Microchip's Curiosity board

[Chuckt]

This board supports8-, 14-, 20-pin 8-bit PIC® Microcontrollers and for $20, you don't have to buy a Pickit.

It uses PKOB – PICkit on board – for both programming and debugging.

http://www.microchip.com/pagehandler/en ... osity.html

http://hackaday.com/2015/07/22/review-m ... dev-board/

It looks like a stable board to seat your microcontroller and those concerned about cost don't have to buy a Pickit. It uses a USB interface and who doesn't have USB?

[brad]

Unless I'm mistaken, I think this is the first low cost dev board that I have seen from microchip? Which is great to finally see!

[Chuckt]

According to the page on supported devices, they only list Pic 12F, 16F and 18F Microchip Microcontrollers and there is a large list.

http://www.microchip.com/pagehandler/en ... ml#devices

There is a user guide and a quick start guide. The documentation and software only lists Pic 16F. There is a nice "sell" sheet to see the features and possibly promote the board.

I like the layout of the board and the documentation.

$20 is cheaper than a Pikit2 or 3 and there is already room for expansion.

It is nice they are being competitive because other companies are selling starter kits.

The datasheet from Mouser Electronics currently gives the "sell" sheet as the datasheet which is neither the quickstart guide or user guide.

I haven't seen the dimensions of the board yet but it looks like a small board.

[brad]

Are you going to get one Chuck?

[bitfogav]

I think that is the first low cost dev board I've seen from microchip too, that actually uses a good range of pics (not many 18F though ),
I see it has a the MikroElectronika Click footprint too, http://www.mikroe.com/click/

Now the MikroElectronika Click boards are neat little boards but I say a little expensive inc shipping.

It would have been nice if it had the Arduino headers on it too, but I guess you wouldn't have enough pic pins

[brad]

Hi Bitfogav! Hope all is well with you

I hadn't seen those boards before, they certainly have a huge list and would be great for the hobbiest but some of those prices are just too high I think. Especially when you could get an arduino equivalent for much less. However I don't much enjoy programming Arduino boards...

[bitfogav]

Hey Brad, yes all good thank you, hope you are too

Now you can actually get a Click shield for arduino too

http://www.mikroe.com/click/arduino-uno-shield/

[brad]

That's a smart move to make it Arduino compatible. Which is a great thing isn't it - it doesn't really matter what microcontroller you use - they can all talk to basically any shield out there!

[Chuckt]

Are you going to get one Chuck?

On one hand, I don't need to because I have a Pikit 2 but I also wanted to buy a Pikit 3.
The decision is 50/50 because I don't know what I want to do.
On one hand, I don't have time and I have other things keeping me pre-occupied.
I fear if I get it, it will sit unused.

[brad]

Very much like the DE1 development board from Altera that I bought about three years ago and have done nothing with!