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Here's another nice one:- Terasic.

For example, feast your eyes on this!

On the other hand ... how cool is this?

Back to the future with 8-bit processing? The Amtel ATtiny85 (.pdf).

Steven,

Have you tried Microchip's mplab? I used to use it back in the day. There are a huge range of PIC's available. Amongst other things I built an ECG simulator using a PIC 12F508. It's an 8 pin dil chip with upto 6 I/O's. The circuit comprised of a 32K serial eeprom and serial DAC, running on an I2C bus. All the chips were 8-pin dil which made for a very small circuit board.
I was a bit disappionted with the Arduino when I relised that it is just another PIC. I suppose the best thing about Arduino is the support community. Microchip forums tend to be aimed at the more professional end of the market, less frivolous projects.

I tried teaching PICs using MPLab, but it didn't go down too well.

The main issues were the expense of the uploader - or the difficultly of the students creating one from "scratch" - and the difficulty of getting hold of the PICs themselves.

With the Arduino, I've found a number of suppliers from Kenya who would be willing to ship to Uganda at a good price if necessary. Strangely I struggled to find something similar with PICs.

And like you say, the Arduino community has a wide range of highly frivolous projects which are great for the students to play with.

I do like PIC and have used it a number of times in the past, but I do find the Arduino - and to a lesser extend the Pi - much easier to "hit the ground" running.

Geoff: That is a very nice little device, can't find one for sale yet in the UK, but will certainly look at getting one for myself! Could make a great fermenting bucket temperature controller

Hi Steve,

I forgot you were overseas. It was bad enough getting tech in Jordan I can only imagine the difficulties you might have in Uganda. The ATtiny looks like it could be handy for small projects especially as it is I2C ready (does that just mean that it has the pull up resistors built-in?) .

@Bill: define "frivolous"! LOL

As with everything else, it all depends what you're (we're) trying to do.

There's no doubt MPLAB is "the business", but I suspect it's a bit daunting for those just starting out, as it were.

It reminds me of MATLAB - a brilliant concept; but *who has the funds for all that?

As I have indicated in this thread, we are lucky in that there are so many development systems available these days (many at "pocket money prices"). Not to mention all the Open Source, Public Domain etc. resources (forums, software, freeware) that are out there.

In other words (and as you have already indicated):- the support community.

Just pic (PIC?) a system ... and crack on!

Or (with a nod to Steven) - when all else fails, just SPICE it ... then breadboard it!

@Bill (again): any news on your own project, Mate?

* Apart from the NHS, of course.

Proto-PIC. Also Mouser.*

* Other suppliers may be (and indeed are) available.

Geoff,

I've had a bit of beaurocratic entanglement with my seemingly simple idea. I decided not to reinvent the wheel and go for a tablet PC with NFC capability but ran into that juggernaut that is the IT department. As soon as I mentioned the phrase PC, alarm bells started ringning, "we can't just buy a PC without IT approval" was the response I got. So now six months after selling the idea to my boss I'm still waiting! I wish I had taken the time to build my own NFC reader now.

Sorry to hear that, Bill. "Pathetic" is the word that comes immediately to mind.

But remember that (in case you had forgotten, that is):- "to ask permission is to seek denial".

The thought occurs that perhaps you would fair better (for your sanity, at least) if you headed back to the "private sector", Mate.

@Steven: good news about the Trinket:-

I have heard that Proto-PIC (RelChron)* also liked the look of it, so they ordered some up.

Hopefully, they should have them in stock from tomorrow (Thursday).

* Based in Kirkcaldy (Fife), by the way.