GIVE PICS A CHANCE

It seems some of our readers are definitely not interested in PICs. They see any PIC project as being
computer orientated and they don't want those dreadful machines impinging on their hobby of electronics.
Well, we're here to tell you that you don't need to have any contact with a computer to build the vast
majority of our PIC projects. You don't need to understand DOS or Windows or any of that computer
babble, you just need to be able to wield a soldering iron and follow our constructional information.
The black art of actually programming the chip need not worry you any more than the design of the
silicon inside a 555 or even the atomic level interaction in an OC71 (if you have never heard of one of
those, don't worry 'cos you probably never will again).
Unfortunately, the world moves forward and the fact that we have exciting new chips that will allow our
projects to perform ever more complex tasks, whilst staying simple to build, should be a bonus. (I should
point out that PICs are not that new, even to the hobbyist; our first PIC based project appeared in the hard
copy edition of EPE in June 1992 and we have a General Instruments databook that shows they were
selling PIC chips as far back as 1982.

BLOWING A FUSE
It's not a matter of blowing internal fusible links, or handling unreliable static sensitive devices that will
“fall over” as soon as you look at them. PICs are robust, easy to use chips that have, along with other
microcontrollers, revolutionized the world of electronics. So, please don't be frightened of them – we
understand if you don't want to know about the software or the programming – just give them a try, we are
sure you will find they are just like any other chip if you buy them preprogrammed. If, however, you then
decide you might just be interested in making a PIC do what you want it to then a whole new fascinating
world might just open up for you.
If you want to understand more about electronics in general, then our new Teach-In 2000 series
starting this month will be invaluable. There is also some free software to help you along but of course it's
not essential if you are “computer shy”.
By the way, don't worry about what PIC stands for – PIC is simply the prefix given to a range of
microcontroller ICs made by Microchip. Millions of them are in use in commercial products all over the
world and thousands of them are being used by hobbyists every day.

Copyright © 1999 Wimborne Publishing Ltd and EPE

EPE Online,
Online, Febuary 1999
November 1999 -- www.epemag.com
www.epemag.com -- 1007
XXX
Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc