PICBASIC vs BASIC Stamp? (or other opinions)

is PIC Simulator IDE any good? I am thinking of buying it. Or is Mikrobasic better?

oPiaNts

I bought microbasic.com (mbasic pro), similar to mikrobasic. You can get an ISP (programmer and debugger) for about $60 for it (that is an in-circuit debugger). I did not order the debugger/programmer though. Have thought about it just to try it.

The format is like mikrobasic. In fact I would part with my mbasic pro, brand new, cheap. I want Proton myself.

Mikrobasic offer a 2K of code trial version which is nice for free.. And they can do other microcontrollers also (AVR, DsPIC, etc). I will use that for my next project to test it, unless it is complex, then assembler.

You might want to look at MPLabs (assembler), it is really nice and free.

mramos1 said:

oPiaNts

I bought microbasic.com (mbasic pro), similar to mikrobasic. You can get an ISP (programmer and debugger) for about $60 for it (that is an in-circuit debugger). I did not order the debugger/programmer though. Have thought about it just to try it.

The format is like mikrobasic. In fact I would part with my mbasic pro, brand new, cheap. I want Proton myself.

Mikrobasic offer a 2K of code trial version which is nice for free.. And they can do other microcontrollers also (AVR, DsPIC, etc). I will use that for my next project to test it, unless it is complex, then assembler.

You might want to look at MPLabs (assembler), it is really nice and free.

Click to expand...

Are you saying PIC Simulator IDE is no better than Mikrobasic then?

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try Mikrobasic.

I don't know about picaxe, but they sound just like hardware microcontroller boards ... Well, anyway, i realize now that Parallax also have Basic Stamp PDIP package Kit's for 30$ i guess, try their website and see...
On choosing a Basic Stamp choose BS2 or better, mine is BS2 i have it for some years ... In the other day, i tought it was damaged because the software detected the device ( the loop ) but it didn't read the device id ...
Cause: Low Current source depleted ( 4 AAA normal batteries ) ... LOL, well yes it takes a lot of energy ... The new pic's don't take that mutch LOL ... for the sake of Microchip future ...

oPiaNts said:

Are you saying PIC Simulator IDE is no better than Mikrobasic then?

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try Mikrobasic.

Click to expand...

I think I tried that one. And it did not work on my computer. But the MPLABs one works great.

Hi all,
i just discover this forum... seems a really nice place so far.

In the market there's many different compiler, so you have choice. Your choice depend of what you want to do and your personnal knowledge of the hardware.

Basic stamp may be nice but as previously stated... they're not cheap, limited and slow. Great for single shot project with a minimum knowledge... i don't disregard them. Simply i don't think the unit pricing worth their capability.

Melabs Pic Basic PRO, is the one i use daily from day 1. There's a huge debate between this one and the Crownhill Proton. I'm not going to say in public my comments on PROTON, but i'd choose to keep the Melabs PicBasic Pro.

Sure PBP doesn't provide all rings and bells of PROTON... of course but it's a mature and stable one and because i'd developp tons of routines 'round PBP (GLCD and name it), i keep it. It's a rock solid environnement, the e-mail tech support is pretty nice, their forum too. www.picbasic.co.uk/forum some of you probably already know me anyways

What is the best C compiler? Once again, it depend of what you want to do and ... yissh your budget. Hi-Tech C is the one i use when i need it... but i agree it's not the cheapest one. CCS seems to be a great one too. About the Microchip one... i'm learning this one as now. It's certainely not going to be my friend but the pricing is interesting.

About simulators. Well i don't use them so i can't ay wich one is the best. I can't trust it anyways... i have this old way of thinking... Virtual board=Virtual results, Real Board=Real results. I prefer to use an ICD or, mostely, use a LCD or a simple Serial Communication Via PC.

Download the trials. Oh MELABS does not have a trial I do not think. I bought it.. But write a small program, compile it and look at the .HEX file sizes.

I can tell you Proton makes much smaller code. And I would think that equates to speed as well. And I mean a lot smaller code. Mbasic is nice, I have it as well, but plan on PICs with a lot of flash (bloat).

It I personally did it over, I would have Proton, but Mbasic does work fine.

Most compiler have their own DEMO. Melabs too
https://www.melabs.com/pbpdemo.htm

I agree with the code size. But once you reject the unusefull statement in any compiler like pre-build Serial in, Serial out, Hardware PWM and button handling and you use yours, wich mean you understand what you do, most compiler will generate 'about' the same code space. But you must do some personnal homework. Compare if a REPEAT/UNTILL generate less than a FOR TO NEXT, and so on.

Anyways, i don't want to start any controversy or heated debate, it's not what the original topic asked and we already saw that too much in XYZ compiler forums. We're all adult anyways, we don't need any kid conversation.. IMHO so far.

I was stating what I found and I have all three of the products. Wish I had pulled the MELAbs demo first (and maybe I did this was months ago).

Anyway, I like Proton "personally" due to code size and speed. Do not think I was being rude. If it seemed that way, I am sorry if you took it that way. Also Bill did put in the topic "or other opinions".

By all means, I want to see spirited debate over which is better and why. Otherwise, what is a newbie to choose?

Here is a link, the author (Chuck, he write PIC books). He told me, he is probably going the Proton direction in the future (and agreed I should have went Proton), but at least you can compare on a few of them. So the link will probably change in the future. But it gives some good infomation.

**broken link removed**

Excuse my ignorance but what are these things used for,I retired from electronics 22 years ago so I'm a little perplexed.

A really rough explanation:

PICs or BasicStamp are programmable ICs. With those you can do almost everything you did using tons of regular TTL, CMOS combination. Tend to be used more and more with years because it really readuce the PCBs sized and also offer a better update capability... software instead of hardware.

Z80 or 8080 may remind you something? it's a newer technology wich doesn't required too much of external parts as in the past.

To make those blank parts working, you need to program them. PICs have to be programmed in assembler. BUT writing a program only in assembler is a tedious job. This is why some company release some compiler to increase the code writing speed hence time-to-maket.

Basic and C are the most popular language. The use of those compiler also decrease the debugging time. You convert a 'english-like' code to the PIC needed Assembler code.

It is a compiler, like a C compiler, but in a simpler syntax. You write your program in an English looking language, the compiler then converts it to assembler, and then calls the assembler to make the binary. Some of they use tokens and library calls which are slower and larger. Some use macros.

So when you are done, you write the binary into a PIC chip and have a custom chip that does what you need.

Looks like Mister_E and I posted at the same time.

Hehe, it looks similar.. so our friend can be sure of what being said

I wasn't aware of 'marcos' but macros ... just kidding

All fixed. Yea, Proton is ASM (or darn close) out, MELABS is marco (not bad), and Mbasic, stamp, etc.. TOKENS.. Yeek..

Not sure on Mikcrobasic. But for the price to play with it, gonna look.

So it is a processor, the Z80 I remember surfaced around 1975 if memory serves,no pun intended, and had a clock freq. at about 2 megs,at the time it was considered to be years ahead of its time,and so it was.

Thank you for your explanation.

They are like the microprocessor far as you have to write a program. The PICS have internal FLASH, RAM, EEPROM, I/O lines and some have internal oscillators.
ADC, PWM, timers, etc. They are fun.

Down side you need to have a programmer to program them, up side you can do a lot with them and save a lot of time as well.