In a few months I should begin developing a power converter and I was told I should get used to dsPIC. The currently used model is "dsPIC30F6010" which is kind of "old" (compared to the newer dsPIC33E/F series at least).
I saw the quite cheap (~ 35$ on Digikey) "DM330013-2-ND" development board with integrated debugger supporting dsPIC33F (as well as PIC24F/H and PIC32), though I seem to have more difficulties finding a cheap one for dsPIC30. I don't know if there are many differences between the two from a code style/functionality point of view.
I don't know what other people do, but I thought it would've been a good idea to start using PICKIT3 directly instead of using the on-board debugger since I'll have to make my own PCB. This somewhat narrows down the possibilities.
For the dsPIC30F6010 Microchip suggests the "DM183021" but it's very expensive (~ 130$ on Digikey). Another suggested development board is the "DM300019-ND" (~ 80$ on Digikey) which may still be within reach of my wallet, though I'd have to buy an add-on "MA300013" (which is obsolete …).
If PIC32 and dsPIC30F/dsPIC33F are (very) similar from a code style/functionality point of view I may use a PIC32 board with the PICKIT 3 debugger, just to get the feeling of it.
Still, I couldn't find a good&cheap development board claiming to support PICKIT 3 programming or at least providing a header for it.
Does anyone know/use such a cheap (< 80$ if possible) development board?
I don't really need many advanced features (such as Ethernet, CAN, …), though I'd like to have I2C/SPI/ADC/GPIO on board.
Best Answer
The Explorer 16 module from Microchip is a good starting point if you intend to go into power conversion. You can get a buck-boost plug-in board (PICtail) and you can dive right into developing software to control them.
PIC32 is a different animal. Its MIPS-based and doesn't have the dedicated DSP engine that the dsPIC has.
Unless other constraints block you, don't limit yourself to Microchip though. Texas Instruments has two good solutions as well - the C2000 DSP and the UCD3138 digital power controller.