AVR interfacing

Development Boards MicroMod
1

I am having trouble getting started with MicroChip products and don’t have the patients to figure out how to just make an LED blink. So Im thinking about switching to AVRs. I need a starter kit that can be used from a laptop with only usb outputs. Will the parallel programmer work via usb to parallel adapter or is there an easier solution .

Thanks

2

Arduino?

It’s actually very easy with a PIC:

;test program for 16F690
;LED on RC0 (pin 16)

#include	"P16F690.INC"

	CBLOCK 0x20		; Declare variable addresses starting at 0x20
	Loop1,Loop2 
	ENDC 

	org	0

	movlw	0x70
	banksel	OSCCON
	movwf	OSCCON
wait:
	btfss	OSCCON,HTS		;oscillator stable?
	goto	wait			;no, wait

	BANKSEL PORTC		
	CLRF	PORTC		; clearing output
						; data latches
	BANKSEL	ANSEL 		; Select Bank of ANSEL
	MOVLW	0x00 		; Configure all pins
	MOVWF	ANSEL 		; as digital
	banksel	TRISC
	bcf	TRISC,0		;RC0 output
	banksel	PORTC


loop:
	bcf	PORTC,0
	call	dly
	bsf	PORTC,0
	call	dly
	goto	loop	

dly:
	MOVLW   0xFF 
	MOVWF   Loop1 
Outer:
	MOVLW   0xFF 
	MOVWF   Loop2 
Inner:
	NOP 
	NOP 
	DECFSZ  Loop2,F 
	GOTO    Inner          ; Inner loop = 5 usec. 
	DECFSZ  Loop1,F 
	GOTO    Outer 
	RETURN 
	
	end
3

My question is actually more related to the hardware of the AVR starter kits available with SparkFun. I only have USB outputs but the kit is a parallel programmer so I was wondering if that type of programmer would work with a usb to parallel converter. The PIC problems actually have to do with the MPLAB software.

4

The best tool for hobbyist use with AVRs is the Dragon, I wouldn’t bother with anything else. They are only $50 or so, and you get in-circuit debugging as well as programming.

I prefer MPLAB to AVR Studio.

5

In AVR-land, consider this. Has a structured BASIC with built-in multi-tasking, etc. Superb. Like MS Visual Basic 6.

Compiles to native mode or to a byte-code Virtual Machine, depending on your choices.

I think it’s far and away the best 8 bitter for Hobbyists.

(I have no stake in the company)

http://www.zbasic.net/forum/

http://www.zbasic.net/

Another really good one, compatible with free WinAVR/GCC or any language that yields a standard .HEX file to download, is

http://www.pjrc.com/teensy/index.html

Great value.

Would be great if SFE would stock these.