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I always think you should start out learning 8-bit micros like PIC or AVR. The datasheets are short enough you can conceivably read the whole thing. This gets y

by szczys 11y ago

I always think you should start out learning 8-bit micros like PIC or AVR. The datasheets are short enough you can conceivably read the whole thing. This gets you some instinct on what peripherals a micro should have, how to look up their functionality, how to troubleshoot when they don't work, etc. There's a much higher bar for getting everything working on an ARM controller (ie: did you turn on the peripheral clock before trying to drive that pin?). But I agree, once you're initiated you should prototype everything on a 32-bit micro and then port to smaller or more cost effective chips once all the functionality is established.

foldr 11y ago
That's a fair point. I started with AVR myself and I can imagine that I might have gotten pretty frustrated if I'd tried to jump straight into ARM. As far as cost-effectiveness is concerned, there are some very cheap cortex M0 chips out there now (e.g. http://www2.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STMicroelectronics/STM32F030K6T6/?qs=%2fha2pyFadujR%2fWSfahMbfqNxy8AOR702lobnZPPAgDjioxyhIVrlUw%3d%3d http://www2.mouser.com/ProductDetail/STMicroelectronics/STM3..., http://www2.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cypress-Semiconductor/CY8C4013SXI-400/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtOXy69nW9rM4zhsIgo0l9Hi%252bMw%252bJnLl%2fosN3n16WjTMw%3d%3d http://www2.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cypress-Semiconductor/C...). At least in the case of the AVR chips, you have to go to the low-end ATTiny's before there's any significant price advantage in bulk.