I have a project I would like to build, and this would be for me a first
time PIC controller project.

I am looking for a PIC to do the following:

1. Address 17 parallel binary weighted bits (need at least 17 I/O's in
addition to inputs from (2) below and outputs for LCD (3) below.
2. Have a keypad or rotary encoder to select combinations of the above bits.
3. An LCD display of a frequency generated by the PLL device attached to
it per instructions below in (4).
4. Be able to enter a frequency such as 2300.6375 MHz, and do the math
to subtract an IF frequency and divide the resultant frequency by some
multiplier to address the parallel bits.

The PIC should be available with an evaluation board containing an LCD
display a keypad or rotary encoder. I do not want to have to design a
circuit board for a one time project.

For background, I have a Scientific Atlanta synthesizer that is designed
to generate a frequency in the range of 100.2x to 110.7x MHz to phase
lock a microwave brick oscillator used for a C band satellite up and
downconvertor. The unit has an external BCD switch which is designed to
display 3200.XX to 4200.XX MHz and I wish to re purpose it for a
different frequency band.

Any recommendations?




--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:47:05 -0400, RFI-EMI-GUY
wrote:


I have a project I would like to build, and this would be for me a first
time PIC controller project.

I am looking for a PIC to do the following:

1. Address 17 parallel binary weighted bits (need at least 17 I/O's in
addition to inputs from (2) below and outputs for LCD (3) below.
2. Have a keypad or rotary encoder to select combinations of the above bits.
3. An LCD display of a frequency generated by the PLL device attached to
it per instructions below in (4).
4. Be able to enter a frequency such as 2300.6375 MHz, and do the math
to subtract an IF frequency and divide the resultant frequency by some
multiplier to address the parallel bits.

The PIC should be available with an evaluation board containing an LCD
display a keypad or rotary encoder. I do not want to have to design a
circuit board for a one time project.

For background, I have a Scientific Atlanta synthesizer that is designed
to generate a frequency in the range of 100.2x to 110.7x MHz to phase
lock a microwave brick oscillator used for a C band satellite up and
downconvertor. The unit has an external BCD switch which is designed to
display 3200.XX to 4200.XX MHz and I wish to re purpose it for a
different frequency band.

Any recommendations?
This PIC, PIC18F85J90, from Microchip should do it. Here's it's demo
board:
http://www.microchip.com/stellent/id...ame =en530757

Here's the PIC:
http://www.microchip.com/stellent/id...ame =en026342

MicroChip's IDE, MPLAB and compilier C18 are free from their site.

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:47:05 -0400, RFI-EMI-GUY
wrote:


I have a project I would like to build, and this would be for me a first
time PIC controller project.

I am looking for a PIC to do the following:

1. Address 17 parallel binary weighted bits (need at least 17 I/O's in
addition to inputs from (2) below and outputs for LCD (3) below.
2. Have a keypad or rotary encoder to select combinations of the above bits.
3. An LCD display of a frequency generated by the PLL device attached to
it per instructions below in (4).
4. Be able to enter a frequency such as 2300.6375 MHz, and do the math
to subtract an IF frequency and divide the resultant frequency by some
multiplier to address the parallel bits.

The PIC should be available with an evaluation board containing an LCD
display a keypad or rotary encoder. I do not want to have to design a
circuit board for a one time project.

For background, I have a Scientific Atlanta synthesizer that is designed
to generate a frequency in the range of 100.2x to 110.7x MHz to phase
lock a microwave brick oscillator used for a C band satellite up and
downconvertor. The unit has an external BCD switch which is designed to
display 3200.XX to 4200.XX MHz and I wish to re purpose it for a
different frequency band.

Any recommendations?

wrote:
On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:47:05 -0400, RFI-EMI-GUY
wrote:

I have a project I would like to build, and this would be for me a first
time PIC controller project.

