There is a new family of PICAXE microprocessors. These can be prgrammed in cicuit with merely a serial cable. They will rum to
20MhZ and are th best thing that has happened in the world of microprocessors. They use Ameican technology but are British built (they have a bootstrap loader).The language is VERY easy to learn and I'd suggest learning to use these in preference to others which need programmers, obscure voltages and need programming out of circuit.
There is a User Group for them.
Yes, they're built from various 8, 14, 18, 28, and 40 pin PICs.
And the development system is as free download. Extensive documentation is provided from the Help menu of the Programming Editor.
The system even includes a simulator!
The language is a variant of BASIC.
Picaxe processors are incredibly easy to use and apply. Even though I do quite a bit of work using PIC processors, I still reach for a Picaxe now and again for rapid interface development, or to just quickly try out a project idea. And, depending on the project's requirements, a Picaxe might be all I need. The Picaxe has enough power for some fairly sophisticated work.
Also, they're great for "portable projects." If you publish a project using a Picaxe, anyone wanting to build it can do so without a huge investment in development tools, something that doesn't hold true for a PIC.
Picaxe processors are wonderful tools that you can use to teach yourself the fundamentals of microcontrollers.
The best news? The chips are relatively inexpensive.
Tom
ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.