What Are Creative PIC18 Microcontroller Project Ideas?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around creative project ideas utilizing the PIC18 microcontroller, focusing on unique and innovative applications that can be developed by a team of hobbyists and engineers. The scope includes real-time data analysis, cost-effective solutions, and interfacing with external components.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests developing a weather conditions machine/display that measures temperature, humidity, pressure, and precipitation, emphasizing the need for outdoor usability and protection from the elements.
  • Another participant proposes incorporating real-time control with high bandwidth requirements, mentioning autonomous robotics as a potential direction.
  • A suggestion is made for an autonomous GPS-centric RC-size helicopter as a project idea.
  • One participant introduces the concept of a TCP/IP-based system that allows the PIC to connect to the internet, enabling remote access to data, particularly for a weather station.
  • A later reply expresses interest in the TCP/IP idea, noting the challenge of programming in C and the participant's preference for C++ over assembly language.
  • Discussion of multiprocessor applications is raised, highlighting the potential for increased processing power by using a primary processor with subordinate processors for internet tasks.
  • One participant suggests a creative project involving two potentiometers and a small LCD screen to create an etch-a-sketch device.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing project ideas without reaching a consensus on a single direction. The discussion remains open-ended with various suggestions and challenges proposed.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of programming expertise and comfort with different languages, which may influence the feasibility of the proposed projects. There is also a consideration of resource limitations due to budget constraints.

Who May Find This Useful

Hobbyists, engineering students, and individuals interested in microcontroller projects, particularly those looking for innovative and cost-effective ideas for team projects.

IronBrain
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Please, do not tell me to go google this, and searching these forums. I am perfectly capable of doing so. However, I am posting here to hear unique ideas something google cannot find, to me at least, as any good hobbyist/engineer are always having random sparks of creativity anywhere, any time. This is for a team project, but I am taking the most initiative in doing this, since I enjoy it the most.

Some Information

Micontroller: PIC18

Ideas to incorporate for a successful project and fun but challenging to some degree

- A system that incorporate somewhat real time data analysis
- A system where components won't cost a fortune (college student here)
- A system where we interface external, quite obviously, duh, lol.

A good idea that come to mind for me, is a current weather conditions machine/display. I've seen on spark electronics they have a IC for measuring barometric pressure, and leaving it up to us for to find other components or develop a system to measure temperature, humidity, pressure, and possible precipitation which leads to us being able to bring the system outside and detect current conditions and if its raining well obviously we are going to have to create a design to protect the system but keep an accurate measure of the conditions without the protection interfering.


Any other ideas? I know berkman enjoys this stuff, as well.
 
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Google is your friend...

J/K. Couldn't resist. :biggrin:

I think to make it really challenging, you should mix in real-time control at a fairly high and taxing bandwidth. Autonomous robot stuff comes to mind. 4 wheels for simpler control, and fewer wheels or legs for more challenge...
 
Maybe an autonomous GPS centric RC-size helicopter?
 
How about something TCP/IP based. You can connect the PIC over the network and access it anywhere in the world using the internet?

In case of a weather station, it could unload all the telemetry into a web browser.
 
Ah, yes berkman that would be very challenging.
I also like the last idea allowing the PIC weather station to connect to a wired or wireless network where It can upload the new data every so often, say every 5 minutes. Only that sucks I am probalby the most knowledge programmer in the group, even though area of speciality is in C++, I don't know C, yet. ASM just scares me lol.
 
Talk of Telnet sparks a concept that I'm endeared with - multiprocessor apps. If you have a processor that's banging away to work over the internet (which is in an app note at microchip.com) then you probably don't have much left in the way of resources.
Given a boss processor and slaves opens up possibilities in processing power.
 
Use two potentiometers and a small lcd screen to create an etch-a-sketch
 

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