[Ken Leedle]

If you want to program your own microcontrollers, you either need a programmer or a starter/prototyping board. If you want to program many different microcontrollers and make your own circuit boards, you should get a programmer. It would probably be easier to start out with a starter kit though. I got a PICSTART PLUS programmer as a a sophomore and taught myself assembly language from a book. The PICSTART PLUS has a zero insertion force DIP socket and can program most of the Microchip PICs. You just stick your PIC in the socket, program it in MPLAB, and put the chip in your breadboard or circuit. If you want to program in C, you need to get a compiler (obviously). You can start out with the student/demo verson of the C18 compiler for 60 days. I would definitely start with C, just get a book from amazon on programming PICs in C and you should have all the info you need. I have built control systems for two robots. My first one was an autonomous vehicle that was controlled by two 18F458s. My current one is a 5 axis robotic arm on a mobile base controlled by two 18F8720s. I have built all the circuit boards myself on both robots. You might just want to buy a vex controller, especially if you want to make a remote control robot.