avr or pic?

[SixD]

I am working on a multimeter and wounder what I should use avr or pic?

[con-f-use]

[mariush]

Whatever platform you have a programmer for.

If you don't have a programmer, buy an arduino which has a built in bootloader and you can just upload the code through usb.

If you don't get bored with it and abandon the project half way, then when you're done you can spend money on an actual avr programer and make your own board and all that.

Alternatively, get a pickit 3 and some pic16f chips and a breadboard and do it.

It doesn't matter which one - avr or pic - for such a project.

[fcb]

PIC of course.

"Multimeter and wounder"...

[Rigby]

I don't know if you did any research on this before you asked here, but the reason you won't find consistent answers to this question on Google is that there is no consistent answer - it's situation & preference dependent.

So, pick whichever one you want.  Flip a coin.  Pick the easier part number to pronounce -- or the harder.  Pick the cheaper part, or the more expensive.

In short: it doesn't matter.

If you're trying to start a flame war, knock it off. 

[tszaboo]

MSP430 because battery life. Or Cortex M3 to calculate RMS digitally. Or STM8 because that is cheap. Or NEC custom made IC for it. Or the Rabbit 8 core, because it has a funny name. Why do you limit yourself?

[nctnico]

MSP430 is a sensible choice. It is ultra-low power and there are versions which can drive an LCD display directly.

[casper.bang]

MSP430 is a sensible choice. It is ultra-low power and there are versions which can drive an LCD display directly.

Are they lower power than AVR's ATtiny A (Pico power) chips? I'm in awe at seeing them sleep at 90nA and yeah, I chose AVR over PIC after some bad experiences with the PIC programming model (bank selection, few registers etc.).

[mrflibble]

+1 for msp430 for low power if this thing is going to be battery powered. STM32 for number crunching. And everything in between 100% depending on your project requirements and your personal preferences.

Choice of mcu is going to be the least of your worries for a multimeter. Well okay, maybe not least, but certainly not the #1 issue. So just flip a coin, ignore coin flip result and just pick something you like.

[Corporate666]

MSP430 because battery life. Or Cortex M3 to calculate RMS digitally. Or STM8 because that is cheap. Or NEC custom made IC for it. Or the Rabbit 8 core, because it has a funny name. Why do you limit yourself?

Great answer!

I don't understand why everyone thinks there is only Atmel and Microchip?

Atmel and Microchip aren't even the biggest microcontroller companies, not by far!  It is like saying "I am having a party and need the best beer.... is it Heineken or Stella Artois?"

[owl_uk]

They are all much of a muchness.  I'd say pick one you can find easy help for on google, which brings you back to PICs and AVRs.  MCUs can be good fun but they can also be a real pain in the arse.  You'll need some help.  What the micro can actually do isn't as important a factor as it might seem at first.

[nctnico]

MSP430 is a sensible choice. It is ultra-low power and there are versions which can drive an LCD display directly.

Are they lower power than AVR's ATtiny A (Pico power) chips? I'm in awe at seeing them sleep at 90nA and yeah, I chose AVR over PIC after some bad experiences with the PIC programming model (bank selection, few registers etc.).

After being bitten I don't trust anything Atmel writes in their datasheets. They grossly exaggerate the specs so I don't use their chips at all. Too much risk. Anyway the sleep current isn't that interesting. The wake-up time and the power consumption while running are far more important for a low power application.

[adam1213]

I have started to make a arduino based multimeter.

If you plan to make something that is Arduino based then may as well use an Arduino compatible board to start with.

I was planning to do pic18f4550 based arduino. i have tested pinguino but i don't get it to work.

Why do you want to do an Arduino based project? If you plan to do an Arduino based project why are you using a pic18f4550 with Arduino like software that is not 100% compatible with Arduino?

WatchCalcMeter, arduino based watch with built in calculator and voltmeter. Is that an idea?

As has been suggested by others in this thread the choice of micrcontroller is influenced by desired battery life.


I think your aims are too ambitious for what I perceive to be your experience level. Start with making a simple multimeter. Once that works start working on improving it. 

[popamp]

why do i hear dave's voice in my head talking about "atmel fan boys" ? 

[AlfBaz]

I am working on a multimeter and wounder what I should use avr or pic?

Maybe you should start with one of these

[dannyf]

Start with making a simple multimeter.

Even that may be too challenging for the OP. I would recommend starting with blinking an led.

[Monkeh]

Start with making a simple multimeter.

Even that may be too challenging for the OP. I would recommend starting with blinking an led.

WITHOUT using Arduino.

[Stonent]

Start with making a simple multimeter.

Even that may be too challenging for the OP. I would recommend starting with blinking an led.

WITHOUT using Arduino.

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_34690_-1

[TheMask]

It doesnt matter which AVR or PIC.

Use the one that you already have, or the one that you can obtain most easily, just to get you started.

Later, try to experiment with both and avoid the 'AVR-vs-PIC' nonsense

[oPossum]

Start with making a simple multimeter.

Even that may be too challenging for the OP. I would recommend starting with blinking an led.

WITHOUT using Arduino.

Code: [Select]

#include <msp430.h>
main() {  BCSCTL1 = 0; P1OUT ^= P1DIR = BIT0; }

Use what Fluke [sometimes] uses.... MSP430.

Get the F5529 launchpad - it is the newest and best yet.

The front end and ADC design will be more difficult than the firmware.

[calexanian]

Well of course you use the more expensive one silly!   O0

[Psi]

Write some code on a PIC to make it upload your code onto an AVR   

[poorchava]

On topic:
pick whatever floats your boat.

You want board portfolio? Microchip wins.
You want affordable development tools? Microchip wins.
You want good silicon? Atmel wins.
You want good feature set at low price point? Atmel wins (Attiny13 and the like)
You want 16 or 32 bit architecture? Microchip wins
You want DSP? Microchip wins
You want low power? Microchip wins
You want good chip architecture? Atmel wins
You want good community support? They both have it.
You want a beginner-friendly MCU? Atmel wins (just make sure you have a fuse-bit doctor thingie ready).
You want simple assembly? Atmel wins
You want free tools and compiler that are actually usable? Atmel wins.
You want a broad portfolio of peripheral modules (eg. encoder inputs, sdio, hardware parallel port)? Microchip wins
You want to make a single sided board at home? Microchip wins (peripheral pin select in present in some dspics and pic24 rocks)
You are designing a product that will have a long lifetime? Microchip wins.
You want something that will give you a job later? ARM wins. Fatality!

[Jeroen3]

You can turn your multimeter into a multiscope when using a NXP LPC4370...

[codeboy2k]

I've always like the MSP430 for anything battery operated.

But I'd like to try the Energy Micro chips and see how the two compare.
(Note: Silicon Labs recently bought Energy Micro)