I have messed around with an Arduino for a while and I want to start working with a micro controller outside of the simple Arduino environment . I want to use a programmer and MPLAB to code an actual microcontroller. I know that their are starter kits for Microchip but I would rather start working with the real thing. So can anyone suggest a microcontroller that is good with sensor data that I could get started with?

Thanks!

 

What language? Assembly, C, PICBasic?

John

 

This is a good small board for testing using the 8 pin 12F series.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262673697182?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
You would also need a Pickit3.
What sensors do you have in mind?
Max.

 

I would like to write it in C.

Thanks for the suggestion Max! I might pick that one up. I was thinking of using a proximity sensor or a touch sensor.

 

outside of the simple Arduino environment .

lol
I particularly enjoyed the mention of programmer.

 

I want to start working with a micro controller outside of the simple Arduino environment . I want to use a programmer and MPLAB to code an actual microcontroller.

this may not be clear to you but your "simple arduino" environment is a full fledged mcu development environment and is fully capable of supporting your writing C for AVR chips.

In terms of the actual hardware, the AVRs are much better and more advanced than the PICs (10/12/16/18).

So it seems to me that you already have what you want.

 

The simple PICs dont need any extra parts just a 5pin row header.

Then you install MPLABX and use the PICKIT3 to program and power them as well.

In most cases youd want a small capacitor, a MCLR resistor, some pushbuttons LEDs and so on.

Some PICs need extra capacitor and a crystal.

But they are not difficult to use or to make a circuit

In fact you can use all the Arduino code, just the IO is different. You only heed to change hardware specific lines and often thats 10% or less.

 

@Zach123 if you can sit through Dave's rant for 24 min, he gives his views on both.
It is sort of entertaining.

Max.

 

Hello,

If you want to start with pics, have a look at the following pages:
http://www.picallw.com/
http://www.oricomtech.com/piclinks.htm
http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist/index.htm

Bertus

 

Also http://pic-rosa.blogspot.ca/2007/09/source-code-for-pic.html
Max.

 

this may not be clear to you but your "simple arduino" environment is a full fledged mcu development environment and is fully capable of supporting your writing C for AVR chips.

In terms of the actual hardware, the AVRs are much better and more advanced than the PICs (10/12/16/18).

So it seems to me that you already have what you want.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh It is a secret!

 

Microchip has a series of "Curiosity" boards. You may want to get one of them.

There is a huge variety of PICs. If you want small ones, I would suggest PIC16F1* series, especially new ones with 5 numbers after "F". Stay away from older PICs, which are very popular because they were massively used in the past, but, in fact, they're obsolete, expensive, and have problems.

The beauty of this setup is that you're not stuck with a single PIC, but you can select the one which is the best for your project. Getting a new PIC will cost you very little. And there is a huge variety of them - over 1000 different PICs! They all have similar architecture, but different periphery and different sizes, so you select exactly what you need and you use it. You won't get this with Arduinos.

 

Microchip has a series of "Curiosity" boards. You may want to get one of them.

There is a huge variety of PICs. If you want small ones, I would suggest PIC16F1* series, especially new ones with 5 numbers after "F". Stay away from older PICs, which are very popular because they were massively used in the past, but, in fact, they're obsolete, expensive, and have problems.

The beauty of this setup is that you're not stuck with a single PIC, but you can select the one which is the best for your project. Getting a new PIC will cost you very little. And there is a huge variety of them - over 1000 different PICs! They all have similar architecture, but different periphery and different sizes, so you select exactly what you need and you use it. You won't get this with Arduinos.

In other news. Microchip bought ATmel (provider of Arduino chips, AVR architecture). So. Either Microchip will keep making AVR chips, used in Arduino for example, or they will kill it.

 

In other news. Microchip bought ATmel (provider of Arduino chips, AVR architecture). So. Either Microchip will keep making AVR chips.

Keep making, I guess. There are few ATTINY chips released after the merger.

 

Microchip bought out Atmel.
If you can't beat the competition, you buy them out.