Familiarizing oneself with new software can be difficult, especially for someone new to programming. A month ago, Digilent Studio released a third (updated!) version of the introduction to chipKIT’s MPIDE using the Uno32.
This video provides an initial look at MPIDE. It uses a simple circuit comprised of a breadboard, resistor, an LED, a few wires, and of course, the chipKIT Uno32. With this circuit and these components, getting the hang of MPIDE is a breeze. You can do many of the example “sketches” (programs) with these components, which is a good beginner’s look at basic electronics, pulse-width modulation, and resistance (Ohm’s Law!).
The Uno32 is an Arduino-compatible open-source hardware board based on the PIC32 processor. It has 42 available inputs and outputs and an on-board LED. It is one of the boards designed to work with MPIDE. This IDE (integrated development platform) uses C/C++ to create an ideal way of programming, coding, and compiling.
To get started, download MPIDE. There are tons of projects just waiting to be done once you’ve covered the basics.
