On 9/27/11 7:45 PM, Al Kozakiewicz wrote:
> I have a lifetime supply of 70's vintage TTL. Until I discovered the PIC, I
> probably would have done what you suggest with a BCD decoder chip.
>
> I personally think the Arduino is an oddball device, though it is open source
> and already assembled. The PIC has a very large user base and the basic IDE
> and assembler are free. Supported high level languages like C and VB are not
> free. For simple combinatorial logic and sequencing, I found the assembler
> sufficiently easy to learn.
>
> At any rate, unlike the Arduino, a PIC based decoder can be made for less
> than $10 in parts and the parts count would be about the same as the hard
> wired BCD circuit. You'll need a couple extra parts if you're going to use
> the digial inputs that are shared with the programming pins on some devices.
> Adding support for both Icom and Kenwood in addition to the Yaesu BCD would
> involve only software changes.
>
> IMO, and I have no special knowledge of QSTs editorial policy, a PIC based
> programmable device would have more publishing appeal based on the
> opportunity to teach new technology than the hard wired circuit.
>
> Since I got beyond the hump in the learning curve, I'll never go back to hard
> wired logic even for simple circuits.
>
> To give you an idea of the range and power, the ARI-500 auto band switcher
> for the Ameritron AL-500 and ALS-600 amplifiers and the MFJ-259B analyzer are
> both PIC based designs. The essence of the ARI-500 is functionally identical
> to what you are trying to accomplish.
The other way would be a simple CPLD/PAL. But a PIC is a more general
solution (especially since it could take the "voltage as band" output
from some rigs)
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