Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Reply
If I buy the P928 PIC training course and I get stuck on a problem can I email or telephone for help?	The two books supplied with the P928 have detailed descriptions for each stage of the learning process. The very first experiment covers seven and a half pages and you cannot fail to get success if you follow the instructions. The technique used is to immerse you in the subject right from the beginning, and you must not expect to fully understand every programming technique immediately. As you go deeper into the books so your understanding will grow. It is the fastest way to learn and the feedback we have over the years does prove the system to be successful. If you work through the books thoroughly you will not need extra help. Remember that you are being trained to be able to write your own programmes. If an explanation is not given then it is not needed at that point of your study. However, if you really do feel you are stuck, you are welcome to email or telephone for help.
I cannot decide whether to buy the P928 or the P182 PIC programming course. Can you summarise the differences.	The P928 course is primarily for people who already have some knowledge of electronics and want to learn about programming PIC microcontroller. The course starts assuming you have no knowledge of PICs and that you are not an experienced programmer in some other format. However, this course does pick up speed as it goes along and by the end of each book the level is suitable for professional electronics engineers. The P182 also starts assuming you have no knowledge of PICs and you are not an experienced programmer in some other format. But it is primarily for people who are relatively new to electronics, who need a little more encouragement to succeed. The P182 books have one or two exercises every few pages while the P928 has them grouped at the end of each chapter. The P182 exercises have no answers in the books but because the exercises are very practical and involve very little theory it is obvious when the right solution has been achieved. The P928 exercises involve some theory and, as they form part of the learning structure, answers are given at the back of each book. So you will understand that the P928 is ideal for people with some experience of electronics while the P182 is more suitable for colleges and for individuals who are relatively new to electronics.
I want to use the simplest system for learning about PIC programming but I also want to be able to use the official Microchip assembler MPASM. What do you suggest I should buy?	In August 2008 we completed a superb Windows version of our PIC assembler which we call BSPWA. This is incredibly simple to use. Type the text in exactly the same format as would be required for MPASM. No setting up to do, just click BUILD to create the PIC code. Click START SIMULATOR to test it out. Click WRITE TEST PIC to test it in a real PIC. BSPWA is just like a simplified version of MSPAM. Because of this similarity we have combined the Absolute Beginners book and the Professional beginners book into one book. You need to order the P928-X PIC training course, or if you also want to learn about PC Windows programming you need to order PH28-X.
In your PIC course you first teach PIC assembler and then C. I have looked through a C course in the EPE magazine and it seems rather difficult?	It is very important to start with an understanding of PIC assembly language. Then when you have some experience of PIC programming you can learn to programme using the C programming language. Yes, the article in EPE does make C seem very complicated. Their intention was to show the power of C to encourage its use, but it is not a good way to begin by explaining the grammar of the language. We use a totally different approach. We understand that it is most important to capture the interest of the reader. We begin by writing some simple programmes still knowing very little about the C language. Once the programmes are running a little explanation is all that is needed. Just as a child learns to speak and picks up the grammar without having grammar lessons.
Can I connect your PIC programmer to a USB port on my computer?	Yes, our PIC programmer can be connected to the usual COM1 or COM2 serial ports or through a USB adaptor to a USB port. Our P928 and PH28 courses are now supplied with a USB adaptor as standard.
Why do you call your PIC programmer a production programmer?	The Brunning Software PIC programmer writes the code into the PIC with a standard 5 volt supply connected to the PIC. It then verifies the PIC with a low supply voltage and verifies again with a high supply voltage. This ensures that the PIC will function correctly over its full operating voltage and is not poised on the edge of failure. Microchip designate programmers which can verify over the full operating voltages as being production quality programmers.
Will the 18F range of PICs eventually replace the 16F PICs?	16F PICs will continue for a very long time to be the best choice for simple low cost projects. For simple projects needing just a few inputs and outputs the 18 pin PIC16F1827 is without doubt the right choice. For simple projects needing a 28 pin PIC (or bigger) there is little difference in difficulty using a 16F or 18F PIC. For complex projects 18F PICs are easier to use. The Brunning Software PIC training course starts with the PIC16F1827 (has 18 pins), then introduces the PIC16F1936 (has 28 pins), and finally the PIC18F2321 (has 28 pins). The idea being to give actual practical experience of the reasons for using these different PICs.