DEVELOPMENT KITS

The MK14 was intended as an enthusiasts’ computer, even though it seems to have more in common with a development kit, aka an evaluation kit. Indeed, SC/MP manufacturer National Semiconductor sold a development kit called the SC/MP Introkit, which was very similar to the MK14. So, what do we mean by a development kit?

These kits are sold by semiconductor manufacturers to allow engineers to get some experience of their products. This will, it’s hoped, pave the way to companies building their own designs using the core processor or microcontroller. Ease of use didn’t have the same importance as with traditional home computers, and these kits often commanded a high price tag. These two facts don’t altogether paint a good picture, so why might you be interested in development kits? We’ll give one example that might just persuade you to investigate.

PIC microcontrollers from Microchip are cheap and widely used in industry. They also have a following among enthusiasts. But you’re not going to find a ‘proper’ computer based around a PIC chip. So, either you have to jump straight into building your own design, or first get some experience using a development kit. Fortunately, the high price tag doesn’t always apply. To quote Microchip, “The PIC32MM Curiosity Development Board is a demonstration, development and experimentation platform based on the PIC32MM0064GPL036 low-power, low-cost microcontroller. The board has a built-in programmer/debugger and provides all of the hardware necessary to get started developing a complete embedded application.” This board and similar for other PIC chips costs from around £30.