Micro-Controllers
For more information on microntrollers, kits,
chips, software see
Contents:
See also
Full Project design
Firmware design
Circuit design
Mechanical design
Micro Controllers
What is a micro-controller?
The simplest definition would be to say it is a
single chip computer:
It has an instruction processing core
Memory to store the required program
Memory to store the data
Input/output ports to talk to the outside world.
History
The predecessors of the micro controller were
The "little endians"
-
Intel 8008 , very primitive, became the 8080
this then evolved into two streams , one became more integrated,
the 8051 style micro-controller while the other evolved into the 8016 ,
8032 , 8086,(as used in IBM PC's) 80286, 80386, 80486, 80586 (pentium),
80686.
-
Zilog Z80 , was a more organised version of the
8080, its big claim to fame was that it could refresh the dynamic ram chips
in the background , used a multiplexed bus, so always took 3 clock cycles
to process an instruction. The Z80 was extremely popular in coin-in-the-slot
video games, and is still in use!
The "big endians"
Rockwell 6502 , used in some of the first
"personal computers" (way before the IBM) and the early "apple ii" computers.
Motorola 6800, similar to the 6502, evolved
slightly to be the 6809 micro-controller, and evolved bigger into
the M68000 (this chip has 64pins!), used a lot more board real-estate than
the intel style, but ran a lot faster, as one instruction executed per
clock cycle, this chip is still used today in apple macintoshes
Modern day microntrollers:
8051 vs risc / philips / atmel/ xenix
[stuff about
block diagrams?]
More microntroller links:
Home Page. The World's
Largest Range of Atmel/AVR & PIC/micro hardware and software
Microchip. Manufacturer of PIC products.
PICList related FAQ's
Jeff Keyzer's Real-Time
PICLIST Mailing List Archive
PICList Archive
Wirz Electronics. SLI-LCD and many other items of interest. Dontronics
US dealer.
PIC Micro Zone. by Kalle Pihlajasaari. Dontronics South African Dealer.
Square 1 Electronics. EasyPIC'n Beginners Guide. Dave and Wanda Benson.
Myke Predko's PIC and Microcontroller Reference Page
Dontronics Portuguese Dealer.
PicBasic PRO Compiler and other products.
Paul's musings on the Black (Digital) Arts.
Solutions Cubed.
Italian Technology.
Fast Forward Engineering. Includes an Embedded Systems Programming Answer
Line.
Net resources specific to microchip pic architecture
Alberto Ricci Bitti Home Page.
PICmicro programming service for all 8-40 pin 8 bit mcu devices from Microchip.
Ronald Nollet Home Page
Industrial Electronics Systems.
DIY Electronics Hong Kong
David Tait's PIC links David
Tait's Programmer Software Variants.
CodeDesigner PicBasic / PicBasic Pro Editor Software
NEW
NEW
Pic n' Basic compilers and complete PIC / SX development systems. NEW
MIDI hardware Kits use the
PIC 16C84 Microcontrollers and come ready built.
Bob Drzyzgula's
Some Electronics Stuff.
Ham-Pic Resources Page
KBOB'Tronics
Shepard Engineering Concepts
Matrix Multimedia
Shareware version of our Virtual PIC, also PIC Tutor.
A&F PIC-KIT18 - The Effective
Way to PIC Prototyping.
Getting Started
with the PIC 16C84 by Steve Marchant.
PIC16C84
Stuff by Pavel Baranov.
XAVIEN Technologies
PIC Corner
CANTronics Specializes in robotics,
microcontrollers and hobby kits.
The
PIC Links Page
Jonathan's Microchip
PIC Links
Dr. Claus Kühnel Consulting
and Distribution. (New Stamp Book.)
Peter Anderson's Home page. Heaps
of interesting PIC gear here!!
PIC General Info By
Michael Pearce
Steve
Lawther's home page.
Welcome to my world
of Electronics & Computer Programming by Beau Schwabe
Microchip Net
Resources Page (Formerly ORMIX)
HAMID's
CyberLEPAK CORNER. Electronics Links
Pascalite is a microcontroller
(using Microchip 16C71) that is programmable in the language Pascal.
Gary Bach Electronic Kits and Products:Gone?
Mark's Microcontroller Tools. Some
interesting stuff, with source code for servos, etc.
Silicore Corporation Fabricate your
own PICmicro compatible microcontroller
Orbit CommunicationsWireless Data
Communication Solutions
Mp3
PuBliC The First Mp3 CD Player FREE!!!
Oricom Technologies
Understanding & Programming
the PIC16C84
Embedded Systems Mall
NEW
Reflections NZ
NEW
Electronic-Circuits
for Model-Aircrafts, PIC16F84-PIC16F8xx-Programmer for Windows
NEW
Baltic-Microsolutions
In German with custom-developement of hardware/software using PIC´s,
Atmel AVR´s and DSPs.
NEW
Wouter's PIC (and other
electronics) page NEW
