27 Nov
2007
27 Nov
'07
11:03 p.m.
On 28 Nov 2007 at 0:23, Jim Brain wrote:
Maybe it's easier for others to grok, but I
struggle with the PIC
architecture (pages of memory, and the strangeness in addressing, make
me wince). Though, I find the AVR simple to understand, flat memory
model, and lots of IO to play with. I've created lots of C64 projects
with them. Still, I have my PICkit2 and a batch of PICs from Parallax
here and I'll get proficient on them as well. I cut my teeth on the
Scenix SX, which mimic PIC of some vintage.
I guess if I were teaching a young 'un, the AVR would be a good
choice. Part of the problems with PIC architecture lies in the way
said architecture is described in the datasheets leading to some
warped thinking. But the other part does lie in the warped
implementation.
I think discussion of the PIC is probably on-topic, as the
architecture dates back to 1975 as a support processor for the GI
CP1600 CPU (which had a much more orthogonal instruction set).
Of course, the 8051/8048/68HC11 all qualify as vintage architectures
and would also be choices for teaching.
Cheers,
Chuck