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Summary: The Best Intro to PICs That I Have Found
Review: I teach microcontrollers at a well-known university, using the PIC 16F84. My course is in the sophomore year, so I need a book that assumes very little previous knowledge and experience. This book does a nice job of explaining the basic functioning of the PIC's hardware. The programming language used is a version of BASIC, which my students have already studied. The use of the PICBasic compiler and EPIC programmer are explained extremely well. The book contains 12 projects to build, starting from simple flashing LEDs, and moving on into motor control, LCDs, A/D conversions and serial communications. All projects are explained step-by-step and are illustrated with clear schematics and photos. Material costs are minimal. For all these reasons, John Iovine's book is the ONLY book I recommend for beginners. If you have a beginner's knowledge of electronics and have done some BASIC-language programming, this book will give you a solid foundation in the PIC microcontroller.
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Summary: Beginners could do better!
Review: I think this book was written just to generate revenue! While it might be OK for experienced electronic technicians, it's weak on advanced subjects. I also disagree with the author's suggestion of PicBasic over PicBasic Pro. In my opinion, 'Pro' is a better buy.Also, beginners should beware of some serious schematic errors. For example, in two circuits there's no filter capacitor between a bridge recifier and a voltage regulator. While errors like this are easy to overlook, for a newbie, it means the difference between a circuit that works and one that doesn't. I would have expected better editing on a book geared toward the beginner.
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Summary: Be careful- Read this before ordering
Review: I was surprised to discover that this book is not focused on the PIC's native programming language - It is focused on PIC Basic. You will not be able to use this book unless you purchase a PIC Basic compiler for around a hundred dollars. To make matters worse, you must purchase the specific (DOS-based) one recommended in the book if you expect the examples to work as written. Other compilers have significant variations in syntax and capabilities. Not a bad book - just be aware of what you are getting.
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Summary: PICBasic Intro?
Review: If you are looking for a Intro Book to PIC Basic, then this book may be for you. Though it lacks some as a full intro in that area as well. This is not a tutorial for someone who has no other experience. There are some interesting projects.
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Summary: PICBasic Intro?
Review: If you are looking for a Intro Book to PIC Basic, then this book may be for you. Though it lacks some as a full intro in that area as well. This is not a tutorial for someone who has no other experience. There are some interesting projects.
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Summary: Excellent book for begginers and especially intermediate de
Review: John Iovine did a superlative and extraordinary job at writing this fine piece of exquisite work. Even though I am already well versed in numerous embedded micro controller platform manifestations, I must give my utter most commendments to the solidity of this book. John clearly and concisely introduces and thoroughly explains the difference between Harvard and von Neumann micro architectures and provides a very well organized unit on sustaining adequate and proper programming skills. Also, he provides numerous examples such as the servo motor feedback control system, the speech synthesizer circuit and the minor introduction to heuristically based neural networks incorporating the usage and wide-spread facilitation of fuzzy logic embedded controls. Furthermore, he contrast Basic Stamp PIC MCU's and Microchip MCU's providing the reader with hard information towards the differentiating technical aspects of the two. In addition, one other topic I would like to informally address is the fact that one reader mentioned above, in a rather ludicrous, vague, appalling, and demeaning manner, that John Iovine uses his book on Pic's as a mere meager and mundane catalog for the sole undefined purpose of facilitating an economic benefit by selling another companies products. Uhm, reality check, that's not what he is trying to do, of the 232 pages I only count about seven pages spent subjecting the reader to such advertisements. I too, like a fellow reviewer, find it unlikely that McGraw-Hill would allow such an atrocity to be printed in their books. On the whole, John Iovine has done an excellent job writing this book. I must recommend this to all beginners. For the record, you should take my word this is a darn good book because I am a micro assembly specialist that works for Fab 25 in Houston, Texas, I known embedded sub processor design like the back of my hand. This book really belongs too one of my engineering team mates who lent me the book to read on my vacation if I got board.
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Summary: Fun Projects, Great Book!
Review: The author did a great job writing this exelent work. Even though I am already well versed in numerous embedded micro controller platforms, I must give my highest praise to the solidity of this book. It clearly and concisely introduces and explains the difference between Harvard and von Neumann micro architectures and provides a very well organized unit on proper programming skills. Also, he provides numerous examples such as the servo motor feedback control system, the speech synthesizer circuit and the minor introduction to heuristically based neural networks incorporating the usage of fuzzy logic embedded controls. The book compares Basic Stamp, and the PIC microcontrollers providing the reader with hard information towards the differentiating technical aspects of the two. On the whole, John Iovine has done an excellent job writing this book. I must recommend this to all beginners.
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Summary: Good Book - Just uses PIC BASIC
Review: The book is a very good teaching guide, but ONLY if you buy PICBASIC ( $100 ) and the EPIC Programmer ( $ 35 ). Its a nice way to get started without learning assembly, but ONLY if you buy the PICBASIC. Well written otherwise, just not the book I will use other than a reference when possible....
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Summary: Microcontrolers from ground zero.
Review: The PIC microcontroller Project Book is one of those books that stem from the rising populairity of robotics. This book is intended for the true beginner in any field that comes with building a PICcontrolled device. Basic issue's, like how to install software on a PC, how does a breadboard look like, what are electrical symbols and where to obtain the nessesary hardware are explained in great detail. With the subtitle "A true biginners Guide To the Populair Pic microcontroler" in mind the author gives us a electrical schematic, a drawing and a photograph of the breadboard of the first project, winking LED's. After this intro, the author lays out the PIC architecture, like the TRIS and port registers, the binairy calculation, reading i/o lines and the pokes and peeks of Basic - the language used to program the PIC. Once mastered this section, one of the twelve step-by-step-projects can be build. These involve for example the making of a speechsynthesizer, controlling DC stepper and Servomotors, LCD displays, reading sensors and there's even a trackerdevice that applies fuzzy logic to track light. Overall this book has a clear audience and a clear idea. The information is well structured and well edited. The layout is good, although there isn't much need for this book as a referenceguide. The author succeeded in making a very solid entrylevel book for the absolute beginner.
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Summary: Learn How To Interface Quickly and Easily With A Pic !!
Review: This book in my opinion, should open your world to programming microcontrollers, however since most of us take advantage of the windows environment so much these days, you may step back and reconsider.The author relays instructions on installing a EPIC DOS software program inside windows.He also illustrates some neat projects, however you must have the tools and hardware in order to get the results to learn Pbasic from this book. The code in the book may give unexpected results, especially if your are looking for something more visual from the output.The author doesn't relay this information, but the reader should still feel comfortable about learning PBasic.I've had a copy of this book since it first hit the bookstores a few years ago, and still recommand it to anyone who wants to learn PBasic.
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