| Author |
Message |
Robert Monsen
Guest
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 Posted:
Sat Mar 12, 2005 1:18 am Post subject:
Re: help: Choosing a MicroController (HAM radio) and some ot |
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renjith wrote:
| Quote: | I am looking for a micro-controller to use for my varsity project (ham
radio). I am not a great expert in micro-controllers and am not quite
sure what uC's I should considering. My priorities with choosing the
uC are as follows:
- General: Reliable and some sort of support available for the uC
would be great. Relatively affordable.
- Hardware:
Code Memory - 16-32K
Internal RAM - >256 bytes
UART - At least one
Preferably SPI (in-system programmable)
Preferably DIP version available
Preferably low voltage (5-10V ?)
Preferably >15 I/O pins
The code memory is because I intend to use C and am not yet sure
about the potential length of my program could come to,
whereas the RAM is to store packets that may be larger than 256
bytes that can be dealt with in memory as fast as possible. At
least one UART should be present, though more than one would be
great. An onboard FSK 1200 baud modem chip would be super but
not absolutely needed. A reasonable amount of I/O lines would
be great.
- Programming :in C (for free): This is a must. Maybe I'll
consider other medium-level languages like Visual Basic/etc,
but not assembly. I am familiar with assembly before and I'd
definitely prefer C in any case, probably using assembly only
in certain routines. I'm also looking for a free C compiler
since varsity won't be assisting financially and I'm not exactly
loaded with cash. The PIC would have been a great choice in this
aspect but I won't be using the PIC and 8051 for my project
(regulations).
- Other: A programmer. I'm not highly familiar with uC's, and
for the 8051 and PIC there are lots of programmers available.
What happens when the uC is new/with not a lot of support? Does
the user have to try and design one him/herself? I would like
to choose a uC that has a programmer (schematic) already
available.
I really need to make sure that I chose a reliable microcontroller that
I would be happy with. I would like to look at all possible
uC's available with regard to the above criteria.
Help would be highly appreciated.
Renjith
|
One often overlooked microcontroller is the Zilog Encore Z8. It is a
3.3V process, comes in DIP, supports C (they have a compiler for it,
it's not GCC) and supports source level debugging through a debug pin.
Look at the website. They usually have eval kits (I got one a few years
ago for less than $100) which comes with a processor, some peripherals,
a couple of RS232 ports (one for debugging, one for talking to the thing
through the UART).
I found it quite nice, until I discovered PICs. The main advantage I
find with PICs are that they come in 8 pin, internal clock packages.
Thus, they are that they are incredibly simple to prototype with.
--
Regards,
Robert Monsen
"Your Highness, I have no need of this hypothesis."
- Pierre Laplace (1749-1827), to Napoleon,
on why his works on celestial mechanics make no mention of God.
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Ulf Samuelsson
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Mar 12, 2005 2:25 am Post subject:
Re: help: Choosing a MicroController (HAM radio) and some ot |
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renjith wrote:
| Quote: | Thanks a lot petrus and l..., I took a look at the
ATMega series and many of the uC's there seem highly
suitable for my needs.
|
You will find plenty of more information on the AVR on the www.avrfreaks.net
website.
Tools:
* AVR Studio - Assembler/Debugger/Simulator/ICE Frontend.
* STK500 - Development Kit/includes an In System Programmer
* JTAGICE Mk II - Low cost emulator, allows you to download code, run, set
breaks and singlstep.
* WinAVR - gcc compiler for the AVR
Some commercial compilers
* IAR
* Imagecraft (Hi Richard!)
* Codevision
--
Best Regards,
Ulf Samuelsson
ulf@a-t-m-e-l.com
This message is intended to be my own personal view and it
may or may not be shared by my employer Atmel Nordic AB |
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Jim Granville
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Mar 12, 2005 4:03 am Post subject:
Re: help: Choosing a MicroController (HAM radio) and some ot |
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Robert Monsen wrote:
| Quote: | One often overlooked microcontroller is the Zilog Encore Z8. It is a
3.3V process, comes in DIP, supports C (they have a compiler for it,
it's not GCC) and supports source level debugging through a debug pin.
Look at the website. They usually have eval kits (I got one a few years
ago for less than $100) which comes with a processor, some peripherals,
a couple of RS232 ports (one for debugging, one for talking to the thing
through the UART).
I found it quite nice, until I discovered PICs. The main advantage I
find with PICs are that they come in 8 pin, internal clock packages.
Thus, they are that they are incredibly simple to prototype with.
|
So do the Z8 Flash parts ? ( but only recently )
-jg
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Anthony Fremont
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Mar 12, 2005 6:10 am Post subject:
Re: help: Choosing a MicroController (HAM radio) and some ot |
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"mc" <mc_no_spam@uga.edu> wrote
| Quote: | When did ham radio get to be HAM radio? "Ham" is not an abbreviation.
|
Right, it's an acronym. AIUI, Home Amateur Mechanic was a real magazine
that ran real articles about building your own amateur radios. |
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Anthony Fremont
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Mar 12, 2005 6:10 am Post subject:
Re: help: Choosing a MicroController (HAM radio) and some ot |
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"Roger Johansson" <no-email@no.invalid> wrote in message
news:Xns9616A726CB73A86336@81.174.12.30...
| Quote: | Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@iki.fi.NOSPAM.invalid> wrote:
How about the story of messrs. Hyman, Almy and Murray?
Here is that story:
http://www.w8eup.org/orgin_of_word_ham.cfm
Interesting, I had no idea where it came from before.
|
Apparently that's an urban legend.
http://www.ac6v.com/hamlid.htm
"Unfortunately for this story, none of it checks out. A past president
of the ARRL did extensive research in an attempt to confirm this
story. There is nothing in the Congressional record about little station
HAM. There is nothing in contemporary press records. And there
is no record of a Hyman, Almay, or Murray at Harvard at the time
this supposedly happened. This story first surfaced in an amateur
publication in 1948, and doesn't seem likely to die. But it appears
to have no factual basis." |
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Fred Abse
Guest
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| Posted:
Sat Mar 12, 2005 7:50 pm Post subject:
Re: help: Choosing a MicroController (HAM radio) and some ot |
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On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 02:04:20 +0000, Anthony Fremont wrote:
| Quote: | "Unfortunately for this story, none of it checks out. A past president
of the ARRL did extensive research in an attempt to confirm this
story. There is nothing in the Congressional record about little station
HAM. There is nothing in contemporary press records. And there
is no record of a Hyman, Almay, or Murray at Harvard at the time
this supposedly happened. This story first surfaced in an amateur
publication in 1948, and doesn't seem likely to die. But it appears
to have no factual basis."
|
Maybe it's just an abbreviation of "hammerchewer"
--
Then there's duct tape ...
(Garrison Keillor) |
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