cheapest microcontroller for a noob with high level programming language skills?

[snarkyFish]

I'm relatively new to electronic projects as a whole, but i've got the
basics down. I'm a computer geek with lots of higher level languages
under my belt, but i've never messed with stuff such as assembly. I
could easily handle c or basic though.

I'm itching to start tinkering with a microcontroller. If money were
not a problem, i'd probably pick up a kit similar to what parallax
offers:
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=27807
as it seems like a good 'noob's how to'

Of course, money is a problem. I was wondering if i could get some
advice on getting started with a simple / cheap microcontroller system.
Are there any out there that would let me program in basic (or
something similar) and could be programmed and run easily with the chip
on a breadboard and a serial port?

it seems like there's a continuum: cheap and hard to learn <==>
expensive and easy to learn
is that true?

This question is starting to run long.. sorry. I'd like a basic
microcontroller, with good reference materials on the net that can get
me started. I'd like to just breadboard simple experiments and
projects at 5v.

Any advice?

 

[Roger]

I'm relatively new to electronic projects as a whole, but i've got the
basics down. I'm a computer geek with lots of higher level languages
under my belt, but i've never messed with stuff such as assembly. I
could easily handle c or basic though.

I would reccomend ARM7 based controllers, there are some quite small
and low cost versions, and cheap evaluation boards to try them out. Try
the lpc2000 group on Yahoo groups for recommendations on cheap tools
and boards, there are a lot of hobbyists on that group and you will
also find projects with PCB layouts to download from the file section
if you fancy building your own kit.

The adavatage of these devices for an experienced programmer is that
you get a very convential programmers model, unlike many small
microcontrollers such as the PIC which have odd and limited models. The
ARM7 has a straightforward 32bit Von Neuman architecture. You can e.g.
malloc(3000) and cast it to an array of structures. You can use
pointers as you would on a PC and expect efficient code to be produced.
You can build arbitrary look up tables in Flash without special tricks.
(These points should also give you some idea of the problems you can
have coding on little micros!). You can use the GNU toolchain to build
ARM7 apps.

 

[Pooh Bear]

I'm relatively new to electronic projects as a whole, but i've got the
basics down. I'm a computer geek with lots of higher level languages
under my belt, but i've never messed with stuff such as assembly.

Thankfully you don't have to. What made you think you did ?

I've always used high or intermediate level languages to program
microcontrollers, only recently having to use assembler for a little DSP that
only had support at that time for same.

Graham

 

[Bill Bowden]

I'm relatively new to electronic projects as a whole, but i've got the
basics down. I'm a computer geek with lots of higher level languages
under my belt, but i've never messed with stuff such as assembly. I
could easily handle c or basic though.

I'm itching to start tinkering with a microcontroller. If money were
not a problem, i'd probably pick up a kit similar to what parallax
offers:
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=27807
as it seems like a good 'noob's how to'

Of course, money is a problem. I was wondering if i could get some
advice on getting started with a simple / cheap microcontroller system.
Are there any out there that would let me program in basic (or
something similar) and could be programmed and run easily with the chip
on a breadboard and a serial port?

it seems like there's a continuum: cheap and hard to learn <==>
expensive and easy to learn
is that true?

This question is starting to run long.. sorry. I'd like a basic
microcontroller, with good reference materials on the net that can get
me started. I'd like to just breadboard simple experiments and
projects at 5v.

Any advice?

You might check out the PIC microcontrollers. You can get a cheap
device such as 16F628 with 2k of program ROM and 250 bytes of RAM and
two 8 bit I/O ports for about $3. There are 3rd party basic compilers,
but it's pretty easy to use in assembly. There are only 35 instructions
and some are the same as in Basic of GOTO, CALL, ect. The development
software (in assembly) is free from Microchip.com and you can build a
programmer to load the compiled HEX file into the device with just a
few parts.

For a tutorial, you might check this link:

http://www.mstracey.btinternet.co.uk/pictutorial/picmain.htm

-Bill

 

[Jasen Betts]

it seems like there's a continuum: cheap and hard to learn <==>
expensive and easy to learn
is that true?

pretty much, but you pay for computing power too.

most micros can be programmed in C often the compiler is free/cheap
but in assembler you can do more as c compilers bloat the size of
the binary, still if you have a small task and a small (cheap) micro,
C could work.

This question is starting to run long.. sorry.

don't be. questions that are too short are frustrating to the reader.

I'd like a basic
microcontroller, with good reference materials on the net that can get
me started. I'd like to just breadboard simple experiments and
projects at 5v.

Any advice?

AVR (atmel.com) or PIC (microchip.com)

parts are available from the usual sources
(I see you're in USA so digikey.com, mouser.com).

if you want to learn assembler go with the AVR
its assembler is easier to learn

for a first project just wire the chip up to some LEDs and make it light
them some pattern, then make the pattern move.

if you're wanting to avoid the electronics part there are development boards
out there but they cost. However when it doesn't work you can be pretty sure
it's your software, not your hardware giving you the problem.


Bye.
Jasen

 

[David L. Jones]

I'm relatively new to electronic projects as a whole, but i've got the
basics down. I'm a computer geek with lots of higher level languages
under my belt, but i've never messed with stuff such as assembly. I
could easily handle c or basic though.

I'm itching to start tinkering with a microcontroller. If money were
not a problem, i'd probably pick up a kit similar to what parallax
offers:
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=27807
as it seems like a good 'noob's how to'

Of course, money is a problem. I was wondering if i could get some
advice on getting started with a simple / cheap microcontroller system.
Are there any out there that would let me program in basic (or
something similar) and could be programmed and run easily with the chip
on a breadboard and a serial port?

it seems like there's a continuum: cheap and hard to learn <==>
expensive and easy to learn
is that true?

This question is starting to run long.. sorry. I'd like a basic
microcontroller, with good reference materials on the net that can get
me started. I'd like to just breadboard simple experiments and
projects at 5v.

Any advice?

You simply will not be able to beat the PIC-AXE. It's like a Parallax
BASIC Stamp, but much cheaper and simpler to use.
Tons of info on the net, and magazines like Silicon Chip run dozens of
projects using it.
There is no simpler way to get into microcontrollers.

Dave

 

[snarkyFish]

You might check out the PIC microcontrollers. You can get a cheap
device such as 16F628 with 2k of program ROM and 250 bytes of RAM and
two 8 bit I/O ports for about $3. There are 3rd party basic compilers,
but it's pretty easy to use in assembly. There are only 35 instructions
and some are the same as in Basic of GOTO, CALL, ect. The development
software (in assembly) is free from Microchip.com and you can build a
programmer to load the compiled HEX file into the device with just a
few parts.

For a tutorial, you might check this link:

http://www.mstracey.btinternet.co.uk/pictutorial/picmain.htm

-Bill

Wow, that's just the kind of info i was looking for. I've been reading
through it, and that code isn't really that hard to follow. It's
always a power & flexibility vs. cash dynamic really.. I might just
grab one of those and cut my teeth on it, then move up to something
bigger and cooler.

 

[snarkyFish]

You simply will not be able to beat the PIC-AXE. It's like a Parallax
BASIC Stamp, but much cheaper and simpler to use.
Tons of info on the net, and magazines like Silicon Chip run dozens of
projects using it.
There is no simpler way to get into microcontrollers.

Dave

I've heard a lot about the Pic-Axe, It sounds like it might be a good
compromise between a low level design where i have to build my own pc
interface (like the schematics in the tutorial bill linked) and
parallax systems that cost an arm and a leg, but handle the nitty
gritty for me.