Economy PIC Training Kit

PIC Microcontroller Training Kit

This kit includes everything you need to learn how to program microcontrollers, including a book, comprehensive tutorials, development software including C compiler, hardware board and a Microchip SNAP programmer and debugger.

It is based on one of the latest PIC microcontrollers from Microchip, PIC16F1789, and uses their MPLAB X development environment and the latest XC8 C compiler. It teaches you microcontroller programming from the beginning and covers all you need to know to build your own projects and learn embedded C programming.

Microcontroller Course

The browser based tutorials, coupled with the book and loads of sample projects, teach you all about microcontrollers from scratch and how to program them in assembly language and C, using a professional integrated development environment (IDE). This is the ultimate Arduino alternative as you will discover how the PIC microcontroller actually works, where as Arduino hides the microcontroller from you and doesn't teach you anything about real embedded C programming. It may be more work to start with but you will gain a real understanding of what you need to know to be an effective embedded system programmer.

• Microcontroller layout and structure
• Numbering systems and logic
• Program planning
• How to use MPLAB IDE properly
• Programming in assembly language
• Programming in C
• How to download and debug a project
• How to setup and use the microcontroller peripherals
• Discover how to interface UART, LCD, keypads, sensors and much more
• Learn to to re-use code and library files to create a complex project
• Create your own projects

Microchip Snap

The kit contains a genuine Microchip Snap debugger and programmer. This tool both downloads code to the board and acts as an In Circuit Emulator (ICE) so you can debug your code in real time. Writing code without being able to single step through the program and see that silly bug is like using a pencil instead of a computer, yes you can do it but it is awfully hard work. This is another reason why this kit is such a good Arduino alternative.
Snap can also be run from its own programming software, which makes it great for small scale production as you don't need to use the development environment for programming. Snap has some limitations compared with more expensive tools like PICKit4 but it is much cheaper.

• Bare PCB not cased
• Cannot power target
• Uses Low Voltage Programming method only available on newer PIC chips
• Limited warranty

PIC Training Board
The PIC board is compact and comes with a 44-pin PIC16F1789 fitted - see below for all the advantages of this chip. The PIC microcontroller runs from default 500KHz Internal Clock but this can easily be changed to faster speeds, up to 8 MHz or 32 MHz with PLL. It has expansion headers for all the port pins and accessories can be easily attached. It has a USB connector that appears as a virtual serial port on your PC unike most microcontroller boards that are still fitted with a standard 9-pin serial port. The board is powered through this USB connector. It has 24C I2C serial EEPROM fitted, temperature sensor, buzzer plus 8 LEDs and 8 switches.

Extra modules, sensors, keypad, LCD and prototyping boards come with mounting pillars and leads and can easily be fitted to the PIC training board.



PIC16F1789 Benefits
This is one of the latest Microchip PIC 40-pin microcontrollers and bears about as much resemblence to the once popular PIC16F877 as a modern car does to the Model-T Ford.

• Faster - up to 32MHz
• More program memory - 32KB of code space, not 8KB
• More SRAM data memory - for more efficient C code
• Lower power consumption and wider voltage range
• More peripherals, protection and brownout features
• AND it is much cheaper

It compares favourably to the AVR range and eats the ATmega328P commonly used by Arduino kits for breakfast.

Modular design

This kit is modular so once you have learnt microcontroller programming, you can just plug in extra modules such as LCD, Bluetooth wireless and keypad or use the prototyping boards to create your own circuits. Kanda sell a range of accessory boards including sensors for gas, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and many more. Other modules can also be connected so you can create your own custom project using the same hardware - the kit that grows with you.

Kit Contents

• Microchip Snap Programmer and Debugger
• Micro USB lead for Snap
• PIC training board
• Mini USB lead for PIC board power and serial port