What is the best way to learn the pic microcontrollers. I am very interested in this and i was suggested to get eBooks and I have a lot of books but not suitable.. I have small experience with C++/C, and got the mikroC pro compiler but need a resource where i can learn, examples, projects easy for beginners. Can you point me where is the best start or maybe some tutorials on this site? Thanks

 

if you just want to learn about microcontrollers in general, then my recommendation is that you start with the Arduino development board.
http://www.arduino.cc/
I haven't used PICs myself yet so, unfortunately, that's all I can help

 

In mikroC's help files you will find a lots of example with PIC.

I have small experience with C++/C

You dont need C++ as its OOP and its not for system level programming.C is perfect.

The best resource I can tell is google.

Good luck

 

If you're interested in experimenting and playing around with things, I'd recommend the PICDEM Lab from Microchip. It's around $125 which may sound expensive. But I think you get a pretty good deal for your money and you're set up to do lots of experimentation. It also comes with good documentation and a number of experiments with enough detail in the instructions. If you want to spend less money -- around $50, the Low Pin Count Demo Board with the PICkit 2 is available (it also comes with a 12 lesson tutorial, but it's all in assembly, not C). I have both and can recommend either.

 

Yes I have some C resources. I don't know about PICDEM I have mikroC and MPLAB. But will try PICDEM Lab. Thanks for the responses

 

I went through this little while back. In my opinion, PIC is the hardest place to start. It's where I tried to start too, but I feel it was a bit of a mistake. There is a dearth of (not very many) free high level languages available and I found the documentation, especially around chip programming and configuration bits, a little cryptic. MPLAB is a great IDE, but it has a steep learning curve.

I eventually went over to Arduino and PICAXE to get my feet wet. These are trivial to learn and you can be up and running in no time. Both offer free and real easy to learn IDEs with high-level languages. One uses PIC as it's base (PICAXE) and programs with a BASIC variant. The other, the Arduino, uses AVR as it's base and programs with a C variant. Both have terrific support in terms of both programming and cheap hardware.

You can get an Arduino clone for as little as $20 and be up and getting results in a few minutes.

For PICAXE, all you really need is a chip, for as little as $5, 3 resistors, a DB9 cable and a little solder-less breadboard and your on your way.

Once you get the hang of pin configuration and the MCU capabilities, switching over the the raw PIC and/or AVR is a whole lot easier.

All this is relative though. None of them are especially difficult and it depends on the amount of time you have and whether or not you are doing it for fun or profit.