpad offerings look very intriguing. > > I'm on no deadline, so time is not an issue. I just wanted a new challenge > and this is something I've wanted to dive into for a long > time. > > Learning a programming language is not an issue. While I mostly write code in > PHP, Perl, and shell scripts these days, I used to and > am still somewhat familiar with C/C++. Most other programming languages I've > used in the past are now probably considered archaic or > defunct. ;) > > Looks like I have a lot of reading to do now. Everyone's responses have been > most helpful! > > Jason > >> How did you decide to use a PIC and not one of the others such as the >> AVR MSP or whatever? I don't want to argue for any of the others but >> if you can't list 5 or 6 good reasons to use a PIC and you are not >> able to say why the oters cn't work for you then you've just selected >> something at random without thinking. SO as a check, see if you can >> list pros and cons. > >> You have to decide what you are going to USE the device for first. >> Some are bets for different purposes. And also how much time you are >> willing to invest in learning. How much programming experience do >> you have? > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com > To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts > and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.