Yet another intro dev board - dsPIC - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: JohnS_AZ
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 12:17:30 am
content: This one is 25 bucks (US), and won't ship till the middle of October.http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en548414

author: Zad
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 04:26:20 am
content: Or just buy a DSPIC from Farnell /Digi-Key / Wherever and put it in a breadboard. They don't need a huge amount of support glue. I always seem to and up using an ARM part instead of one of these, but of course they don't come in DIP form. I know Dave prefers PICs in this slot, mostly on cost grounds, but ARMs start at 76 pence (£0:76) in qty, so ya pays ya money and takes ya pick. Or PIC.

author: joelby
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 04:40:51 am
content: Sure, as long as you've already got a programmer. Since this integrates a programmer and debugger logic, you don't need a Pickit 3. This makes it pretty decent value for classroom situations where you might want a few dozen. If you've already got a programmer, then you're right - move along

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 10:16:47 am
content: how about we buy or build something like this...http://cgi.ebay.com.my/FTDI-USB-RS232-UART-Serial-Converter-USB-RS232-PCB-/300423054517?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Components_Supplies_ET&hash=item45f29c04b5and then buy any chip we want with serial comm pins, start learning to build its bootloader, and then build something.... like this!

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 10:50:56 am
content: The adapter above is to RS-232 levels. Many boards don't include a MAX232 chip, so you need an adapter to TTL levels. This link shows two similar modules, except they convert to TTL levels. The first is a small board/connector combo to header pins. It's nice because it will supply either 5v or 3.3v to your circuit.The second adapter is a cable for a more-finished look. It's wired to provide 5v, but can also supply 3.3v if the housing is snapped apart and a wire moved to a different solder pad.These a quite a bit cheaper than the above too.USB-UART Adapters

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 09:17:52 pm
content: Quote from: Jon Chandler on September 29, 2010, 10:50:56 amThanx for highlighting this out, it is much appreciated as i was struggling to find the correct unit in ebay the same to what i've bought earlier (USB-UART) not (USB-RS232). it seems gone already.

author: djsb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 09:27:28 pm
content: I have a dsPIC for my explorer 16 board but as there are very few code examples available I never use it. Shame as I'd like to learn more about using them.David.

author: Jon Chandler
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 10:26:17 pm
content: Shafri,Check out this link. It tells you exactly what to search for on ebay. I just checked and got a bunch of hits.http://www.clever4hire.com/throwawaypic/useful-bits

author: joelby
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2010, 11:55:37 pm
content: Quote from: djsb on September 29, 2010, 09:27:28 pmIt's just a normal PIC with some extra instructions, and Microchip supply DSP libraries that take advantage of them. Were you having trouble with anything in particular?

author: sonicj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2010, 02:17:43 am
content: so whats the cheapest route for re-flashing a PIC 16F88? i seem to have hosed a serial LCD and i think re-flashing is the least painful solution to recovering.

author: djsb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2010, 04:07:39 pm
content: Quote from: joelby on September 29, 2010, 11:55:37 pmJust want to start with the basics as I'm new to dsp and I hoped there would be some tutorials available. There are a few projects around but it's difficult to understand how the dsp side of them works. Suppose I'll just have to keep looking.

author: JohnS_AZ
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2010, 04:28:29 pm
content: @djsb : Well if you find one let me know.I'm in the same boat. I know in general terms what DSP is but I've ever worked with it, and I haven't found theIdiot's Guide to DSPdocument on-line yet.

author: joelby
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2010, 02:42:59 am
content: Quote from: JohnS_AZ on September 30, 2010, 04:28:29 pmWell, there's this book:http://www.dspguide.com/

author: logictom
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 01, 2010, 09:25:22 am
content: I'm about to start learning DSP, are there any recommended chips to go with when starting out? I'm leaning towards a Microchip one having used PICs before.Looking for either a dev board or a single chip.Cheers

author: djsb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2010, 11:06:45 am
content: I'm using the Microchip explorer 16. It comes with a PIC24FJ128GA010 and a dspic33FJ256GP710A. They are swapable and there are several pictail board that can be plugged in to it.http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en024858I have steve smiths book Digital signal processing, just havent got round to reading it yet.

author: neslekkim
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 10:13:34 am
content: Sorry to wake up an old thread..Quote from: djsb on October 01, 2010, 11:06:45 amI bought this board now, and found that there doesnt seem to be any available io on the board itself?So it means that I have to get an pictail-something board just to be able to blink an led? (other than the ones on the board)

author: 22swg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 05:06:28 pm
content: Here in UK the Explorer16 was on offer last year 60GBP , so as i was looking for advancing to PIC24, ordered one and pigtail as well. BIG disappointment . no on board programmer / debug , USB PIC just a serial I/F 3.3v lCD interfered with A/D lack of I/O .... so its still in its box. doin my own thing now...http://digitaldiy.io/forum/general-electronics/2396-a-diy-pic24h-dev-board?limitstart=0

author: neslekkim
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 05:13:27 pm
content: ah, I bought this in the buy thread, came with dspic33 and pic24, and seems like I can get an pic32 for it also, but no place to get to the IO was something I didn't expect from an devboard..

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 06:53:44 pm
content: QuoteThe Explorer 16 was one of those "PIC-fan boy buys" - they are drummed up by people with an agenda.You can explore the PIC24 devices on a breadboard, or with some pcb adapter + ghetto style, at a much lower price point and with far more flexibility than the Explorer 16 would offer.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 08:03:51 pm
content: Quote from: 22swg on November 02, 2014, 05:06:28 pmIt is an evaluation platform supporting a bunch of different processors on PIMs and peripheral parts on PIC tail boards. It is the target for lots of their demo firmwarel. There is a little bit of prototyping area if you want to hack it around and you can get bare PIC tail prototype boards. I don't know what else people would think or expect it to be.I seem to remember someone did a port of PICKIT 2 firmware to run on the on board PIC18 although you would need a stand along programmer to load it anyway.

author: neslekkim
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2014, 09:11:31 pm
content: Quote from: Rufus on November 02, 2014, 08:03:51 pmThe prototyping area is just an breadboard on pcb, that is not the issue, and I have ICD3 and Pickit3 so no problem either, but accessing any io from the chip?, everything is only on an properitary connector..The prototype board to connect there is almost the same price as I paid for the explorer itself (which I god cheap)