Low-cost, industrial oriented controller on a 0.85-square-inch SIP

10. September 2009 by admin.

 PicStic is a low-cost, industrial oriented controller on a 0.85-square-inch SIP (PicStics 1-3) or a DIP (PicStic4). Including options, PicStic incorporates digital inputs and outputs, analog inputs, real-time monitoring, power-input regulation, and serial communication (provided through software) in a single module. PicStics can be used independently or networked together.

     The basic PicStic offers both compatibility and improved performance over the BASIC Stamp I. It comes in four versions: PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS4. The PS1, PS2, and PS3 are all pin-compatible with the Parallax BASIC Stamp I (BS1). The PicStic1 is a straight one-for-one programmable replacement for the BS1.

     The PicStic2 has all the features of the PicStic1 plus a real-time clock/calendar that keeps time in terms of the year, month, day of the month, day of the week, hour, minute, and seconds. The clock always runs while the PicStic2 is powered. An optional 3-V lithium battery maintains the clock when power is off. The battery, which is approximately 0.6 inches in diameter, can be mounted on the front or back of the PicStic2.

     The PicStic3 has all the features of the PicStic1 plus a 2-channel, 12-bit ADC. The compiler contains library routines for reading the ADC and real-time clock.

     PicStic4 consists of a user-programmable controller, similar in most respects to our original PicStic1, enhanced with an intelligent I/O coprocessor. The coprocessor provides extended data memory, automatically reads and sets 12-bit analog I/O, reads or sets the real-time clock, and supports up to 19 bits of parallel I/O. Beyond the physical attributes, the coprocessor also provides numerous processing and data management functions which can be accessed from the controller side.

     Complicated program tasks like scanning keypads, driving an LCD display, recording Vmin, Vpeak, and Vavg analog readings, reading and setting the real-time clock, recording important data in extended nonvolatile memory, totaling events, reading frequency, generating a constant PWM output, or reading Dallas Semiconductor iButton serial numbers, are all provided as simple callable functions from the I/O coprocessor. PicStic4 is designed to provide the user with a cost-effective and easily programmable control device without requiring the user to eat up valuable controller-side programming space with all the low-level code typically necessary to perform useful monitoring and control activities.

     While PicStics 1-3 are BASIC Stamp I pin-compatible, you can program all PicStics in more than BASIC. Unlike the customized hardware of the BASIC Stamp, PicStic uses a generic reprogrammable PIC16F84 processor and customized compiler. Additional features and improvements typically involve recompiling your program, not buying new hardware.

     The single major advantage of the PicStic is that you get additional I/O lines and access to the four PIC16F84 interrupt sources when using assembly language (or an assembly-language call appended to PicBASIC or C). With an ADC, interrupts, and 10 I/O lines, the PS3 provides a powerful little controller for cost-conscious applications.

     Using the PicBASIC compiler, PicStic 1 is 100% Stamp I compatible. As a bonus, it’s also at least 15 times faster for the same crystal speed.     PicStics are now available with double the program space, double the data EEPROM space, and over three times the RAM space. The 2k version is available for the PicStic 1, 2, 3, and 4. Micromint’s part number is PicStic 1-2k, PicStic 2-2k, PicStic 3-2k, PicStic 4P-2k, PicStic 4Q-2k and PicStic 4X-2k.

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