Be Prepared

If you're serious about programming PIC microcontrollers, you must be prepared to tackle a number of things. For example:

• Be prepared to read data sheets. All of them from cover to cover. Take data sheets to bed with you. Read them once and be totally baffled. Read them again and pick up a few ideas. Read them a third time and things start falling into place.
• Be prepared to learn basic electronics. Understand voltage, current and resistance. Learn Ohms law. I'll help you through it.
• Be prepared to embrace different number bases. Understand binary. Understand hexadecimal. Loosen your attachment to base 10. Think about how to represent the world in 256 different values. Forget percentages.
• Be prepared to understand the 'Out-by-One' error. Learn when to start counting from zero and when to start counting from 1.
• Be prepared to get stuck. Learn to persevere. Understand that everyone hits a low point. You will climb out of it.

Ready?