Ds80c310

[George Sephton]

Hi,
Has anyone used the PICAXE and DS80C310 together. I see there's a serial line on it and the manual seems to show the feautures used can be read and written, I assume this is right as it's a microcontroller not a PIC. It looks really useful as it has timers, a rtc, RAM and says it performs things very fast. But if it's possible to connect it to a PICAXE what kind of PICAXE things could it do really fast? Also does this have to be programmed, im quite new to these kind of things, and have never come across a Microcontroller before.
George.

 

[hippy]

It seems to be a variant on the 8031, that being a development upon the venerable 8051. In most respects it's 'just another micro', similar to the PICmicros used as the foundation for the PICAXE range.

No micro is really "any better than another", it comes down to what it's needed to do and there's a whole range of criteria so what's best in one case isn't what's best in another. There are literally thousands of different microcontroller variants out there. Micros can be more flexible than a PICAXE, faster in operation, etc, but the price one pays to utilise what they offer is in additional development tools and a much steeper learning curve. Programming a micro isn't much different to programming a PICAXE, different language, different tools, different costs, different reasons to bang your head on the table.

 

[George Sephton]

Ahh so it's like a different kind of PICAXE to put it in simpleton words. Can that be used with a PICAXE? ie could I do a serout command to it and make it do something or do I have to program it with some kind of circuit and then do serout?

 

[Dippy]

George, it's a processor. You have to programme it. You can't just shout at it

If you bought a new PICAXE, left it blank and connected your other proudly programmed PICAXE to it, what do you expect the blank PICAXE to do?

 

[George Sephton]

Ahh...makes sense. So it's basically a blank PIC. I do have a Programming PICs book knocking about so Ill read about PICs, how to program them, etc.... But after that can a PICAXE communicate with other PICs (that don't use PICAXE BASIC?)

 

[Dippy]

It's not a PIC, it's (yet) another microcontroller.
Print this out for bedtime reading:
http://docs-europe.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/0a2c/0900766b80a2cc5b.pdf


Like hippy has said, you'll have to BUY (yes, BUY, as in bye-bye money) a compiler and appropriate programmer and/or dev board. But check Dallas Maxim website first.

And I'm sure Dallas Maxim have a lovely forum to learn about their products. But not so lovely as this one.

"But after that can a PICAXE communicate with other PICs (that don't use PICAXE BASIC?) "
- of course. The MRF ultrasonic is a PIC based device. So are most of those LCD fimware ics and a zillion other products.
Serial comms in various formats has been around for donkeys.

 

[George Sephton]

Ahh, I will look around on the maxim website and read my PIC book to see what I can do, start from scratch again.
Thanks.

 

[Dippy]

Very cryptic.....

So, what are you actually trying to achieve?

Obviously apart from vague tips no-one here can give you major help in coding a non-PICAXE device.
And why that specific u-controller?

 

[George Sephton]

Oh well I got it, can't remember when but I have 2 of them and looked up what they did and found out it was a micro controller with RAM RTC, etc etc. Seemed quite cool so wondered if it could be used with the PICAXE, since then I have found it's like a blank PIC and in fact needs more work than plug and (basically) play like an i2c device. I was mainly interested, I can't say my whole project will fail without one. I was just interested.