FIGURE 12. PIC Starter Package.
If you take out the LCD and battery
pack since those aren’t included with
the BS1 project board either, you end
up with a total cost of $32.90. Odds
are if you do any electronic work though, you already have
a breadboard so taking that out of the equation, the total
cost is $19.95 to get started programming blank PICs in
Basic. We sell the programmer assembled for $24.95 so
even if you choose to bypass the kit path, then we still
met the $25 target. Figure 12 shows the final package we
recommended for those who want to move from the BS1
to the PIC. We’ve decided to offer this kit on our website
at www.beginnerelectronics.com for anybody getting
started. We also plan to include a discount coupon for the
full version of the PICBASIC Pro compiler to make that
transition less expensive. Check it out if you get a chance.
FIGURE 11. LCD/PIC
Hardware Schematic.
their program, they could use the same language but get
more command lines by taking turns working on the
teacher’s computer.
The jury is still out if this will be their final choice, but if
you are just getting started building a robot or electronic
gadget of some kind that needs a microcontroller, I hope
what we put together for the high school will also help you
as you try to make the transition from Stamps to PICs in
your home lab. SV
Conclusion
At the end of our discussion and review of the LCD
demo, the high school was pleased to have such a simple
option. The PICBASIC Pro compiler’s many sample programs
were a bonus that only required some modifications for the
students to use directly. We suggested they make a series
of homework projects to convert those files to fit the
PIC16F690. You could do the same to create a library of
code. This package didn’t stop there, either. The PICBASIC
Pro sample version also supports the eight pin PIC12F683
and the 14 pin PIC16F688, along with a few 18, 28, and
40 pin parts. This gave the students several choices if they
needed a smaller or larger pin part.
The best part of all is the teacher could order one copy
of the PICBASIC Pro compiler full version and put that on
his computer. When the students needed more space for
Resources
microEngineering Labs — www.melabs.com
Beginner Electronics — www.beginnerelectronics.com
MicroCode Studio — www.mecanique.com
WINPIC Software — www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/winpicpr.html
Microchip Technology, Inc. — www.sample.microchip.com
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