CHIPINO Module
In 2006, after watching the Arduino module explode with popularity, I sat down with a few friends and questioned why it was so popular and why wasn't there a similar board for PICs. There were a few people attempting things but nothing we liked so the CHIPINO was created. It lives on at chipino.com.
The CHIPINO name was a play on the Italian word cioppino which is a community fish soup. Fisherman would donate some of their daily catch for a soup at the end of the day so everyone could share in their good fortune. We saw CHIPINO as the module the PIC user community could share. It is designed to interface to a PICkit 2 or PICkit 3 style programmer with 6-pin header so a user could program it in any PIC compiler language they wanted instead of locking them into one compiler and limited IDE like the Arduino. The CHIPINO can be programmed in C, BASIC, Assembly, Pascal , Flowcode, CCS, or any existing PIC compiler code that produces a .hex file for PICs. With the programming style interface, instead of a USB connection bootloader, CHIPINO can also run in debug mode. This allows you to run to breakpoints and watch variables change all while the module is in circuit. This is possible by using the free to download MPLAB or MPLAB X IDE from Microchip.com.
The CHIPINO continues today as an open source module that can accept most Arduino style shields. Great Cow Basic compiler is my latest focus because I wanted an open source beginner path. You can see more about that at the Great Cow Basic website. Below is a summary of the CHIPINO and some of the shields that were developed based on our own needs plus some of our favorites we like to use with the CHIPINO. The CHIPINO is officially available at the following resellers.
The CHIPINO name was a play on the Italian word cioppino which is a community fish soup. Fisherman would donate some of their daily catch for a soup at the end of the day so everyone could share in their good fortune. We saw CHIPINO as the module the PIC user community could share. It is designed to interface to a PICkit 2 or PICkit 3 style programmer with 6-pin header so a user could program it in any PIC compiler language they wanted instead of locking them into one compiler and limited IDE like the Arduino. The CHIPINO can be programmed in C, BASIC, Assembly, Pascal , Flowcode, CCS, or any existing PIC compiler code that produces a .hex file for PICs. With the programming style interface, instead of a USB connection bootloader, CHIPINO can also run in debug mode. This allows you to run to breakpoints and watch variables change all while the module is in circuit. This is possible by using the free to download MPLAB or MPLAB X IDE from Microchip.com.
The CHIPINO continues today as an open source module that can accept most Arduino style shields. Great Cow Basic compiler is my latest focus because I wanted an open source beginner path. You can see more about that at the Great Cow Basic website. Below is a summary of the CHIPINO and some of the shields that were developed based on our own needs plus some of our favorites we like to use with the CHIPINO. The CHIPINO is officially available at the following resellers.
You can get any of the CHIPINO modules;
CHIPINO Module
This is the CHIPINO module which makes all the PIC applications easy to implement. It was designed to match the layout of the popular Arduino module so there are many third party shields that can be used with this module. The CHIPINO can accept many different 28 pin 8-bit Microcontrollers making it easy to expand for your needs. Some of the main features include:
The CHIPINO is an open source design so you can create your own variations. It also comes in kit for and a simplified breadboard version. CHIPINO Module Kit
If you are a hobbyist who likes to build your own modules then the CHIPINO comes in a kit version so you can solder it together yourself in the way you want it built. You also save a little money.
CHIPINO Mini
The CHIPINO Mini is a breadboard version of the CHIPINO. It has the same 28 pin socket with PIC16F886, 10k pull-up on MCLR and 16 Mhz resonator in place of the crystal. All the I/O are brought out to 0.600" dual row headers. The module doesn't have the 5v or 3v power regulator or on/off switch. This simplifies the design and makes it cheaper. The idea is to develop your creation with a CHIPINO module and when you are ready to build it into a permanent project, then the CHIPINO mini can save you cost and space.
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Demo-Shield
The Demo-Shield makes CHIPINO projects easier with no soldering, no jumper wires, just plug and play. The Demo-Shield has LEDs, Switches, Speaker, Potentiometer, Light Sensor all prewired ready to use.
Proto-Shield
The Proto-Shield makes it easy to design your own shield or test out a circuit. All the CHIPINO pins are available at the headers so you can connect to the CHIPINO pins with simple jumper wires.
Battery-Shield
The Battery-Shield uses for AAAA 1.5v cells to produce the 9 volts the CHIPINO needs to run. This shield makes the CHIPINO portable. It replaces the need for external power or power from the USB programmer cable. If you create a CHIPINO project that needs to be outside or away from a power source then this is a great way to power CHIPINO. You can also stack Battery-Shelds on top of each other to get a longer battery life.
LCD Shield
The LCD Shield makes it easy to display messages or even control the CHIPINO through a menu system. The LCD shield has input switches that you can read from one analog port. The LCD screen has 2 rows or 16 characters. You can use standard letters and numbers plus all the ASCII characters you see on a computer. You can even create custom characters to display.
Relay Shield
The Relay Shield makes it easy to control external circuits that may need higher current than the CHIPINO can supply. The Relay Shield acts as an electronic switch that can turn on or off a circuit that runs up to 2 amps. This can be great for controlling a light bulb or small motor.
RS232 Shield
Before there was USB on computers, RS232 serial communication was the way most electronics communicated. There are still many boards that can be controlled by RS232 and this shield connects CHIPINO to just about any of those RS232 boards.
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