January 2013
I’m just starting in electronics and have taught myself some of the basics through reading books and building kits. I’m intrigued with microcontroller projects and was hoping to get some seasoned opinions on where to start. There seem to be several popular platforms that get most of the attention such as Arduino, PIC, Stamp, Propeller, etc.
Which is best for a beginner?
Can someone recommend a book on programming that assumes zero experience and explains the basics from the start through getting a simple project up and running?
Are there any beginner-friendly online user groups I might join?
Any advice is appreciated.
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As a newbie myself, who has tried several approaches, I found one element left unsaid in the answers in the March issue. It really matters what computing platform you use. As a Mac user, I found it very hard to get going with the Parallax or Microchip solutions, since the development systems were extremely PC-centric, so I had to struggle with Boot Camp etc. or get a PC. The Arduino and Atmel platforms were much easier, since the former supports the Mac thoroughly, and everything you could need for the latter can be found at http://www.obdev.at/products/crosspack.
I recommend the BASIC Stamp modules from Parallax because newcomers find them easy to use. In addition, Parallax has many books and manuals, as well as kits that get beginners off to a good start. I also like the Arduino Uno because of widespread support from users. The compatible Digilent chipKIT Uno32 provides a more powerful processor and will appeal to people who want to move beyond the eight-bit Atmel chip used in the original Arduino Uno. The kits mentioned use a 5V power source and work with 5V logic devices. Other boards — such as the ARM mbed and BeagleBone — operate from 5V, too, but the I/O pins provide 3.3V logic levels. You might find it difficult to breadboard with 3.3V logic chips, most of which come in surface-mount packages.
Hi. There are a number of ways to get started in mcu's.
In my opinion, Parallax has the best documentation to use for getting started with mcu's. If you do not want to buy their packages, you can download the pdf's and source the parts after looking at the components, which they provide in one nice place in their books. If you use a book such as the StampWorks book, then you should examine the schematics for their Professional Development Board (BS2 version and not the Propeller version) and buy the necessary components to build the experiments. Other BS2 versions are available such as the Stamp Stack II. The "What's a Microcontroller" pdf is also a good starting point.
All the concepts you learn with any mcu system will be able to be applied to any other mcu system. The syntax and instructions will vary but the concepts remain the same. Arduino has a number of books written about it and is probably the most popular among those who know little about mcu's. It was made with artists and builders in mind, not for engineers and tech-like people. They have done a good job of marketing and there are many applications made accessible through their "shield" format. Of course, there are quite a few books written about Arduino and you should examine whichever book to find out what parts you will need to work with the projects.
The PICAxe is also fairly popular and is programmed in a version of BASIC. The Propeller is supposed to be a little more advanced as are AVRs, PICs, and other major companies’ mcu's that are mostly programmed in C. For a beginner, I would stay away from the Propeller, AVRs, and PICs as there will probably be too steep a learning curve. The Basic Stamp 2 is a little more expensive as you will need the mcu and, if it is not a USB version, you will also need a USB-to-RS232 converter, unless you have a PC with the old serial port, DB9 style.
The Arduino is cheaper and more popular but you will most likely have to do a little more searching and trial and error to get your code running with the documentation available. Parallax, the company that makes the BS2, has very good documentation. Another advantage that the Arduino has, is that programs written in C/C++ will also work in the Arduino environment.
Books for the BS2: "What's a Microcontroller?" and "StampWorks."
Books for Arduino: the Evil Genius books and probably "Arduino Cookbook."
Books for the PICAxe: Unknown but there are bound to be some on the PICAxe homepage as well as Amazon.
Kits are available from many suppliers. Have a look online for some of these, but the list is not exhaustive: Parallax, Solarbotics, RobotShop, Digikey, ABRA Electronics, Sparkfun, Adafruit Industries, and Make. Be sure to check the websites thoroughly as some also have tutorials as well as documentation on their products.
Hi J.P.
I am also at a similar beginning stage as you describe. I am currently working through a book called "C Programming for Embedded Microcontrollers" by Warwick A. Smith, which I find thus far to be excellent. The ISBN is 978-0-905705-80-4.
Here are the books features:
As a beginner, I personally found Arduino to be the easiest platform to get a running start.
