Help - 1st time ehernet project

[deweyusa]

Hi

So I've decided I want to commit to the idea of an automation project with ethernet control. I have no experience to date with ethernet interfaces, and wanted to ask a group who did about the basics they'd recommend to get going.

I have loads of experience with Microchip 16 series mid-range 8-bit processors, but only using assembly. In all those years, even in school, I didn't ever look that closely at Atmel's products until recently, when I decided that programming in asm was just a little more time consuming than I'd like. It seemed like a fun challenge back then, but I just don't want as much gut-level stuff anymore.

In looking at what's out there, I've found that there seems to be much more open-source support for programming in C on Atmel's chips, like WinAVR with avr-gcc, using the Eclipse IDE. I really like the amount of community involvment I see, the level of sophistication in the tools and the amount of free tools. Not to mention the whole single-cycle instruction thing is pretty cool. I'm wondering why I haven't gotten started with the AVR line earlier.

To that end, I was thinking I'd like to find a way to program an AVR and interface it with an ethernet controller of some kind. It seems everybody raves about Microchip's ENC28J60. I'm wondering what a good controller would be to interface with it as far the capacity I'll need. I'd ideally not like to have to get familiar with a 32 bit machine if I don't have to, but in my application, I am trying to send commands to a relay board, as well as receive real time video and other status signals back.

Any recommendations? Any pitfalls anyone might be able to tell me about before I fall into them?

Thanks very much for the help

-Josh

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Much easier to use an 18F chip and Microchips TCP/IP stack with C18.

 

[aussiepoof]

I'd second that - and there's a family of 18F chips that has the ENC28J60 built-in. It's the PIC18F97J60 family with up to 128K of flash.

I've found using the 18F's with the MPLAB/C18 C compiler has dramatically increased my productivity over writing in assembler. Microchip also has an extensive TCP/IP library, http server etc. you can use to throw together a prototype pretty quickly.

P.

 

[deweyusa]

Thanks!

Thanks guys for the help. Just as I finished writing the initial post in this thread, I started to wonder if there was a Microchip integrated solution out there somewhere that had everything in the same bundle.

Any ideas on an good tutorials, or sites that have info on the 18F97J60 besides the datasheet? Microchip does give away a free C compiler for their 18 series devices, don't they?

Thank you again

-Josh

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Yes C18 SE is free.

The 18F97J60 is it's a 3.3V device in a 64pin TQFP package. If you're making a PCB it's fine, else a little tough to breadboard.

 

[deweyusa]

Atmel in the same league?

Not wanting to totally give up on Atmel, being so excited by them recently, does anyone know of anything Atmel makes that is in the same league as Microchip's 18F97J60? (Ethernet controller and microcontroller in the same chip).
I was about to commit to Microchip's eval board and PIC Kit 2 programmer, but just wanted to make sure I didn't miss something Atmel has. I checked their site, but can't seem to find anything.

Thanks


-Josh