Hello. I haven't posted here in awhile. The last time I did I was just starting out in electronics, just reading on my own, like from this site and some books. I have gotten a little more educated since then, and I am now in school at a University for Electrical Engineering. I just finished a class on Microprocessor Systems and Interfacing and the book we used specifically demonstrated the use of the Motorola 68hc11. I have since come to realize that this isn't a very popular choice, as things for this unit are hard to find. I am taking the Lab to this class this fall and I have found the evaluation board that we will be using. I plan on buying this board and doing some things with it over the summer. I am really excited about this type of work, because it is the most interesting to me so far. It is the only class, so far, that we have discussed the design of useful products that I think I might be able to carry out, at least the small things, like maybe a clock.
Anyway enough about me. I was hoping to get some guidance and some answers to a few questions that I have about this chip and microcontrollers in general.
First, do these evaluation boards typically come with a socket so the chip can be removed for implantation in a better suited hardware setup? Like if I designed a clock, could I just take the chip out once I got it working on the evaluation board, and solder it into my own board to put in a case? I couldn't tell from the pictures of any of them and it doesn't seem to say? My interpretation of the purpose of these boards are that they are just for learning, so I assume that maybe the chips can't be easily removed without ripping it off and risk damaging the chip?
If this can't be done easily, how exactly can I get my programs onto the chip? I know that this differs with different chips, and I see most people here are more familiar with the PIC and others, but I am confused about this. Couldn't I just buy an EEPROM programmer, and put an EEPROM chip in this and program my programs to that, then wire the 68hc11 in expanded mode to this chip? I mean I know this will work, but the reset vector on the memory inside the 68hc11 has to be changed to where the program resides in the external EEPROM correct? So no matter what, I will have to somehow get my program or atleast the new vector pointing to it on the 68hc11?
I have read some things on the website of the professor that will be instructing the lab this fall, and he mentions buffalo, which is some sort of serial communication setup which I think we will use to get the programs on the evaluation board, but will this work just for a regular 68hc11 chip not on a board, and if so what hardware do I need to get it to work? I assume some type of programmer, and cable? Can I just make it? Are there schematics? I can't seem to find anything useful like there is for the PIC.
If anyone has a website or something that can describe to me loading a program onto this chip I would greatly appreciate it. I am really excited about making something from what I learned from this class and I don't want to wait until fall to do it.
I also thought that maybe I could just buy some PICs and maybe a PIC kit because I have found a ton of stuff on this chip, including everything I need to get started. I was just worried about how long would it take me to pick up on this chip after learning the 68hc11 and if it would interfere with me learning the 68hc11 since my lab will be on it and not the PIC?
Thanks for any help and sorry for the long post of newbie questions.
Michael Walden
Anyway enough about me. I was hoping to get some guidance and some answers to a few questions that I have about this chip and microcontrollers in general.
First, do these evaluation boards typically come with a socket so the chip can be removed for implantation in a better suited hardware setup? Like if I designed a clock, could I just take the chip out once I got it working on the evaluation board, and solder it into my own board to put in a case? I couldn't tell from the pictures of any of them and it doesn't seem to say? My interpretation of the purpose of these boards are that they are just for learning, so I assume that maybe the chips can't be easily removed without ripping it off and risk damaging the chip?
If this can't be done easily, how exactly can I get my programs onto the chip? I know that this differs with different chips, and I see most people here are more familiar with the PIC and others, but I am confused about this. Couldn't I just buy an EEPROM programmer, and put an EEPROM chip in this and program my programs to that, then wire the 68hc11 in expanded mode to this chip? I mean I know this will work, but the reset vector on the memory inside the 68hc11 has to be changed to where the program resides in the external EEPROM correct? So no matter what, I will have to somehow get my program or atleast the new vector pointing to it on the 68hc11?
I have read some things on the website of the professor that will be instructing the lab this fall, and he mentions buffalo, which is some sort of serial communication setup which I think we will use to get the programs on the evaluation board, but will this work just for a regular 68hc11 chip not on a board, and if so what hardware do I need to get it to work? I assume some type of programmer, and cable? Can I just make it? Are there schematics? I can't seem to find anything useful like there is for the PIC.
If anyone has a website or something that can describe to me loading a program onto this chip I would greatly appreciate it. I am really excited about making something from what I learned from this class and I don't want to wait until fall to do it.
I also thought that maybe I could just buy some PICs and maybe a PIC kit because I have found a ton of stuff on this chip, including everything I need to get started. I was just worried about how long would it take me to pick up on this chip after learning the 68hc11 and if it would interfere with me learning the 68hc11 since my lab will be on it and not the PIC?
Thanks for any help and sorry for the long post of newbie questions.
Michael Walden