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| breakoutMode | wide |
|---|---|
| language | none |
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Onboarding
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Guide
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(with
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PIC18
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MCU)
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Parts
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you
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need:
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MPLAB
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IDE
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MPLAB
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XC16
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Compiler
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Picdev
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board
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Questions
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before
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this
...
begins:
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What
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is
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a
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PIC?
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Datasheet
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-
...
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Slideshow
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-
...
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Why use a PIC over an Arduino or a Pi?
A Pi runs GNU/Linux,
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and
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having
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an
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operating
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system
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and
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requires
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task
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scheduling
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that
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does
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nothing
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but
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slow
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down
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operation
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of
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the
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device
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in
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our
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context.
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Plus,
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it's
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a
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lot
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cheaper
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and
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easier
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to
...
imbed
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when
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all
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we
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need
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is
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a
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controller.
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Arduino's
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are
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generally
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pricier,
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less
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easy
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to
...
embed,
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and
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are
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slower
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than
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a
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PIC.
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That
...
said,
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they
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could
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be
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used,
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just
...
aren't
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a
...
great
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choice
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if
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you're
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making
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production
...
equipment.
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Why do we need a microcontroller?
A microcontroller handles all of the logic behind something like a remote controller. In order to listen for button presses and cause some output to happen, there needs to be a small microprocessor and associated pieces in the middle.Why are we using C?
Strictly speaking, C is the granddaddy of modern high-level languages. It balances easy to read syntax with being fairly true to what happens under the hood. C++ is not used since object oriented programming is not useful for small microcontrollers and would be inefficient to use. Other languages like Python (specifically microPython) probably could be used, but it doesn't really make sense to when the compiler we have is written for C.
How to!
1. Load up the MPLAB IDE.
Simply download the installer and run it. Tested so far on Windows 10 and Fedora 34, but not MacOS Big Sur. If on Linux, open the tar ball, set the file to executable and then run it as normal.
For windows:
https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/MPLABX-v5.50(1)-windows-installer.exe
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For
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linux:
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https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/MPLABX-v5.50(1)-linux-installer.tar
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For
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OSX:
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https://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/MPLABX-v5.50(1)-osx-installer.dmg
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Keep
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in
...
mind
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that
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only
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x86_64
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processors
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are
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supported.
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If
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you
...
are
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running
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an
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M1
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Macintosh,
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then
...
you
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may
...
need
...
to
...
run
...
a
...
VM,
...
use
...
a
...
translation
...
layer,
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or
...
just
...
remote
...
into
...
a
...
machine
...
available
...
through
...
the
...
Faculty
...
of
...
Engineering.
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2.
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Download
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the
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MPLAB
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XC8
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compiler.
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For
...
windows:
...
...
For
...
linux:
...
...
For
...
OSX:
...
...
If
...
asked
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to
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add
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to
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PATH
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environment
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variables,
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please
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do
...
say
...
yes.
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This
...
way
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you
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won't
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end
...
up
...
having
...
to
...
manually
...
add
...
the
...
path
...
later.
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