I just visited the PICLIST for the first time in about 2 years. I can't find any sign of somebody asking money for help. I see that it is under new managment from when I last visited it. I don't know where I got that idea. It must have been for some big-name consultants like (but not necessarily) Myke Predko. I guess the big-name consultants probably have to ask a fee to prevent being swamped with questions. I'm sure that there are plenty of lesser known wizards that are willing to help. I'll be less reluctant to go to the PICLIST for help next time I need it. Maybe I'll even try to help someone else, since I have acquired a fair amount of experience with PICs over the years. I do not consider myself an expert, however.
Hi Nancy, Your quite welcome. I agree, Microchip does have awesome documentation and their forums provide a wealth of technical support and solutions to some tricky design application problems.
That makes sense, Nancy. And chances are, you'll never run into trouble. And if someone wants it -- as has been pointed out in these comments -- that person can make a small change.
Andy, the small changes you describe to get around patents doesn't seem to work in the world of smartphones. There is a great number of patent suits in that world. Some of the suits are quite successful at banning companies from selling their products in a number of countries.
For a fee???? Times have changed...but I am willing to bet there are still plenty of folks who love what they are doing and love sharing their knowledge with others. I needed some help with my last project and had four different people offering very intelligent suggestions that helped me resolve the issue I was having - and they never asked for compensation.
Thanks, Nancy. I'll take your advice next time I need help. When I needed help, I didn't actually ask for it. I tried to find the answer from comments that were already posted, but the archive is just so huge, and I do not know how to sort through them in any useful way.
I saw plenty of people willing to give advice for a fee.
Sorry to hear that armorris - that has not been my experience. I am not saying you did this, but what I did find is that there is little patience on the forum for questions that are just thrown out there without evidence of the person trying to solve the problem themselves first. I did notice that when I went into detail as to what I had already tried and where I was stuck with code examples - plenty of folks jumped in with some great suggestions. There are also different areas that help localize where you should post to get the best chance of receiving knowledgeable help. You might want to give it another try - or maybe jump on it to help someone else out ;)
The PICLIST forum has gotten so huge now, that I find it almost impossible to find whatever help I need. It was a big help to me years ago, when I was first learning about PICs.
Yes, it measures the back EMF after momentarily disconnecting the motor. This scheme would not work with a universal motor. You need to use IR compensation for that kind of motor. The analog version of this gadget, referenced in the article, uses IR compensation. A scaled-up version of that circuit would work fine with a universal motor, like the Dremel Moto-tool.
Also, why do you need to have extremely high speed for working on hearing aids. A Dremel moto-tool runs extremely fast without boosting the voltage. I'm afraid to do delicate work at high speed. Do you know something I don't? High speed would melt plastic parts.
UK-based Plastic Logic and French company ISORG have created what the pair tout as a first in flexible printed electronics: a large area, conformable, organic image sensor printed on plastic.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
