Using a Micro PIC for Keypad Output with 16 Digits & 4 Bit Output

[bigmikew]

What I need is that when a certain key (on a keypad) is pressed it would output a corresponding binary number. I have completed this with an HC11 in assembly language. My professor says that the HC11 is over kill and that a micro pic would do this for little money. I am new to micro pics and not sure how I would go about doing this. Which pic would be right for me? Is there a converter from Assembly to “whatever language” the pic uses? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
a standard 16 digit key pad will be used, and 4 bit output would be sufficient.

 

[zeitghost]

The PIC microcontroller <spit> from Microchip uses, oddly enough, PIC assembler.

It has an architecture rather different from the HC11.

Microchip supply a free download of MPLAB (can be found on their site) which allows you to develop and simulate PIC programs.

PICs come in a wide & confusing variety of shapes & sizes, from the PIC12, through PIC16, PIC17, PIC18 and PIC24.

For your purposes one of the PIC16 range, such as the PIC16F88 would do the job, since it has a lot of peripherals, including a serial i/f.

So far as I'm aware, there's no utility for converting HC11 code to PIC16 code...

 

[bigmikew]

Thanks for the reply, is the PIC16 code simular to any other. i.e. C, C++... Also, is it hard to learn. I would need a parallel output. Would this PIC16F88 do this? anyother info would be great.

 

[Averagesupernova]

I would go with the 18f series because they are on the way to obsoleting the 16f series and I suspect in the end are actually more inexpensive to buy. The Microchip compiler uses ANSI C I believe.

 

[zeitghost]

Maybe I should have made it clearer: so far as I know there is no utility for converting HC11 assembler to PIC assembler.

PIC16F88 has a maximum of 16 i/o pins. You would have to determine if that is sufficient for your needs.

Otherwise use a PIC with more i/o, such as the PIC16F877.