Embeded Web Development Board with PIC 18F
-
Got started with PIC 18F embedded development board. Any recommendations in geting started with kind of project from software Development point. http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=64[^]
Tapas Shome System Software Engineer Keen Computer Solutions 1408 Erin Street Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3E 2S8 http://www.keencomputer.com www.ias-research.com/blog
-
Got started with PIC 18F embedded development board. Any recommendations in geting started with kind of project from software Development point. http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=64[^]
Tapas Shome System Software Engineer Keen Computer Solutions 1408 Erin Street Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3E 2S8 http://www.keencomputer.com www.ias-research.com/blog
keencomputer wrote:
Any recommendations in geting started with kind of project from software Development point.
Steer clear of Microchip boards? Oh wait... Two boards I've done development work with are the ATNGW100[^] which is a fantastic little board (about $80 in your currency from what I remember) and the ECO920[^]. If you're just playing around then I'd recommend the NGW100 because it's the cheaper alternative to get started immediately (the development kit for the ECO920 while vastly more capable is about £600). You can do all the development on Windows but if you're at all familiar with Linux then I'd recommend getting that up and running because everything is just simpler and more seamless. (Both boards run Linux by the way, BusyBox[^] in some form or other). If you do go down either route then I've had a fair amount of experience of both (and be careful upgrading the boot-loader, if you so wish from the default version, it's very flaky, I did one upgrade successfully on the NGW100, then realised I was following the wrong instructions for the second one so temporarily killed it until I can manually reprogram the flash. I haven't dared try upgrading the ECO920 modules because they're running on a £250,000 system).
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
-
keencomputer wrote:
Any recommendations in geting started with kind of project from software Development point.
Steer clear of Microchip boards? Oh wait... Two boards I've done development work with are the ATNGW100[^] which is a fantastic little board (about $80 in your currency from what I remember) and the ECO920[^]. If you're just playing around then I'd recommend the NGW100 because it's the cheaper alternative to get started immediately (the development kit for the ECO920 while vastly more capable is about £600). You can do all the development on Windows but if you're at all familiar with Linux then I'd recommend getting that up and running because everything is just simpler and more seamless. (Both boards run Linux by the way, BusyBox[^] in some form or other). If you do go down either route then I've had a fair amount of experience of both (and be careful upgrading the boot-loader, if you so wish from the default version, it's very flaky, I did one upgrade successfully on the NGW100, then realised I was following the wrong instructions for the second one so temporarily killed it until I can manually reprogram the flash. I haven't dared try upgrading the ECO920 modules because they're running on a £250,000 system).
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
Ed.Poore wrote:
if you're at all familiar with Linux then I'd recommend getting that up and running because everything is just simpler and more seamless.
Say what? :laugh:
-
Ed.Poore wrote:
if you're at all familiar with Linux then I'd recommend getting that up and running because everything is just simpler and more seamless.
Say what? :laugh:
You set up a NFS, DHCP, BOOTP, NTP, TFTP and compile an avr32 target GNU GCC/G++ cross-compiler on Windows. Then grab a copy of AVR32 BuildRoot and a copy of the Kernel and compile that, re-program the NGW100 with a new version of uBoot and then reprogram the kernel from Windows. After you've managed that then tell me which was easier... I'm not against Windows in anyway but I always try to use the right tools for the right job and compiling a Linux kernel on a Windows machine for deployment to a Linux platform is just, well, twisted.
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
-
Got started with PIC 18F embedded development board. Any recommendations in geting started with kind of project from software Development point. http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=64[^]
Tapas Shome System Software Engineer Keen Computer Solutions 1408 Erin Street Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3E 2S8 http://www.keencomputer.com www.ias-research.com/blog
-
Got started with PIC 18F embedded development board. Any recommendations in geting started with kind of project from software Development point. http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=64[^]
Tapas Shome System Software Engineer Keen Computer Solutions 1408 Erin Street Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3E 2S8 http://www.keencomputer.com www.ias-research.com/blog
It all depends on why you have/bought the PIC demo card. :) PIC owns most of the embedded market. There are many good reasons for that. IMHO, knowing other micros is good and nice, but today, employers want people that have specific skills and experience. And, with the job market as it is, they are able to find/get people like that. Also, it depends on your experience/desire to do real low-level drivers. Knowing how to properly handle interrupts on very low level is a skill that few people have. With Windows, the software engineer is far away from the real low level functions. It's super easy to get into deadlocks, miss interrupts, take too long for interrupts, make critical regions too big/small, etc. Doing RTOS code is a skill in itself. Also, the same is true for doing the low-level control of hardware - like DMA, timers, PWMs, ADCs, DACs, etc. You can have a PIC as a real-time controller in a RADAR application, response/control application (ABS brake system), or as a simple web server. There are similar skills needed for all of those. However, there are also very different and wide ranging specific skills/knowledge needed each of them. Good Luck! ____________ Joe