I am looking for a PIC to do the following:

1. Address 17 parallel binary weighted bits (need at least 17 I/O's in
addition to inputs from (2) below and outputs for LCD (3) below.
2. Have a keypad or rotary encoder to select combinations of the above bits.
3. An LCD display of a frequency generated by the PLL device attached to
it per instructions below in (4).
4. Be able to enter a frequency such as 2300.6375 MHz, and do the math
to subtract an IF frequency and divide the resultant frequency by some
multiplier to address the parallel bits.

The PIC should be available with an evaluation board containing an LCD
display a keypad or rotary encoder. I do not want to have to design a
circuit board for a one time project.

For background, I have a Scientific Atlanta synthesizer that is designed
to generate a frequency in the range of 100.2x to 110.7x MHz to phase
lock a microwave brick oscillator used for a C band satellite up and
downconvertor. The unit has an external BCD switch which is designed to
display 3200.XX to 4200.XX MHz and I wish to re purpose it for a
different frequency band.

Any recommendations?
This PIC, PIC18F85J90, from Microchip should do it. Here's it's demo
board:
http://www.microchip.com/stellent/id...ame =en530757

Here's the PIC:
http://www.microchip.com/stellent/id...ame =en026342

MicroChip's IDE, MPLAB and compilier C18 are free from their site.

Thanks; It has a great looking display. No keypad or shaft encoder
though, I hope I can figure out what I need to interface those.

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

If size is not an issue, consider Microchip's Explorer 16 board. No encoder
or keyboard, but the PIC has a zillion pins all brought out to card edge
connectors. Microchip has very nice proto boards at a reasonable price you
could use to connect the encoder, keyboard and synthesizer. The board
includes a 2x16 display, as well as serial and USB interfaces. The Explorer
16 comes with a couple of PICs, both huge things with gobs of memory so you
can do the programming in C and not be constantly looking over your
shoulder. The "Student Edition" of the C30 compiler is free.

If money is no object, they have a thing they call the "Graphics PICtail"
that plugs into the Explorer 16 which is a quarter-VGA with a touchscreen,
and their graphics library implements a very credible encoder on the touch
screen. They also have a numeric kepad on the touch screen, the screen is
really too small for a full keyboard.

Since you seem to have decided on a PIC, I assume you have a ICD 2, PICkit 2
or something of that ilk for programming.

...

"RFI-EMI-GUY" wrote in message
. ..

I have a project I would like to build, and this would be for me a first
time PIC controller project.

I am looking for a PIC to do the following:

1. Address 17 parallel binary weighted bits (need at least 17 I/O's in
addition to inputs from (2) below and outputs for LCD (3) below.
2. Have a keypad or rotary encoder to select combinations of the above
bits.
3. An LCD display of a frequency generated by the PLL device attached to
it per instructions below in (4).
4. Be able to enter a frequency such as 2300.6375 MHz, and do the math
to subtract an IF frequency and divide the resultant frequency by some
multiplier to address the parallel bits.

The PIC should be available with an evaluation board containing an LCD
display a keypad or rotary encoder. I do not want to have to design a
circuit board for a one time project.

For background, I have a Scientific Atlanta synthesizer that is designed
to generate a frequency in the range of 100.2x to 110.7x MHz to phase
lock a microwave brick oscillator used for a C band satellite up and
downconvertor. The unit has an external BCD switch which is designed to
display 3200.XX to 4200.XX MHz and I wish to re purpose it for a
different frequency band.

Any recommendations?




--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:47:05 -0400, RFI-EMI-GUY
wrote:


I have a project I would like to build, and this would be for me a first
time PIC controller project.

I am looking for a PIC to do the following:
Take a look at the http://www.mikroe.com/en/tools/easypic5/
You will probably need to upgrade the CPU but you have a lot of work
in front of you before you get that far.

I use the Pascal compiler but I expect the C and Basic versions are
just as good. The on board programmer will handle the output from
MPLAB but not as convenient as the mikro compilers.

FWIW, that is an ambitious first project....

John Ferrell W8CCW
Beware of the dopeler effect (pronounced dope-ler).
That's where bad ideas seem good if they come at you
fast enough.

