PIC24F microcontroller

[Phils Arcade]

Wondering if anyone on here has any experience with PIC microcontrollers, and how easy is it to program and use. I know, I know, it all depends if you can program and your experience, but I've been programming since I was knee high to a grasshopper with assembly on Z80 and 6502 processors, but never ventured beyond that as far as actual chips go.

I've managed to bag a number of these at an auction along with memory modules and a ton of SMD components, now I'm wondering what to do with them all.




I was hoping for more of the older style components as description gave processors, resistors, capacitors, voltage regulators, etc... Didn't enter my head, these would be all modern SMD components, lol.

 

[NivagSwerdna]

PIC24 is a nice family and easy to program with MPLABX and a Pickit programmer. The range varies with many combinations of peripherals... Look up the exact part to find out what you have.
They are just general purpose processors like you would find in an Arduino or similar.
From memory they do have some nice DMA features.
Personally I have moved on to ATSAM over PIC but they have their place.

 

[Phils Arcade]

Hmmm, part of the haul has an "SSI 263 AP" chip in the collection. Seems to be a voice synth chip from the 90s. Does anyone know if this was in any arcade machines? Don't know if it's working or not, or even how to test it.

 

[John Bennett]

I used PICs loads, but I went from the 16F and 18F to the dsPIC 30 and 33F range, never tried the 24 - I think it was like the dsPIC but less capable.

That's a very antiquated part now, I can't say I'd be putting one in a design, I'd be straight for a dsPIC or a RP2350. But a lot of it is what you're familiar with, I guess.
The C compilers work a lot better with newer chips too. I've done loads of assembly in my time, but it's nice to keep it to the time-critical stuff, or even just so you can be sure the C compiler has done a good job by understanding the disassembly. Writing a big project in it is horrible. There is a C compiler for the 24 at least though.

 

[Phils Arcade]

I used PICs loads, but I went from the 16F and 18F to the dsPIC 30 and 33F range, never tried the 24 - I think it was like the dsPIC but less capable.

Good to hear. Seems that I must have over 300 of these things and was just wondering what to do with them, as well as everything else. Might try a simple input/output project and see what I can do with the thing. Just downloaded the reference docs for a bit of light reading tonight, lol.

 

[NivagSwerdna]

Can you post the PIC part number? I cannot quite read it from the photo... PIC24FJ256??106? I don't recognize that... Might be my eyesight!

 

[Phils Arcade]

Can you post the PIC part number? I cannot quite read it from the photo... PIC24FJ256??106? I don't recognize that... Might be my eyesight!

Here you go. Got something in mind



Two slightly different numbers.
Now how do I stick that on a breadboard???

 

[John Bennett]

OK, for 300 of them it's worth finding a project :-D

https://www.microchip.com/en-us/product/pic24fj256da106

They're not to bad to solder onto boards compared to QFN's and super-fine pitch stuff. Maybe there's a DIL adaptor out there you can solder on onto to prototype. I suspect it's too old to work with MPLAB-X and it's nice simulator though. Edit - although that might be wrong, going off above posts. I had to migrate from older dsPICs from that era though as they weren't supported.

 

[Phils Arcade]

OK, for 300 of them it's worth finding a project :-D

https://www.microchip.com/en-us/product/pic24fj256da106

They're not to bad to solder onto boards compared to QFN's and super-fine pitch stuff. Maybe there's a DIL adaptor out there you can solder on onto to prototype. I suspect it's too old to work with MPLAB-X and it's nice simulator though. Edit - although that might be wrong, going off above posts. I had to migrate from older dsPICs from that era though as they weren't supported.

Seems there's a lot of memory modules to go along with it. Again seems to be older stuff.
Will have to go through a load more bins to see what else there is.




Did manage to find several colour PAL mini bullet size cameras in the pile as well. Super sluth spy time, or pervy Pete, lol.

 

[NivagSwerdna]

Not a bad device. Has USB and some ADC.

Section 2.1 of the datasheet shows what you need to get it going... Just a few caps.

Then give it 3.3V and wire up the debug pins.

Do I have an interest... Nope!