[time-nuts] I want a good micro-controller

[Robert Vassar]

On Aug 16, 2008, at 5:28 AM, GandalfG8 at aol.com wrote:

>
>
> Keeping it secular, what's with the PIC bashing?
>
> Surely it's a case of horses for courses, and there's been enough   
> successful
> commercial, as well as hobby, products based on PICs to suggest  
> you  might be
> just a wee bit out of touch with some parts of the real world:-)
>
> regards
>
> Nigel
> GM8PZR
>
>


And:

> Oh good, they we can take your opinion on PIC's as that of an expert.
>
> -Chuck Harris
>


Gentlemen, I could not have made that more tongue-in-cheek!  It's a  
good thing this isn't about Python, the Amiga, or the obvious  
superiority of "vi", or I would have seen some real flames!


My opinion on PIC's is no more valid than my opinion on brands of  
car.  I can make some observations drawn from 20+ years of computing/ 
electronics hobby, and 15 years as a software professional.  But I am  
not a professional embedded systems engineer.  I can have entirely  
valid, well thought out reasons, but at the end of the day it's not  
much different than "I like VW, and I don't like Dodge".  I can go  
fetch groceries with either one.  To a professional, perhaps nothing  
of interest.  To someone contemplating buying one of the "PIC'n"  
books or building any kind of programmer that involves two 9 volt  
batteries, perhaps they will find my comments a useful warning.


As a member of the "brain damaged by Basic" generation, I mostly  
agree with Bill's comments regarding it's use. Yet I still keep the  
public domain 8052AH-BASIC image in my '51 code directory, and have  
fond memories of it's use.  The PIC is not alone in propagating that  
mistake, though they seem to be the last.


Cheers,

Rob