Any recommendations for a development board?

[Harry Mueller]

I've just started out with the CCS compiler and Mach X programmer and am starting to realize that I could probably benefit from some kind of development board that would interface with the ISD cable on the programmer so I don't have to keep taking the chip off the breadboard to program it.

I've looked around but nothing seems to jump out at me. I was wondering if anyone has found a board that they would recommend as a good platform for generally learning how to program in C (esp. one that supports the Mach X ISD.

Thanks....Harry

[MikeValencia]

Best bang for the buck would be the ICD-2 Plus from Microchip. It has an RJ11 for incircuit programming and emulation, pots for A/D, LCD display, LEDs, temperature sensor to demonstrate i2c, external eeprom, pushbuttons, etc. It also fits 40, 28, and 18 pin PICs.

[Neutone]

[Harry Mueller]

Mike: Do you mean the PICDEM 2 PLus? Looks like a great deal! My only concern is that it will not work directly with the CCS Mach X ISD beacuse it has an RJ-11 connector while the Mach X has an RJ-12. Apparently down compatibility from the RJ-11 to the RJ-12 works but not in the other direction. I have another thread a few lines down that addresses my questions and thoughts on that.

Neutone: I've got the PCW version of the CCS compiler which doesn't support the PIC18s.

Harry

[hillcraft]

I have a Picdem 2 Plus and I use my CCS ICD on it without a hitch.

[Neutone]

http://www.ccsinfo.com/evalkit877.shtml

The same kit with a 16 series PIC can be had.

[Harry Mueller]

[treitmey]

I have used the pic proto 64 with a sample 18F452 with great success. $16
They have many to choose from.
http://www.melabs.com/products/picproto/40+pproto.htm

[Neutone]

You could also wire the Mach X ISD directly to the breadboard you have now.

[Harry Mueller]

[kender]

Get a PIC in a DIP package such (such as 18F452) and a breadboard and roll your own development setup. This way you will:

- Get your hands dirty with developembnt of the microcontroller hardware
- Be able to replace anything should you blow up something
- Be ableto add new functionality withouth hay-wiring something to your canned development board.

Take a look also at this discussion: http://www.ccsinfo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24525

[PCM programmer]

I had made some comments about PicDem2-Plus in a PM. I might
as well post them for this thread.
------------------------------------------

PicDem2-Plus is sort of OK.

A lot of the peripheral circuits are hardwired to the PIC sockets.
It would be better if Microchip had put in jumper blocks so that
components could be removed from the circuit. Examples:

1. They have a 32 KHz crystal and caps on pins RC0 and RC1,
for use with the 2nd oscillator, if you wanted to make a real time clock.
But the crystal is soldered in, and can't be jumpered out. So if
you want to pins C0 and C1 for something else, you have to unsolder
the crystal.

2. The main clock source that they intend for you to use is an "can"
style oscillator. You can pull it out of the socket to disable it,
or change to another one. They also have a circuit for a
crystal, but it has no socket. If you solder in a crystal and caps,
you can't use the main "can" oscillators anymore. I'm planning
to put machined pins (or cut off a piece of a machined socket)
and solder it into the crystal holes, so I can easily swap between
a crystal and an oscillator "can".
Also, because the "can" style oscillator is the main clock source,
on some PICs you must specify "EC" or "EC_IO" fuse in order to
get it to work. Normally, we're used to using "XT" or "HS" for
a crystal, and it's hard to get into the habit of remembering to
try "EC" if the PIC doesn't work. Only some PICs are affected
by that. A lot of them will still work with the "can" oscillator
even though you specify XT or HS for the oscillator setting.

3. The LCD is permanently attached to the board. You can't
move it to some other pins.

4. It doesn't have enough tactile switches -- it only has two.
You would really like to have 4 or 5, so you could prototype
a menuing system on the board. I had to solder in some
extra tactile switches in the prototyping area of the board.
They cost only a few pennies. I feel like they should have
been on there. Plus, the two that were on there went bad,
and I had to replace them.

5. It doesn't use ZIF sockets. Instead, it has machined-pin
DIP sockets. So, it's not as easy to swap out chips as it
should be. Also, there's not really enough clearance to
add ZIF sockets to the board.

This sounds like I hate the board. I don't. It's OK for what it does.
It has the nice RJ-45 socket that the Microchip ICD2 plugs right in to.
It does have sockets for 40-pin, 28-pin, and 18-pin PICs. Though,
it takes a small flat-blade screwdriver to jimmy the PICs out of
the sockets. And you can only use one PIC at a time. It does have
a small prototyping area. It does have an EEPROM.

A board with a solderless breadboard attached to it would have been
helpful for quick prototyping.

[MikeValencia]

[MikeValencia]

[Harry Mueller]