Help! Need a PIC-like processor with cross-platform tools.

[Inventor]

Hi StateMachine et. al,

I'm a DIY fan and I'm familar with PIC processors. I would like to make a little bitty synth module as described in this thread:

http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-26536.html

The idea is that simplified little synthesizer modules on circuit boards the size of a quarter can be interconnected to form complex synthesizer circuits. I'll start by making one module that is PIC-like and can be an oscillator or a delay line or a filter or whatever depending on the programming. What I need is a PIC-like processor that has cross-platform development tools.

Unfortunately my beloved PICs have only Microsoft development platforms as near as I can tell, so that's not a solution for me. I want primarily to do this on my eMac and Linux, with Microsoft compatibility being a plus.

The proposed module will have inputs for power, ground, and signal, plus outputs for power, ground, and signal. It will have a couple of little PCB pots, a momentary switch, and perhaps an 8-bit DIP switch. The module will be general enough to support a variety of synthesizer functions.

A "kit" would include perhaps 20 such modules, each of which is programmed for a specific function, and each of which costs $5 or lower. The interconnect will be of solid 22 gauge wire that can be trimmed to any lenth and soldered to the board or attached with some type of connector. The solid wire will also act a structural support so that three-dimensional sculptures of sound can be created.

Well, I could ramble on forever with details, but if you read the above thread you will get the idea. So I ask you: What processor would you use? It needs to be cheap and self-contained like a PIC, but have cross-platform development tools which Microchip sadly does not offer (shame on them - they lose my business for that!).

Thanks in advance and cheers!

[Blue Hell]

I'm not sure PIC processors would be the best thing for this, but there is some Linux tooling for PIC processors: http://www.gnupic.org/

[Inventor]

Thanks Jan, the web page says that Max OSX, Windows, and Linux are all supported, plus they have a direct replacement for MPASM.

[okvern]

Hi Inventor,

You might also consider Arduino--the IDE is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. The Ardunio language is very much like C, and, really, the chips are fast enough that you shouldn't have to worry about learning assembler. You don't need a "full" Arduino development board--you can just program chips with it and use them in standalone boards. Some might say that the ATMega168 is overkill for single modules, but they're plenty cheap.

That said, I've also been having fun with Microchip PICs. But I haven't found a C compiler for PICs that both works with all chips and is free, so I'm kind of leaning toward the Arduino/AVR world.

Thanks,

Ole

[BananaPlug]

AVR boards in varying degrees of completeness can be had from these folks:
http://wulfden.org/freeduino/freeduino.shtml
The Really Bare Bones Board might appeal to you.

[Inventor]

Thanks, the Ardunio boards are close to what I'm thinking, but actually I'm looking for somthing like an 8-pin solution with higher pin count if necessary. For that I'm thinking of PIC, but I dunno. It will be a long journey regardless and perhaps all plaforms have a role to play. I will try the gnupic simulator for starters and see if i like it.

[Blue Hell]

You might have a hard time to get audio processing done in the 8 pin pics, but now I see how you plan to make it quarter sized

Would like to hear your opinion on the gnupic stuff!

[okvern]

Hi Inventor,

What I meant was: use an Arduino board as a development system, and then deploy as a minimial "Freeduino" board--that's an ATMEGA168, a crystal, and two capacitors.

At the same time, I understand the urge to use 8 pin chips--take a look at the ATTiny26 experiments here (lots of great stuff on these pages):

http://elm-chan.org/works/vp/report.html

...for example.

Thanks,

Ole

[Inventor]

[Inventor]