Programming PICs in BASIC: 8-Pin Projects - Volume 1 Paperback – December 15, 2009

i have read a few books for introduction/beginners and most of them fall short. Many of the other books, dont tell which programmer the author is using, which compiler, etc. so if you like illustartions they may be of no use. This book is different. It is to the point and easy reading, not to technical. Also you are given a list of parts you should get and where to get them to do all the projects. Other books I have read dont give a list of required parts, so you need to know how to read schematics to figure it out. With this book just order all parts you need from the parts list and your done, your ready to program. The projects are simple and easy to understand, which is good if you are new to this. Also the author did an excellent job of keeping the project simple so that you can use software thats free to download and not have to buy expensive software. The book is basically a way of learning by doing. The book is so good and simple that even a fifth grader could do these projects.Because websites always change I am adding some stuff here to help anyone looking for stuff. (as of Nov 2, 2013)I was able to get all the necessary tools and the pickit from howtronics you can search online for the store. They have a package that sells all the items needed for the book. The book gives a link but it redirected to howtronics. At that site look for the title of the book, and there they should have all the tools necessary for the book. Also one more thing is the drivers, you need to install drivers for the pickit. the which is avaiable at piccircuit (dot)(com) at this site you will also find the pickit 1. If you dont see it, search for the item number icp02-v2.0 , and that will get you the driver (it may say pickit2, but it will work with pickit1) Along with the driver they will also give you software to program the pickit1 (also it may be called pickit2 but should work).I found it easier to code in microcode studio and just compile the program instead of compile and program. When you just compile it will give you a hex file in the same folder. Then go to the software that came with your drivers to program the chip. There is a area where you can import hex file. so import the hexfile you wrote with microcode studio and program your chip.Another issue people may have is power, some usb computer dont have enough power. if you did everything correctly and no errors on your coding, then you may use a 9v battery. So what I did was I unplugged the pickit usb from the computer. then I got two strips of wire, I connected one wire to the neg pole of the 9volt battery and the other end to the neg rail, and I did the same with the positive side, I connected a seperate wire to the positive pole and the other end of that wire to the positive rail.Good luck and have fun learning to program the pic.

A bit pricey for such a thin paperback but the info is clear and simple. The Kindle version might be more cost effective. The book has a 1/2 dozen projects that make programming easy to understand. Interrupts are not covered, would have been nice. I'll take off 1 star for that reason. Entry level.

You can Download it to a kindle for free. I BOUGHT the book.It is VERY basic BEGINNER'S book. It's a GOOD book for getting a tiny taste of PIC without going bankrupt. On that thought, I WOULD recommend it.( I ) needed something more substantial and that's not the fault of the book.

I must admit that after reading quite a few other books on PIC programming and having only until recently thumbed through this book that I wasn't expecting much. I was wrong - very wrong! The protagonist of this book the humble appearing 12F683 is quite a bulldog for its diminutive size. I now tend to think of it a more or less a Stamp replacement for about one fortieth the cost with many times the performance. Don't get me wrong, Stamps are where I still think most of us should begin because of the excellent learning platform and educational resources, but once you've been through boot camp PICs are the way to go and this little book is an excellent introduction. In no time, you'll be up to speed at a very minimal cost. The author does advocate the use of the Chipaxe programmer which in many ways is analogous to the PICKit 2; were it my choice I would have recommended the Melabs U2 programmer or the PICKit 3, simply because I suspect that they'll support more devices down the line. This book is an easy read and a great introduction to the very powerful and easy to use PICBASIC PRO programming language. Buy this book you'll be surprised with what all these little beasts can do.

Its been a little bit since I read through it. I always like the authors writing style. When he explains somerhing it is always informative and easy enough to understand. I just wish he would put out more of these small books..

$10 is better than $ 30 to 50 for pic books

Exactly the sort of book that I needed - simple and straight to the point with beginner examples. The line-by-line explanations of code as the author goes are very helpful in quickly building a foundation for more complex programming.So many other PIC programming books focus on C or Assembly and have chapters dedicated to the microcontroller architecture, which is valuable for professional programmers, but for the hobbyist picbasic is the clear winner. No need to learn C or Assembly to make use of a PIC microcontroller - this book and a picbasic compiler will get you off and running.

Wasn't want i thought it was for the price. If I could return it i would but time has run out and I have given it away now. For the same amount of money one can getter a better book. There is good to it but i don't think it is worth the price.