Would you like to write a PIC book with me?

Nigel Goodwin · Dec 16, 2007

ThermalRunaway said:
Yeah it's no big secret or anything. Basically I'm writing some software for a PIC which will allow the use of the RC-5 protocol for infra-red communication. Not a new thing, and I know you can get dedicated ICs for communicating with infra-red, but I just wanted the experience of writing a program to communicate data using an existing protocol. I've got loads of RC-5 remote controls around my house so I can use them to test my design with (I'm doing the receive side first).

The transmit side is trivial, I've used my basic Sony SIRC's transmitter routines to do RC5 (and RC6) a number of times - it's only a few minutes job.

The receive side is more difficult though, my radio module tutorial basically does RC5 type decoding (Manchester decoding) - and if you check the link to the source where I got the basic routines from, there's more about it there.

The reason I choose Sony SIRC's for the IR tutorial is that it's so much easier (probably the easiest IR method), and there's no shortage of Sony remotes about - but RC5 is definitely the worlds most popular system.

As a matter of interest?, I first wrote routines to decode the Sharp remote system - but that was a LONG time ago - I analysed the output from a Sharp remote using a 386 DOS laptop. Back then there weren't loads of websites that told you all about the different protocols.

Hero999 · Dec 16, 2007

blueroomelectronics said:
The embedding font in Open Office is excellent, I have a keycaps font (looks nicer than <CTRL> <S> IMO) see above MPLAB example.

I'm sorry, it turns out that I was wrong about that, it doesn't embed the font at all, what it does it select a the closest font on your machine to the one used in the document.

blueroomelectronics · Dec 16, 2007

Then I'll post the keycaps font on my site, I've already posted 'Crystal' as it a monospaced font with a danish zero. Great for program listings.

bryan1 · Dec 17, 2007

Out of cuirostiy Bill I have noticed you frequent the microchip forum so you must of seen the minibasic thread in the pic 32 forum. Both Mike and Dario are doing leaps and bounds on bringing good ol' basic to the 18f and pic32's.Athough it's still in it's infancy give the boys time and good ol' basic on a huge 512k pic will be a breeze to learn. The more people i can expose to this minibasic will bring the concept closer to reality and the people so whynot include that option. Why bother with a picaxe whan minibasic with do and it's open source.

I appologise if you see ths hijacking your book but everyone seems to know basic in 1 way or another and this project will hopefully with open source become main stream.

Cheers Bryan

blueroomelectronics · Dec 17, 2007

Thanks bryan1, I haven't read much of the PIC 32 thread but I'll take a look. In the meantime I've been tinkering with Swordfish BASIC and it's really quite good and the free SE edition is quite useful. I've looked at gramo's code for it and it was easy to translate for the wee Junebugs 18F1320 PIC.

blackberry · Dec 22, 2007

Bill,I've got my source code on the motor control based on temperature project. The source code is in C language and I'm using the PIC16F877. The coding is very simple and a beginner like me should understand.

blueroomelectronics · Dec 22, 2007

blackberry said:
Bill,I've got my source code on the motor control based on temperature project. The source code is in C language and I'm using the PIC16F877. The coding is very simple and a beginner like me should understand.

I'd like to see it, what C compiler did you use?

blackberry · Dec 24, 2007

Bill,
Im using the PCW C compiler. How do I share the project with you? Can u give me email or anything to send you the package??

blueroomelectronics · Dec 24, 2007

You can zip it and post it here. CCS is fine, I'm not much of a C fellow but there are plenty of users here who are.

blackberry · Dec 27, 2007

here's the package Bill.

wombweller · Dec 30, 2007

ericgibbs said:
hi Bill,

>>> I'm looking for a good screen capture program (I use Snagit but it's not free)

Try 'screenhunter1.1' its freeware...

https://www.wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter.htm

Hi Eric
Just been reading through this very interesting post and came accross your link to screen hunter, this should prove to be a very usful tool for me

Not yet finished reading through the entire post on this topic but I for one would be very pleased to see the compleation so cheers from a PIC. newbi

regards Mark

blueroomelectronics · Dec 30, 2007

Thanks for all the great posts, suggestions and examples. I've been working over the holidays (such fun actually) with the Mongoose kit and Swordfish BASIC SE (marvelous software, really nice editor / IDE too).

I would like the book to be focused on 18F PICs and three main languages, ASM, Swordfish BASIC SE and C18 Student edition.

I'm still working on a sample chapter, it's taking so long because I'm also trying out layouts.

Thunderchild · Jan 12, 2008

Andy1845c said:
The reason I mentioned it is I have had a very hard time trying to understand how the registers, file addresses, config fuses, ect of a pic work. Basicly the nitty gritty of how they work and how to set them up.
I can modify some simple program scorce codes I have found online, but I am still lost on writing one of my own from scratch. And that what I really would like to be able to do.

I don't know if thats normal for starting with programming or not. I have seen many PIC Tutorials on the web, but I have yet to find one that really sinks in. Alot are outdated like you mentioned, and alot seem to jump in to things way over my head.

It would be cool if you do the book, if you had a section that started out assuming the reader knows nothing about any sort of programming language. Somthing that moves nice and slow, so the reader feels excited and not discouraged that alot of what he is reading isn't making sense.

Is this just me? Or are there some other PIC newcomers here that feel the same way?

I feel quite the same way, I agree with bill the 16F88 looks like a good start I think another member of this forum recomended it to me over the outdated 16F84 and I have like 10 samples of it that I hope to program soon, yea definitly please lets hear no more of the 16F84 its time authers grew up and moved on. from what I was told of the 18F series they are not much different from the 16F series and I did order some 18F1220 and 18F1230

Thunderchild · Jan 12, 2008

if you want a total beginers opinion of it and of how good it is for a total novice I don't ind helpoing there I'm about to start learning and know barely anything.... so I can tell you if it makes sense and is practical

blueroomelectronics · Jan 12, 2008

I'll be skipping the 16F as they are so well covered, 18F is the modern 8bit PIC now.

Nigel Goodwin · Jan 13, 2008

blueroomelectronics said:
I'll be skipping the 16F as they are so well covered, 18F is the modern 8bit PIC now.

Well! - they appointed Bill GOD and I missed it?

Couldn't resist!

Thunderchild · Jan 13, 2008

hm yea bill slow up don't go back on the 16F84 for the umteinf time but do at least start on at least one 16F pic like a 16F88 you also already have material on it ?

blueroomelectronics · Jan 13, 2008

Nigel Goodwin said:
Well! - they appointed Bill GOD and I missed it?

Couldn't resist!

Well since I'm editing it and doing the lions share then...

Besides Nigel, you've got the 16F covered with your tutorials. Last time I searched their are over 40 16F books on Amazon, and about 3 18F.

Pommie · Jan 13, 2008

What Bill is saying is that there are lots of "tutorials" on the web for the 16 series pics, much less the 18 series and so this is where he will concentrate his efforts. Personally, I think this is the right approach.

Mike

Nigel Goodwin · Jan 13, 2008

blueroomelectronics said:
Well since I'm editing it and doing the lions share then...

Besides Nigel, you've got the 16F covered with your tutorials. Last time I searched their are over 40 16F books on Amazon, and about 3 18F.

I wasn't criticising, hence the plethora of smilies, it was just this line that amused me!

18F is the modern 8bit PIC now

Would you like to write a PIC book with me?

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