Should I start learning PIC and 8051 when I am 30 ?

ds80c400

Hello All,

I was wondering if learning to program PICs and 8051s still pay's off when your thirty years old.
Yes sure, you're never to old to learn and certainly not when making a hobby out of this (I have other hobbies) but I really want to achieve something with this. I'm much into routers and firewalls these days (day job) and I find them exciting to work with. So excited I want to learn how these things really work and not just move along with linux nerds who believe they might teach you a few things. Sure a PIC or 8051 won't do it but I have to start somewhere do I?
Sure I could read a book but I want to experiment with those gizmo's as well.

I'm turning 30 next week, grew up between solder wire and 2 meter piles of elektors, studied electronics in high school but only got interested in the last year or so in microcontrollers.

If I start now learning how to program a PIC, I will turn 40 when I'm able to do something more neat.

My apologies if this is not the correct forum, feel free to move the post.
And yes I'm sure they don't use a 8051 in firewalls, speare the comment.

atmel 89c51snd1c avr

Hi RJ-45,

I am 36 and have recently (about 2 years ago) got interested in electronics again. I started when I was 13 (before the IBM PC was born, 23 years ago). I got sidetracked by chemistry at college, still fun but my main chemical interest is making things go BANG - a bit politically incorrect these days!

I work as a head of science at a 6th form school - a bit boring really. Rediscovering electronics, and particularly MCU's and CPLD's has given me a lot of stuff to play with, much to my wife's irritation (she just does not see the attraction of my workroom full of oscilloscopes, monitors and acid baths, although she admits it is an improvement on the explosion-proof shields and nitration rigs)

I am currently playing around with PIC18F452's, PIC16C765's (USB), Dallas DS80C400's (Ethernet), TI msp430's and anything else I can lay my hands on cheaply. CPLD's and other programmable logic are just as much fun, if a little harder to get (thank God for jtag programming, the stand-alone programmers cost a fortune)

Mostly I seem to spend my time building programmers and test equipment to find out why what I build doesn't work :?

PIC's and '51 types are a great place to start and you can do a lot with the right parts - for example I've just got a couple of free samples of Atmel 89C51SND1C parts - they are 8051 core with built-in MP3 decoder, USB, MMC, IDE/ATAPI, ADC, etc etc. Fantastic!!! All it lacks is ethernet, unfortunately - I am trying to design them into a networked audio distribution system fed from a central PC server for our new house.

See what I mean? MCU's are great fun. Jump in and enjoy the ride

Cheers,
FoxyRick.

Re: PIC <30 years>8051

Hi RJ-45
Is NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN .. Some times people that has a different background than electronics can see applications that make sense .I have encountered this all through out my life .A couple of weeks ago . i went to see a mechanic in exotic cars ..I have an old maserati and it wouldn't pass the emissions test .Talking with this specialist.he told me :i would like to find a solutions for this cars by designing a controller ..He then told me that he had taken some seminars on how to program the PICs .I was amazed that i had a car with a problem and the car gouru offered a solution of my own field !
So don't ever hesitate to learn something new . May be this will make you happy !

Re: PIC <30 years>8051

Hi Rj

Never too old.
Only started with pics at age 31,that was 7 yrs ago.
Should be a pic guru before I am 40,and I think that is still young.
As long as it excites you enough,It is pretty easy to pick up.

So get started now!!!


Cheers and good luck
Raticus

PIC <30 years>8051

the 8051 mcu is easy and enough for a trainee to handle the basic mcu theory and technique. how old are you is not a problem.

PIC <30 years>8051

By the way, both the PIC and the 8051 are around 30 years old too

Re: PIC <30 years>8051

keep in mind that 95% of the worlds electronics run on small embedded 8 bit processors and both pic and 8051 tend to be the most popular as well. you certainly wouldnt be learning something that has no use. embedded programmers are also unique in that we write code that fits in a small codespace for a processor that has limited power and n ot many coders can do that. it certainly will not hurt to learn these things...

Re: PIC <30 years>8051

My personal experience is that to really learn anything new you must have a really good purpose for it ex:
- you greatly enjoy it
- you want to make a livin out of it
- you want to be an expert in a certain field....


Otherwize the zeal you have in the beginning will wear off in a couple of weeks.

My guess is that you really enjoy it and fair enough this is the most propelling reaspn to continue, so go ahead grab a PIC

Regards,
gam

Re: PIC <30 years>8051

Hi, I work as an RF engineering for nearly a decade, and I am now 34. Certainly, there are software and baseband circuits on the projects I had worked with, but they were usually well-taken of by well-trained professionals in those area. I started to take up embedded design last year, when I tried to make some RF instruments myself. I started off with PIC MCU, as I find that it is widely accepted and popular. I bought a set of full development starter kit from CCS, and start my embedded programming fun immediately. The package from CCS is easy to use, and the compiler is quite powerful. I have good sample support from Microchip itself.

Bottomline is: It is never too late to start anything; try it and you can discover new funs!

Re: PIC <30 years>8051

I'm 32 years old, since 1990 I made electronic circuit, two years ago I'm started to use mcu's.

Most of guys on this post is over 30, so we could made post to find out how electroda is old (I mean people on electroda).


Mr.Cube

Re: PIC <30 years>8051

hi

I think not too late me to 31 year old, and there is no limit to learn and when ever you want to learn the ways are always open foxyrick is right
jump and take a ride

Re: PIC <30 years>8051

About getting started. I think, the best suitable for leaning is simple MCU which provides easy-to-prgram features. I am using PSoC as my third MCU (first was classic Intel 8051, later Atmel AVR 7 years), now use PSoC. My students are 20 years old and started to use MCU as well without any problems.