Maybe you noticed I use PICs, I mention PIC circuits in post replies, and I have a web page with PIC circuits.
I am getting Arduino PCB very soon, I have downloaded some Atmel datasheet (tinyAVR and Atmel MEGA) + I have read essential parts of them.
I even already have a programmer (for EPROMs/GALs) that can write some Atmel MCUs!
I do not have any intention to propagate PICs here in favour of Atmel.
Using C since recently, most of the program code is independent (to some degree) from the platform, they are both 8 bit MCUs.
There are many interesting devices available to buy, designed for Arduino, I don't see a reason why they can not be used for PICs.
When I get my Arduino PCB my first project will be interfacing serial LED display. I have not yet even tried this in C on the PIC, only made it working driving 2 displays from one master controller, and then stopped any further efforts.
I have not yet decided if to use this design, or if I will design another serial display, having a real hardware serial port. But it is challenging, chips with hardware port need extra pins and won't fit under the display anymore, or two small chips must be used.
I will see how I get along with the Atmel chip and the display, won't be too soon, since the shipping is two weeks or so.
By the way there are 3x 16f54 in this circuit.
Some extra resistors are required I saw two of them could be mounted directly on the display PCB!
My progress seems to be gradually...
