Elmer 166?

I am considering an Elmer 166 course, possibly including a “ds-PIC-EL”

The Elmer 166 course would introduce the student to using the Microchip 16-bit PICs programmed in C.  The focus would be on the dsPIC30F series of parts, but the entire range of 16 bit parts is quite consistent from a software perspective.  The 30F series is a 5 volt part, making it a little more comfortable for hobbyists. (The other 16 bit families are 3.3 volt).  the 30F runs at up to 30 MIPS, making is quite fast for most control projects.

The proposed dsPIC-EL would utilize the dsPIC30F4011 which is a 40 pin part which includes 48K of Flash, 8K of RAM, 30 I/O pins, 2 UARTs, 1 SPI port, one I2C port, 4 CCP/PWM ports, 6 motor control PWM channels, a quadrature encoder interface, 5 timers, and a 9 channel/1ksps A/D converter.  With the commonly available 7.3728 MHz crystal, the 4011 will run at just over 29MIPS.  The 7.3728 MHz crystal has the added advantage of dividing directly to most common serial baud rates.  The dsPIC30F4011 currently costs $5.70 quantity one from Microchip Direct.

The image at the right is a partially completed prototype.