Microcontroller Resources

[Peter Snowberg]

This thread is here to contain links to Microcontroller Resources

[The Tone God]

Atmel's AVR Product Site

Contains information, datasheets, app notes, device overviews, tools, software, code examples, etc.

http://www.atmel.com/products/avr/

Atmel's Beta Software Site

Patches, service packs, plugins, and beta software.

http://www.atmel.no/beta_ware/

AVR Freaks

The "Aron's" of AVR. An excellent forum. Also has a wealth of information on devices, tools, app notes, projects, software, and hardware.

http://www.avrfreaks.net/

WinAVR

The GNU GCC Compiler and other tools for AVR pre-built for windows users.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/winavr/

More to come.

Andrew

[R.G.]

The PIC has a built-in problem. It was the first easily programmed uController with onboard I/O and memory. When it became available it... exploded. The problem is figuring out where to start. There is so much already available on PICs that the profusion of possibilities are bewildering. I did some poking around for good places to pick up stuff free.

http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist/index.htm  - the mother lode. Start here.
http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist/begin.htm - Beginner's checklist for the PIC.
http://www.piclist.com/techref/microchip/devprogs.htm - the list of a zillion programmers for PICs, some using essentially no parts (i.e. the No Parts Programmer).
http://www.piclist.com/techref/microchip/routines.htm - the mother load of pre-written programming subroutines to do essentially whatever you want. String together like pearls.
http://www.piclist.com/techref/microchip/languages.htm?key=BASIC&from=
A good sample of the languages available for the PIC. Notice:
http://www.piclist.com/techref/microchip/language/basics.htm?key=BASIC&from= PIC microcontroller BASIC languages for the PIC. Note especially http://www.xcprod.com/titan/XCSB/
which is a ...free... optimizing, structured Basic compiler, includes source level debugging when used with the XCSIM simulator.
Also...
http://www.piclist.com/techref/microchip/language/cs.htm
All the C/C++ languages available for the PIC, some of which are free as well.
Also there is http://www.piclist.com/techref/microchip/language/c/index.htm, which is a library of preprogrammed routines for the PIC written in C.

Start looking there. If there is something you get confused about, ask.

[Dave_B]

I've had a difficult time finding a starting point for AVR assembler, especially compared to PIC's. 

Here are a couple:
http://www.avrbeginners.net/

http://avr-asm-tutorial.net/
(This one is in German and English, though the English can be a little tough to follow)

[Peter Snowberg]

For an introduction to the nuts and bolts, be sure to read the articles at The Tone God's Domain.

[genie]

avrforth

Subroutine Threaded Code, resident compiler with self-programmable functionality. Adaptable for ATmega series and AT90CAN128.

http://krue.net/avrforth/

[acromarty]

Cyan Technology <www.cyantechnology.com>.
16 bit microcontroller with free C compiler / development tools.
Sadly only surface mount devices available, but some starter kit modules with cpu and crystals mounted on a circuit board are due to be be launched soon.

[Jehle]

Microcontrollers are the heart of USB connections... consider these two...

http://www.designmsp430.com/default.aspx

http://www.create.ucsb.edu/~dano/CUI/

[Taylor]

This link is helping me a lot:

http://www.mstracey.btinternet.co.uk/pictutorial/picmain.htm

It's a total noob's guide to PICs, which is exactly what I need.

[mtripoli]

Check out: http://www.melabs.com/

I do almost all my programming for PIC's in assembly. However, I am working on a couple of projects right now (one is a monitoring system for a latex manufacturing machine) using PicBasic Pro. VERY simple to learn, lot's of examples and very good support.

Mike Tripoli

[rustypinto]

Gooligum has been incredibly helpful to me in the past:

http://www.gooligum.com.au/tutorials.html

Great beginner explanations on basic and midrange Michrochip MCUs and their features.

[Processaurus]

This link is helping me a lot:

http://www.mstracey.btinternet.co.uk/pictutorial/picmain.htm

It's a total noob's guide to PICs, which is exactly what I need.

Thanks so much for that link, I went from knowing nothing to getting a chip programmed and working flashing its LEDs here in the past few weeks.  Haven't been this excited in a while about electronics.

Note, the 16F84 the author uses in the example is a dinosaur by today's standards.  Microchip sells better, pin for pin compatible chips for less money:

http://www.finitesite.com/d3jsys/16F628.html

[Ronan]

For people starting out, who want to get into using microcontrollers, the Picaxe system by Reved is a good way to ease into the learning curve, both on the wallet and on the brain.

[aron]

Here's a Macintosh OS X link:

http://arduino.cc/hu/Guide/MacOSX

-- moments after linking the site crashed. I'm sure it will be back up shortly.

Look how easy it is to program if you know C

http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage

[jpwilksch]

+1 to the PICAXE.

It's good for those with little programming experience or who just want to get up and running quickly and cheaply. Heck, you don't even need a chip to start writing and testing code!

Program in BASIC.
Free all-in-one IDE/compiler/downloader/simulator (although this official software from RevEd is only for MS Windows).
Only a few resistors and serial cable needed to interface PC with the chip.

More info at: http://www.picaxe.com/Getting-Started/PICAXE-Manuals/

Also, although RevEd seem to discourage "cheapy" USB-to-serial cables, I have one and it has been working fine for some months :-)

[bosleymusic.com]

This thread is a mausoleum for dead links...

[Processaurus]

I've been learning C++ recently, with the endgame to be able to program the Microchip PIC18 series chips which are optimized for C language, as well as Arduino/Teensy.

This place SoloLearn has been decent, it's free for the program, but you have to pay for the homework  .  I ended up paying the $12 for a month because it's pretty cheap as far as education goes, and handy to have a built in page to test your code attempts, but if you don't want to spend a dime you can also practice C++ with this online "sandbox" for free, no account BS:
https://codehs.com/editor/explore_demo_in_sandbox/2673672

Also this Ausie "Creel" has a nice, unobtuse way of explaining the concepts, in a series of ~20 minute presentations:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0C5825724605DB2A

Also looks to have a series on assembly language.

Edit: Steer clear of the comments section at Sololearn, unless you are desperate.  The blind leading the blind.

[Jmariner]

Sigma Studio

If not already shared here, this is one of several programming applications I have come across for dedicated microcontrollers and embedded systems that enables anyone to program a dedicated digital FX chip for guitar and other musician and music purposes. The chips are affordable on Ebay, Aliexpress etc. and if anyone sought mass scale production, the pricing will obviously plummet.

I had hoped to reach digital electronics and software language for writing firmware when I was still in school for electronics/electrical engineering, but didn't make it that far. It is still on my agenda but will ultimately rely on private study. I was happy to see digital embraced on the forum with so many builders and designers typically being committed to 100% analog, and some with the goal to remain as tied down to vacuum tubes as possible. Currently, there are blind taste tests where very seasoned and skilled players mistake 100% digital amps right down to even the power stage for vacuum tubes.
My view is we're only cheating ourselves by avoiding it.

I just now wandered around in here with a long term goal of blending analog and digital since some of my best commercially manufactured equipment is hybrid, and let's face it, there are some abilities of digital that analog simply does not have, or it's extremely difficult and daunting to design and build these features with a desire for the end piece of equipment to have as small of a circuit footprint as possible.
As it is, my only digital goal is reverb and delay lol. This is definitely a realistic starting point with how simple and small those chips and circuits tend to be.