PIC Book or Tutorial

Get a development kit. The kits have a programmer/debugger and a device on a protoboard. Then find the book The.ANSI.C.Programming.Language.Ritchie&Kernighan.2n.ed.pdf and learn a little C. Microchips compiliers are pretty well debugged and well behaved. So writing real C will generate good code, not buggy code. Microchip has demos for their 18F and dsp parts, Optimaizations are turned off after 30 days, but you are not limited in any other way. Then pick a project and go for it.

You can go the ARM or AVR route, but some of the free compilers generate buggy code. Not the best for someone that is trying to learn.

Cheers

Where can I get an ARM clone in a DIP package?

Why didn't you ask about octal base glass package?

VLV

Lots of places. The Microcontroller Shop carries several

...

Also Sparkfun

and Micromint

and surely others. These were just quick few.

I still use DIP and wire-wrap, at times. But I'm a hobbyist. Besides, I wouldn't put it past someone to do an ARM7 in DIP (not that I've noticed one.)

There is a discerning division on pin-count, though. I can get 8-bit micros with 5, 6, and 8 pins. Pins translate readily to manufacturing cost (and thus, at some point, purchase price) due to the 'huge' die space required for anything going 'off chip' and the cost of wire-bonding and testing. Power consumption is likely to remain a bit of a dividing line -- ARMs are "low" power, compared to an x86. But they are not "low" power compared to an MSP430 and I don't imagine they ever will be.

Regardless, I'd very much like to know of a 6 or 8 pin ARM. Or if there are any even announced in some publicly available product plan.

Jon

Unfortunately, the cost is between 10x and 100x what I typically spend on an 8-bit PIC, although I daresay they're somewhat more powerful.

If you can do the job with an 8-bit PIC ( or whatever 8-bit) why even look at an ARM ?

If you need an ARM (or any 32-bit), why even discuss a PIC ?

Where is this discussion going ?

don

Incomplete specifications again... ;-)

Seriously, though, the chips themselves aren't that expensive even in quantity-one pricing, nor are the dev boards out of line with similar boards for other processor families. The only reason for DIPs, nowadays, is to stick on one of those plastic breadboards. Easier to just get a working dev board and start playing.

Not if you have those "global specialties" breadboards laying about or sacks full of wire wrap sockets, like I do, and want to get started on an idea over lunch today and not a week from now.

Jon

Very true. My BugBox has a few trays of assorted AVRs (and even a few PICs) that get plugged into breadboards for the occasional one-off or to try out an idea. They usually stay there until I need more breadboard space and can't remember what the heck that particular rat's nest of wires was originally built for...

But I also have a few ESD bags where the MSP430 and ARM dev boards live. They easily interoperate with the breadboards using a few jumpers or, for a couple that are on DIP carriers, just plug 'm in. Be a shame to miss out on the 32-bitters just because they don't fit on stripboard or breadboards.