41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hands on guide to PicBasic, December 21, 2002
This review is from: Programming PIC Microcontrollers with PICBASIC (Embedded Technology) (Paperback)
Excellent book about PicBasic and the PIC Microcontroller. The book briefly discusses each of the PicBasic and PicBasic Pro commands (with lots of code snippets and examples) without trying to duplicate the information in the PicBasic manual.
Despite the product description given above and on the back cover, the book does not use the PIC15F84 (sic) but the much more advanced PIC16F876.
Examples are provided for BOTH the standard and Pro versions of the compiler, not one or the other as in other books. If you use the Pro version of the compiler you are not required to read the examples provided for the standard version since the relevant information is duplicated.
The Projects include:
The obligatory LED experiments.
Analog to Digital Conversion
Driving a Servo Motor
Using a Parallel LCD module
Serial Communications
Using External Memory
Making Music
There's a nice chapter on Robotics which demonstrates Line Tracking and Obstacle Detection and Avoidance.
Two of the Schematic Diagrams contain errors such as hooking 5 volts up to the ground pin (ouch!). These diagrams are on pages 140 (figure 5-4) and 147 (figure 5-6). You should be able to spot the problems right away, or at least as you are wiring the circuit.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authors comments, April 26, 2004
This review is from: Programming PIC Microcontrollers with PICBASIC (Embedded Technology) (Paperback)
When I began with PicBasic, there wasn't a lot of information or example projects to help me get started. Eventually I advanced my skills and moved to the PicBasic Pro compiler when it was released. The biggest complaint from beginner to experienced user was the lack of examples in the PicBasic manuals. I set out to fill that gap and help others with what I had learned the "hard way".
The book begins by explaining the Microchip PICs and the PicBasic compiler history. Then the book covers both the PicBasic compiler and the PicBasic Pro compiler commands. With each command I try to pass on what each command does, in my own way, and include a brief example for each one of the commands, something the manuals still do not do today.
From there the book takes you inside the most common internal features of the Microchip PICs and I try to describe those features in a simpler way than the often times confusing Microchip PIC data sheets.
After that, the book jumps to the fun part where I try to pass on my project experience to the reader by taking them through building block type projects that start out simple by flashing an LED and grow more complex. The projects get more involved as I show how to use the Analog to Digital port, and how to drive an LCD, and how to read switches and drive servo motors and how to communicate serially with a PC and store data in external memory. I finish the 15 projects with three robot projects that show how to drive a servo powered robot and how to make it follow a line and then become an obstacle avoiding robot.
In each project I take you through key sections of the code and describe what each command is doing so the reader can understand and learn how to program themselves. After completing the projects my hope was that the reader had gained enough confidence and knowledge to program Microchip PICs with PicBasic on their own without the trial and error learning curve many others, including me, had to work through.
I didn't want to leave anybody out so I offer examples in both PicBasic and PicBasic Pro. The explanations are written so a PicBasic Pro user can skip over the PicBasic sections if they choose and not miss a thing.
Based on the loads of reader feedback, I am pleased that I have succeeded and helped so many enjoy programming Microchip PICs with PicBasic. From engineers to teachers to hobbyists, my book has helped 1000's learn how to program Microchip PICs with PicBasic. I personally want to thank all the readers of my book and all future readers.
I also want you to know that I try to offer support for all the readers through email. It's through this feedback that I both help and learn what readers want. From that information I can write future "Programming PICs in Basic" books and articles that can help even more.
I even maintain an update page at my website www.elproducts.com to point out corrections such as the schematic shifts the publisher made on pages 140 and 147 after I had proof-read the book.
Thank you for reading this note and for considering my book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
left wanting, December 2, 2007
This review is from: Programming PIC Microcontrollers with PICBASIC (Embedded Technology) (Paperback)
Yes, this is a good book for the most part. I agree with some other readers that it should have been a supplement to the compiler texts but maybe it came out before the better ones? I forgot BASIC and FORTRAN many years ago and this text does not help me recall the old language very well(maybe my IQ has slipped a lot)! My only complaint here is that it is way overpriced for what it delivers: I would have guessed it to be sold at maybe $35 not $55. Since Microchip have a new motor controller series out, perhaps I'll write about it myself if I discover something clever I can do...
Geoffrey Campbell
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