[sdiy] PIC 16F1788 CPU bug

[Tom Farrand]

With PICs, select the part after you've looked at the errata of the
candidates!  Microchip documents their parts'  warts, and while they
might seem excessively "buggy", they are not.  I won't mention the
manufacturer that I have found to be the most buggy and the worst part
is that many of the heinous bugs are not mentioned until you get an
FAE on the phone.  That was a very sobering experience.  PICs are
popular for many products because Microchip is very aggressive on
pricing and they almost never leave you hanging by obsoleting a 3 year
year-old micro just when you go into production.  The first product I
put a PIC into was in 1992.  I can still buy a pin-for-pin part today,
that will work in that product.  And obsolescence is why I tend to shy
away from FPGAs.  They seem to vaporize with alarming regularity.  I
don't track FPGAs so I might be mistaken about that but my mailbox
gets a lot of EOL messages for FPGAs.  Maybe I am just jaded???

Just my $0.02

Peace.
Tom Farrand


On Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 10:18 AM, Paul Schreiber <synth1 at airmail.net> wrote:
> PIC has a wider selection of parts, from 8-pin 8 bit up to 32bit 200MHz
> DSPs, all with the same programmers and toolchain. They have DIPs to BGA.
>
> But it always boils down to "comfort level" and support. Because PIC is
> wider used, you have a larger support base.
>
> But the advice is well given: ALWAYS check errata. For ALL the suppliers.
> I've been bitten by STM ARM bugs as well. Microchip is not the only company
> with silicon errata.
> Ans in 99% of Microchip errata, they give a 'workaround' of the bug. But in
> some cases, there isn't one and you have to find another "family member".
> Also, PIC is about the best in keeping "footprint compatibility".
>
> Paul S.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: synth-diy-bounces at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> [mailto:synth-diy-bounces at dropmix.xs4all.nl] On Behalf Of Andre Majorel
> Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 9:11 AM
> To: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] PIC 16F1788 CPU bug
>
> On 2013-11-29 15:35 -0000, Colin f wrote:
>
>> Always check the errata, especially with Microchip.
>
> This is something that isn't often mentioned when AVR and PIC enthusiasts
> argue.
>
> Everything I've read on the subject suggests that Microchip's
> microcontroller range is optimised for cheap devices, i.e. lower production
> cost, while Atmel's is optimised for libre development tools, fewer bugs and
> better doc, i.e. lower development costs.
>
> Seeing as most of us deal with small runs or prototypes, that would make AVR
> the logical choice. And yet PIC projects seem to outnumber AVR projects.
>
> Am I missing something ?
>
> --
> André Majorel http://www.teaser.fr/~amajorel/
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