I don't know why everybody always seems to recommend the Microchip series of
controllers, they aren't the only thing out there.

Check out the chips from Parallax, namely the SX28.

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...5/Default.aspx

If you need more I/O then you can use the surface mount version that has
more pins.

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...4/Default.aspx

Or try using the BASIC Stamp computer system on a board.

http://www.parallax.com/tabid/214/Default.aspx

For prototype work check out the system below:

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...%2cProductName

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...4/Default.aspx

The programming software and a BASIC compiler are all free downloads from
Parallax's web site.

For keyboards and LCD displays look at:

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Compon...4/Default.aspx

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...%2cProductName

Here is a whole collection of LCD displays coving a range of price points.

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Access...me,ProductName

If you have a need to do a fair amount of floating point math then check out
the math coprocessors for the microcontrollers.

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Compon...4/Default.aspx

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Compon...1/Default.aspx

I think that you'll find everything you need available from this one source
for the project you have in mind. I have the professional prototype board,
floating point processor, a 2 line LCD display that plugs in to the
prototype board and several of the SX28 chips myself. I'm still waiting to
get the USB programming key. Right now I have to barrow my friend's serial
version of the programming key to try out some design ideas.


--
Regards,
Leland C. Scott
KC8LDO


"RFI-EMI-GUY" wrote in message
. ..

I have a project I would like to build, and this would be for me a first
time PIC controller project.

I am looking for a PIC to do the following:

1. Address 17 parallel binary weighted bits (need at least 17 I/O's in
addition to inputs from (2) below and outputs for LCD (3) below.
2. Have a keypad or rotary encoder to select combinations of the above
bits.
3. An LCD display of a frequency generated by the PLL device attached to
it per instructions below in (4).
4. Be able to enter a frequency such as 2300.6375 MHz, and do the math
to subtract an IF frequency and divide the resultant frequency by some
multiplier to address the parallel bits.

The PIC should be available with an evaluation board containing an LCD
display a keypad or rotary encoder. I do not want to have to design a
circuit board for a one time project.

For background, I have a Scientific Atlanta synthesizer that is designed
to generate a frequency in the range of 100.2x to 110.7x MHz to phase
lock a microwave brick oscillator used for a C band satellite up and
downconvertor. The unit has an external BCD switch which is designed to
display 3200.XX to 4200.XX MHz and I wish to re purpose it for a
different frequency band.

Any recommendations?




--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

Leland C. Scott wrote:
I don't know why everybody always seems to recommend the Microchip series of
controllers, they aren't the only thing out there.

Check out the chips from Parallax, namely the SX28.

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...5/Default.aspx

If you need more I/O then you can use the surface mount version that has
more pins.

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...4/Default.aspx

Or try using the BASIC Stamp computer system on a board.

http://www.parallax.com/tabid/214/Default.aspx

For prototype work check out the system below:

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...%2cProductName

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...4/Default.aspx

The programming software and a BASIC compiler are all free downloads from
Parallax's web site.

For keyboards and LCD displays look at:

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Compon...4/Default.aspx

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Microc...%2cProductName

Here is a whole collection of LCD displays coving a range of price points.

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Access...me,ProductName

If you have a need to do a fair amount of floating point math then check out
the math coprocessors for the microcontrollers.

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Compon...4/Default.aspx

http://www.parallax.com/Store/Compon...1/Default.aspx

I think that you'll find everything you need available from this one source
for the project you have in mind. I have the professional prototype board,
floating point processor, a 2 line LCD display that plugs in to the
prototype board and several of the SX28 chips myself. I'm still waiting to
get the USB programming key. Right now I have to barrow my friend's serial
version of the programming key to try out some design ideas.



Thanks all; I have been getting a lot of great suggestions. I will
whittle them down until I find the hardware I need and then order up an
evaluation board to practice on. I also note that some of the vendors
offer training nearby, so maybe I will go in for a class once I figure
out how to write a few lines of code.

--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P