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Custom Software, Firmware & Hardware Development Specializing in Industrial, Scientific and Commercial Applications Experts in M2M Communications, Remote Monitoring & Control Wireless, GSM, GPRS, SMS, WiFi and Ethernet | 
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Some Projects
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Why is Microchip Our Microprocessor of Choice... I've been designing microprocessor-based products for over thirty years. I cut my teeth on the first real microprocessor (Intel 8008) and over the years I've worked with dozens of different processors from numerous manufacturers - many of which are no longer made. These include the RCA 1802, Fairchild F8, Intel 8080, and the Motorola 6800. One processor family that I've used for dozens of designs, and that is still quite popular is the 8051 - originally produced by Intel. This processor is currently available in more than 100 variants from about a dozen different manufacturers. While this seems impressive, the variants have little in common, other than the processor core. The on-board peripherals, pin-outs and extensions vary widely. About 10 years ago, I was introduced to the Microchip PIC series of processors. What drew me to these processors - and one of the reasons that I use them almost exclusively today - is that that they have a wide variety of pin-compatible parts. If the need arises, I can easily substitute a part with more I/O, more memory, or a specific peripheral without the need to change my board layout or firmware. With over 200 variants no other manufacturer offers such versatility. Also, since most Microchip parts are available with FLASH program memory, they can be reprogrammed thousands of times. Since the bulk of my applications are for industrial, commercial and scientific applications, I often have the need to utilize various interfaces, including Ethernet, CAN, LIN, I2C, and SPI. Microchip has on-board controllers for all of these interfaces. And when I don't need them, I can choose a pin compatible part, at a lower cost, that doesn't include them. Rarely do I have to add an external peripheral controller when using Microchip parts. I develop most of my code in 'C', so good development support for the language is important to me. In addition to their free MPLAB IDE, Microchip has C compilers available at a reasonable cost. Several third-party vendors also sell compilers for Microchip parts - including ByteCraft, CCS, IAR, Knudsen and Hi-Tech. This allows you to choose the best cost/performance trade-off for your budget. And for debugging, Microchip has their low cost ICD 2 , which allows you to set breakpoints and examine variables in your application. It also doubles as a low volume programmer, and is compatible with many of Microchip’s parts, so there’s no need to buy multiple debuggers/programmers when using their FLASH based parts. In addition to a wide variety of compatible parts and great development tools, Microchip is dedicated to educating their customers. Their web site contains hundreds of applications notes, dozens of on-line seminars, and code examples. They also hold numerous hands-on seminars all around the country, as well as their yearly MASTERS seminar – an intensive 4-day training event held each summer. When you’re ready to start your next project, give me a call and I’ll show you why Microchip is your best choice. Andy Beck |
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