Hi guys: I am an engineering student now it is summer vacations and i want to learn about Micro controllers. Can any body guide me how to get started with Micro controllers and its programming. I am familiar with arduino but now i want to learn micro controllers.

Thanks in Advance

 

Hi haris,

you have a plenty of time to learn about pic microcontroller and its programming. I recommend you to check this pic microcontroller tutorials list for beginners . This is a complete list which contains starting from beginners levels to expert levels.

you can also check this for pic microcontroller programming http://microcontrollerslab.com/pic-microcontroller-programming-c/

 

The PIC microcontroller is supported by some free tools - MPLABX, XC8, and MPSIM.
MPLABX is the development environment is which you write your code. It also includes an assembler to convert your code into machine code.
XC8 is a C compiler so you can write your programs in C instead of assembler.
MPSIM allows you to run your code in a simulator so you can single step the code, look at, and change, variables and processor registers and how the program works without any hardware (other than the computer to run these programs.

 

There are some great videos here PICmicro x14 Basic Training Modules http://techtrain.microchip.com/x14/

 

Hi guys: I am an engineering student now it is summer vacations and i want to learn about Micro controllers. Can any body guide me how to get started with Micro controllers and its programming. I am familiar with arduino but now i want to learn micro controllers.

Thanks in Advance

I will suggest you, purchase 8051 development board. than program microcontroller with LED blinking code. than increase complexity. write code for motor ,lCD ....etc
you should know following
1. which microcontroller do you use ( 8051, pic ,arm etc..)?
2. does your compiler support the microcontroller that you are using in board ?
3. does your programmer software support the microcontroller that you are using ?
to make project you need microcontroller I/O devices (LED, LCD, Motor,swich, keypad ) , compiler and programmer software

You want to learn about microcontroler
you should know following things
1.what is processor or CPU ?
2.what is program memory or Rom memory
3. what is Program counter and its work ?
4. what is ALU and how does It make ?
5. what is Register and use of registers
learn step by step start with basics,

 

There is also the Nigel Goodwin software/hardware Tutorials for the Pic, it is in assembly, but they have been converted to C if needed, a search will find them.
Max.

 

Welcome to AAC!

I am an engineering student now it is summer vacations and i want to learn about Micro controllers.

If you're not working on applications that require real time control, you might also consider single board computers running Linux and supporting a variety of standard programming languages.

I'm using an SBC called Chip from NTC. It's a single core ARM processor with 512MB RAM and 4GB of FLASH (that contains the Linux OS plus user storage). It has about 40 I/O's, one low res DAC, 2 USB ports, on board WiFi/Bluetooth, power management IC that can charge a Lithium-ion battery. It was $9 when I bought; with shipping depending on quantity.

V1 was a kickstarter project which is no longer available. They're working on V2 now, but are keeping features secret for now.

 

If you already have an arduino, you can start looking into programming the Atmel ATmega. You can use the Arduino hardware and program the bare micro through the ISP connection. All you need is a device programmer and the Atmel Studio software, also free.

 

There is a thread on here about the difficulty of doing that:
Setting Up Arduino as ISP in Atmel Studio

 

Only a suggestion. Both products are now from the same company.

 

lol
I guess you don't know what Arduino is.

 

Arduino is an Atmel ATMega328, or various versions, with a bootloader installed in memory.

 

Arduino is an Atmel ATMega328 microcontroller

I added the important part.

 

It's difficult to advice since we do not know your background in electronics however; You, as an engineer, are able to program in C, Pascal or basic. No problem there.
Study the manual on xtal, start-up brown-out and port settings.
Start simple use a pic12f or 16f69x series and start with a flashing led.
build or buy a demo board (25$ approx.) use mplab with xc8 compiler free version.
Then study interrupts and make a flashing led using interrupts.
then start using inputs using or and function on the input pins.
Next step; do this also under interrupt.

You also get software samples from microchip study them and jump back to the manual.
Load them run them and start modifying observe the results.

now build your first application
compile load and start your program I am sure that you will be happy with the result.


Picbuster