Totally Clueless...

Will-

Hi,

I realy want to learn how to programe pic's, build my own circuits, robots, ect.
I do have some basic electrical and very little electronical experience.
I want to know where and with what do i start first with?? I bought myself the MPLAB ICD2 programmer but when i started working through the manual, when i got to actually writing the code. I had no idea what i was doing. So i got a book " The ART of Assembly Language" and started working through there(to learn how to code and how the stuff works), man thats a big book and going to take me a very long time to work through that.(3 nights and im on page 20/1300+).
Just want to know, am i an the right course?or am i taking the long route?? I've always loved electronics and programming(or just the idea of being able to do that someday as im a working profesional cnc programer and cad designer.).

Any advice and guidance will be greatly appreciated!

Thank You very much in Advance!

ElectricAye

Will-

Welcome to the Forums!

Well, if you want to learn about DIY robotics, electronics, and microcontrollers you have come to the right place. Parallax sells a number of different chips - Basic Stamps, Propeller chip, etc. - that can help you get started learning about the sorts of things you want to learn about. As a company, Parallax does an excellent job of providing an easy "on ramp" for people exactly like you. They have entire books that introduce microcontrollers, etc. that you can download for free. However, this forum is not about pics. I suppose there are forums elsewhere for that, but before you run off looking for them, you really should take a look at the educational materials you can download here for free. And then take a look at the various educational kits that Parallax sells. In my opinion, speaking as a person coming from the mechanical world, they were able to take me by the hand and lead me step by step toward the ability to make my own electronic instruments.

Have a look at these and, in particular, the "What's a Microcontroller?" book.

http://www.parallax.com/Education/TutorialsTranslations/tabid/535/Default.aspx


http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?89958-Propeller-Education-Kit-Labs-Tools-and-Applications

Also, feel free to ask the forum any questions you might have. People here are generally a pretty good bunch.

Enjoy!

Unknown

You should start out with "What is a Microcontroller?".

Understand the nature of electronics. Products are coming and going and there is a lot more involved than you might know.

Get the right tools and it will save you a lot of time.

bill190

You can and will learn to program a Pic, but I would suggest starting at the beginning with your learning...

Parallax (here) and Radio Shack sells the "What's a Microcontroller" Basic Stamp microcontroller kit. I would suggest starting with that. There is a forum here for that and there is TONS of support. You will be able to ask any question and get quick very good help.

After you master that, then move on to the Parallax Propeller (sold here). Start out with programming in "SPIN" language, then you can move up to assembly language with that microcontroller. And again there is tons of support here and a forum just for that.

After you master that, THEN try a Pic. They have a forum at...
http://www.microchip.com/forums/default.aspx

There are a lot of professional programmers on the Pic forum. They might not have much patience with total beginner questions, whereas they do here. But once you get a bit of learning under your belt, then you would be able to ask more informed questions and they would help you.

Just installing MPLAB and learning about it can be quite a task. I imagine this could be quite frustrating if you don't know anything about microcontrollers, how they are programmed, etc. Anyway that is quite advanced.

Also note that assembly language "words" will be DIFFERENT for different microcontrollers / microprocessors. So a book on assembly language programming might be for a particular microprocessor and might not have anything to do with a Pic! (i.e. frustration big time!)

And that book would not have anything to do with a Basic Stamp microprocessor. Nor a Propeller microprocessor!

i.e. The Basic Stamp comes with its own book. The Propeller has its own different book. And there are books specifically for Pics, but those might cover only certain Pic microcontrollers. So again you would want to be working with the same Pic microcontroller(s) as is discussed in that book.

Here is just one page listing different Pic microcontrollers...
http://www.microchip.com/ParamChartSearch/chart.aspx?branchID=1002&mid=10&lang=en&pageId=74

And there are plenty more! Then you need to use different "compilers" depending on *which* Pic microcontroller you are working with. Then that gets back to installing MPLAB and also installing the correct compiler for *that* chip! Mind boggling...

So start out simple... One microcontroller chip - Basic Stamp - And one book for that particular microcontroller which comes with the What's a Microcontroller kit. Then what you are reading pertains to that specific chip.

Leon

For questions about things "PICish" you need the Microchip forums:

http://www.microchip.com/forums/Default.aspx?

Here are some excellent tutorials on using PICs, that assume that you start knowing next to nothing about MCUs:

http://www.gooligum.com.au/tutorials.html

This Microchip starter kit is ideal for use with those tutorials:

http://www.microchipdirect.com/ProductSearch.aspx?keywords=DV164120

Will-

Thanx-a-Lot Guys!!!
Really appreciate all the Help!
I will follow your Experience and start with the download of "What's A Microcontroller" and work through the book.

I'll be in touch!

Thanx again!

iDave

Your getting excellent advice as I would have started out with whats been mentioned. After that though I would suggest getting into the "Robotics with the Boe-Bot" pdf manual...also free. It delves into the robotics side of things that I think will interest you and propel you further(Prop-el?)

Good luck!

LoopyByteloose

The Art of Assembly Language is a Huge tome. The first few chapters may be of use for small microcontrollers, but starting with a Basic Stamp is likely to be a lot more empowering and fun.

The real trick here is to get a short informative approach, such as What's a Microcontroller rather than reading someone's opus that covers 'all and everything' about Intel computers.

Will-

thanx,
I thought that book was a bit to Heavy for me to start with! With me having no prior knowledge of pic's & microcontrollers... I did enjoy learning binary and hex, did it at school but forgot how to do it over the years since finished with school and out of the trade... Im really bored at my work, thats why i want to further my studies and go after my love for electronics, plc's and robotics.