Academic Newsletter Spring 2012 In This Issue... Greetings Academics! Spring 2012 This has been a busy quarter for Microchip Technology with some notable announcements that provide great solutions for Academia A Fun and Easy Way detailed in this edition. to Learn About Microcontollers .......... 2 E-Z Robot .......................... 4 New Microchip C Compilers Microchip launches Microchip recently announced the release of its new MPLAB XC Embedded Code Source ............... 6 Compiler line. This new line of compilers will replace the legacy HI-TECH C® and MPLAB C Compilers for all of our PIC MCUs and Microchip Upgrades Enhanced Core dsPIC DSCs. The MPLAB XC Compilers provide a simplified offering dsPIC33E & PIC24E Devices to 70 MIPS with some really nice optimizations and new pricing. Of course, Embedded Code Source ............... 6 completely FREE versions of the compilers are available with no EAGLE Design Challenge: Design the Next code-size restrictions or time-outs. Therefore, each student can Innovation for Microchip in EAGLE V6 ..... 7 still enjoy a copy of both MPLAB X IDE and a relevant version of the MPLAB XC Compiler on both their school and home computers. Microchip Simplifies C Compiler Offering for all PIC®MCUs and dsPIC®DSCs with the new Breadboard Friendly PIC32 Microcontrollers MPLAB®XC Line ..................... 8 Another great announcement is the new family of low-cost, small Third Party Corner package 32-bit PIC32 microcontrollers. These new additions are chipKIT™ Software News ............ 9 available in Skinny Plastic Dual In-Line Packages (SPDIP) making New Products ..................... 9 them a perfect platform for student projects. Interact with Microchip at “MCHP Tube” ... 11 Third Party Solutions for K thru PhD In this edition of the newsletter, we will also discuss some low- CALLING ALL... barrier introductory platforms from some Third Parties. The EZ-Robot system is an easy-to-use platform for students who want Students, Professors & Third Party Tool to build a robot out of an old or new toy. We are also pleased to Developers, want to submit an article bring you an article from Clive Seager who developed the world for the Academic Newsletter? renowned PICAXE platform. Both of these development systems use high-level development environments that don’t require any Contact us at: programming abilities or advance knowledge of microcontrollers. [email protected] However, they also provide a migration path into more advanced tools should the educator wish to do so. To learn more about these or any other Academic-friendly products please contact Microchip’s Academic Team at academic@ microchip.com or visit us at www.microchip.com/academic. Facebook Fan Pages (click on the name to view) Thanks for reading! Academic Support Fan Page Marc McComb, Editor Microchip Technology Inc. Fan Page Microchip En Espanol Technical Training Centers www.microchip.com/academic Microchip Academic Partners Newsletter A Fun and Easy Way to Learn about Microcontrollers An Introduction to the PICAXE® System By Clive Seager What is PICAXE? grade levels, we’re primarily concerned with quickly enabling the students to get something working. Let’s PICAXE is a very solder something up and see it working 10 minutes popular educational later. system for developing PIC microcontroller projects with middle PICAXE Project Kits and high school A typical PICAXE project kit, a seasonal ‘Rudolph the students. It’s the most Reindeer’ tree decoration, is shown below. Students are popular microcontroller introduced to various components and they solder them educational system in a number of countries. The onto the PCB. Each project is carefully designed to PICAXE project philosophy is to provide school show various I/O devices. Even the simplest projects students a fun, successful introduction to electronics still include digital (button switch) and analog (LDR) and microcontroller projects without any previous inputs, as well as the piezo and LED outputs. experience. The desired outcome is that this experience will prompt students to consider electrical engineering Each PICAXE project kit as a career choice. includes a ‘headphone’ style 3.5 mm socket Projects in Schools for connecting the USB download cable. This Upon initial exposure to a project, the student will cable style was carefully learn the functions of various components, as well as selected for educational identifying the component. They’ll also learn assembly use. The connectors techniques such as breadboarding, soldering, testing are low cost but also and troubleshooting. Finally, for microcontroller projects, very robust. They are far stronger than, for instance, students will develop, download and test the control 0.1" headers as traditionally used with a PICkit™ style program. Quite an undertaking for a 12-year-old! programmer. By programming the microcontroller ‘in circuit,’ there’s no threat of physical pin damage as the The PICAXE system is successful because it completely chip never leaves the student’s board. ‘hides behind the scenes.’ It provides the specialist microcontroller technical knowledge (configuration fuse settings, watchdog timers, etc.) so the young student Do-It-Yourself can immediately do exciting things: flash an LED, play a One of the key objectives tune, control a motor, respond to a light sensor, etc. of the PICAXE system is to encourage students PICAXE Programming to design and develop their own projects at the At the simplest level, the entire student program is a component level, be it on graphical flowchart, which is easily created by dragging breadboard, strip board or out cells and connecting them together. Next, the even a full PCB. flowchart can then be tested on-screen via a simple animated simulation, and then downloaded directly into As a quick introduction, let’s look at an example of the PICAXE project via a USB cable connection. Most a typical student project—a baby’s nursery room students can learn how to use all the main features of temperature monitor. At above 20° C (68° F) we want to the software within a one hour session. light a red LED as ‘too hot’ and at below 16° C (61° F) we want to light a blue LED as ‘too cold’. For this type of If desired, the PICAXE chips can be programmed project, it’s better to use an accurate ‘digital’ temperature with a BASIC style language. The BASIC language is sensor rather than trying to calibrate a traditional specifically selected allowing a rapid introduction to thermistor. programming within a limited time frame. At these Spring 2012 www.microchip.com/academic 2 Microchip Academic Partners Newsletter Traditionally, using a digital sensor such as the Dallas Education Doesn’t Stop After School DS18B20 temperature sensor would involve searching Although primarily designed for education, PICAXE has a for 1-wire protocol libraries, learning the protocol and very large hobbyist market due to its ease of use. then spending several hours of developing and testing. PICAXE has both 8 and 80-year-old users! If your hobby The PICAXE system offers an instant solution–simply is, for instance, model aircrafting, it can be very simple use the built-in ‘readtemp’ command! Because to design a tiny 8-pin PICAXE circuit to achieve certain commands for the common protocols (1-wire, I2C™, SPI, tasks with your aircraft. A large number of companies UNI/O, RS232 etc.) are included by default, using more use PICAXE as a quick and easy ‘proof of concept’ advanced components is now as simple as using an development tool before later converting across to a LED. production ‘PIC’ MCU version of their program. Start Read Temperature DS18B20 on Pin 4 Read Temp 4,T Baby Room Temp T > 20 Should Be 16-20 C Yes T < 16 Yes Temp OK Too Cold! Too Hot! Blue LED on Pin 1 No High 1 Low 1 Low 1 High 2 Red LED on Pin 2 Low 2 Low 2 Summary Key PICAXE Features: ■■ Free, easy-to-use software specifically designed for education ■■ Low setup cost. The only ‘dev tool’ required is the The Logicator flowchart can be created and tested in USB download cable. less than 10 minutes. The extensive PICAXE website ■ Low unit cost. It’s affordable for each student to (www.picaxe.com) also contains many ‘Circuit Creator’ ■ build an individual project and take it home pages that include numerous circuits, schematics, PCB sections and code examples that can be used for ■■ All chip sizes (8, 14, 18, 20, 28 and 40-pin) use the project development. same language and software ■■ On screen simulations for program testing On Screen Simulation ■■ Simple language allows immediate student achievement All PICAXE programs and flowcharts can be simulated ■■ Powerful, also supports most of the PIC MCU on-screen allowing students to slowly ‘step’ through 2 their control sequence. Each cell in the flowchart features such as I C, SPI, USARTs, etc. highlights as it is processed, with a graphical ■■ Full SPICE circuit simulation software also available representation of the microcontroller showing input/ ■■ Extensive online resources, teaching materials and output pin status. guides For further details about the PICAXE system, please For educators who want full Berkeley SPICE circuit visit simulation, the ‘PICAXE VSM’ software is also available. www.picaxe.com. This is a special low-cost educational version of the Clive Seager is the Technical Director of Revolution popular Labcenter Proteus circuit simulator; it allows Education Ltd, the developers of the PICAXE system. PICAXE circuits to be built, simulated and tested on In March 2012 Clive was an awarded a “Lifetime screen Outstanding Achievement Award” by the UK Design and Technology Association for his pioneering educational work. He can be contacted at [email protected]. Spring 2012 www.microchip.com/academic 3 Microchip Academic Partners Newsletter Within the graphical interface, EZ-Robot users begin familiarizing Personalized Robotics themselves with robotics by learning how servos and sensors EZ-Robot: Personalized Robotics work.