ELEKTOR FORUMS

In January 2010 Elektor Academy launches its first Distance Learning Course (DLC) called ‘Programming Embedded PIC Microcontrollers using Assembly, C and Flowcode’.

This forum topic is the place to post your comments and findings about the new course, share information with other students and if consult your lecturer Bert van Dam if you feel your query can benefit other course participants.

Dear Charl,

Thank you for your question. It is a self-learning course, so there is no fixed time period. Each segment of the course is followed by questions and assignments, ranging from simple to sometimes quite extensive. The answers are in the course binder as well so you can check your progress yourself. This means you can do the course at your own pace. It is hard to predict how much time the course will take, but if you have some prior knowledge and ample time you could do the course in two months. If this is all new to you and you are pressed for time it may take 12 months.

I hope you decide to enroll and look forward to seeing you on our student list,
Bert

ELEKTOR's construction project Jan 2005 'PIC18flash development board' was my 1st introduction to programming PIC's in C.The program provided I used as a 'model' program which is a must when learning any new language.

Today I only use the PIC18F series in developing any new project and of course still use assembler within the C programming environment.

Best of both worlds and I still shudder to think the countless number of hours spent in writing pure assembler code.Now all I have to do is spend a few minutes using C and with a few lines of code the job is done.

Has anyone received their course yet.
I am interested for myself and my son, but it's a lot of money to spend on something unknown.
Thanks in advance
John

Hi Dave,

This is a dual purchase, you have to buy the e-block hardware etc in addition to the course material.

Hi Big Gaz,
Thanks for the reply.
What are your thoughts so far on the content of course. It is difficult to judge the manual without some sample sections. Hence the question.
Vaman..

vamanHi Big Gaz,
Thanks for the reply.
What are your thoughts so far on the content of course. It is difficult to judge the manual without some sample sections. Hence the question.
Vaman..

The sections I have worked through so far have been a good mix of instruction, example, research (datasheet lookup) and questions, and with agood amount of code writing, both copying and your own work.

So far I have enjoyed the course... I have a few hours few each day whilst working away from home and it fill an gap.

There is a good mix of assembler and C so far, with no flowcode as yet (I have reached page 154)

Looks like I have to take a small break as I appear to have code locked my PIC18F4455..... I don't know how...... but I can't program or get Flowcode to recognise the board ID whilst programming....Doh!

I have another couple on order, but not back home until the weekend, so I'm trying out a few bits and bobs using a spare 16F877A I had knocking about

I take your comments on board, but turning on the echo only echos the local keypress and not the data coming in

Just connected the Elektor board, and was getting ticking noise since the PIC have the last program in it. Loaded the my version of the 500Hz program and there was a burning smell. PIC is now not stable. Reconnected LED board and loaded counting LED program. LEDs light at different rate and after 5 minutes it stopped. Need to go a get a new one.

Big Gaz I have been working through the manual and I have a problem getting the echo examples working from 4.2.2 onwards....

I suspect i have a set up problem somewhere with the terminal program.

When you installed the software that comes with the EB039 a virtual COM port was generated. Are you using that particular COM port?