[sdiy] Need general advice for a uP

[Dan Gendreau]

> Does anyone have any suggestions for a "hobbyist friendly" uP?

Uh, I hope this doesnt spark a "my MCU is better than yours" flame war. :)


I was faced with the same question about a year ago. MCU technology has
advanced considerably since the 6800/EPROM days. After listening to all the
feedback on SynthDIY and doing a little reading, I decided to go with the
Atmel AVR line.

Check their web site for more info:
http://www.atmel.com/atmel/products/prod23.htm
I bought My STK200+ board from Kanda Systems in England, but I think there
is a US distributor now.
http://www.kanda.com
	Look under "Products", "Manufacturer Index", "Started Kits", "AVR"


Here are the reasons why I think the Atmel AVR is a very "hobyist friendly"
design:

1) PRICE: The STK200+ kit is $60 and includes a prototyping board, a special
parallel cable for programming it (from a PC) and all the software you need
to get started. It has sockets for every AVR chip. It has all the IO ports
exposed on pin headers, an interface for standard LCD modules and even 8 LED
and 8 tact switches. Another important price factor is the AVR chips
themselves. They run about $3-$5 per chip in small quantities.

2) CPU power. The AVR chips run from 3 to 8MIPS, depending on which chip you
use. More than enough for most MCU projects. I bet it would be fast enough
for some DSP applications as well. I am considering using it for a MIDI
synced effect once I finish my current project (and NO it wont use BBDs! :)

3) Simplicity. The AVR chip requires almost NO supporting circuitry. They
have built in SRAM, flash ROM and EEPROM and most even have a built in clock
oscillator! Im most cases, all you need to supply in your final design is 5V
and Ground and then hook up your I/O pins as needed. Depending on the chip,
they have other peripherals like UARTS, ADCs, timers. Because the chips are
in-circuit flash programmable using the STK200+ board above, you can write
code on your PC and then download/test it in a matter of seconds.



Anyway, you will hear mention of some other chips as well. The PIC and BASIC
Stamp products come to mind. Read up on them all and pick the one that fits
your needs the best.

-Dan Gendreau