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<div>If you want to build Internet of Things applications,you must understand the 8-bit microcontroller. Tam Hanna,author of <a href="https://www.elektor.com/microcontroller-basics-with-pic?__hstc=209580365.39a09b617688e7e6ce085690bfd7b1ce.1586000624669.1586000624669.1586000624669.1&amp;__hssc=209580365.1.1586000624670&amp;__hsfp=802374358" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>Microcontroller Basics with PIC</em></a> (Elektor 2020),is an excellent resource. He recently told us about his new book,his interest in the 8-bit microcontroller,and a few his of current electronics projects.
<h3>A New Book on MCU Basics</h3>
<strong>Elektor: Your new book,<em>Microcontroller Basics with PIC</em>,is intended to help readers understand and program an 8-bit microcontroller. Tell us why you chose to focus on this topic?</strong>

<strong>Tam Hanna:</strong> Because 8-bit controllers are a fascinating window into the world of microcontroller (MCU) and microprocessor electronics. From a technological point,this is plain and simple — if you understand what happens in an 8-bit MCU,that 400p architecture description of the RISC-V MCU is easier to grok. When I started my engineering career,I had nothing except for enemies. The <em><a href="https://www.elektor.de/elektronik-gar-nicht-schwer-1?__hstc=209580365.39a09b617688e7e6ce085690bfd7b1ce.1586000624669.1586000624669.1586000624669.1&amp;__hssc=209580365.1.1586000624670&amp;__hsfp=802374358">Elektronik – gar nicht schwer</a></em> series (English: <em>Starting Electronics</em>; Ed.) was tremendously valuable in giving me the ability to learn more quickly,and I am honored to give back,now that I am in a position to do so.

In many ways,the situation facing young engineers today is different. The availability of systems like Python makes getting working systems simple. The <a href="https://www.elektormagazine.com/tags/arduino" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Arduino</a>,love it or hate it,insulates you from the underlying hardware. However,in my practical studies,I meet people who run into a wall. Their problem usually is a basic understanding of basic concepts of electronics. A primitive 8-bit microcontroller can be understood completely on an assembly level. This knowledge can then transfer to advanced controller architectures. Given that I still use the PIC a lot commercially,I felt like writing a book is now in order.

<strong>Elektor: Who is your target audience for <a href="https://www.elektormagazine.com/news/new-book-microcontroller-basics-with-pic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this book</a>? Must a reader be a C programming expert?</strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> To be honest,I am not concerned about C programming skills. C has a bad reputation because it is easy to hurt yourself with it. But,like with a Tu-22,problems only crop up if you do stupid or aggressive things. (The TU-22 supersonic bomber was prone to control reversal when flown aggressively.)

I am more concerned about the level of electrical engineering knowledge needed. If you don’t at least know the basics of digital electronics,and also understand Ohm’s law,you will have problems. Ideally,a reader should have read both the DC and the digital electronics books from the same series.
<figure class="inpage-caption image-right"><a href="https://www.elektor.com/microcontroller-basics-with-pic?__hstc=209580365.39a09b617688e7e6ce085690bfd7b1ce.1586000624669.1586000624669.1586000624669.1&amp;__hssc=209580365.1.1586000624670&amp;__hsfp=802374358" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://cdn.xingosoftware.com/elektor/images/fetch/dpr_2,w_300,h_300,c_fit/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elektormagazine.com%2Fassets%2Fupload%2Fimages%2F42%2F20200402200703_microcontroller-basics-with-pic.png" alt="Learn about the 8-bit microcontroller and MCU basics" width="300" height="300" /></a><figcaption>Learn about MCUs and MCU programming</figcaption></figure>
<strong>Elektor: What did you enjoy the most about writing <em>Microcontroller Basics with PIC</em>?</strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> When I first signed up with SourceForge many moons ago,the site asked me to run through a self-evaluation questionnaire. One of the highest leverage degrees of proficiency was having to write a book about it. In a way,writing this book gave me an ability to sort the knowledge I have collected in my long and sordid career. Plus,of course,the ability of being able to give back a bit of my experience to help others.

Electrical engineering has always been my passion,so working on the text and finding cool examples was an interesting challenge. Being able to help out,especially with a great team,is a great honor.

<strong>Elektor: What was the most challenging part of writing the book?</strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> Forgive me for sounding cheesy,but this is a personal question and I am going to give a personal answer. The biggest problem I faced was knowing when to stop. While writing this book,I felt the weight of the next generation of cadets on my back. I was thinking of a younger version of myself,sitting in his lab,trying to learn more skills to get that job which lets him break free. There are so many helpful things I could tell him,not just about microcontrollers,but also about general electrical engineering and test equipment,and only limited time. This is one place where I really have to thank my editor. He did a great job at limiting my work and ensuring that a version of the book would actually become available to the reader so that he can profit from it. And,of course,there always is the hope for a second expanded edition.
<h3><strong>The 8-Bit Microcontroller </strong></h3>
<strong>Elektor: Intel introduced the MCS-51 four decades ago. Why is the 8-bit microcontroller still relevant?</strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> On the risk of sounding like a luddite,there is a strange sense of technology infatuation,especially among novice engineers. When I started my career,I had the pleasure of meeting legendary Sir Bilal Musa from Generali Insurances. He shocked me by telling me that he would never use a product’s first generation — whether airplane,whether IT system. This idea has proven itself true in many cases,one example being the Yakovlev Yak-42.
<figure class="inpage-caption image-right"><img src="https://cdn.xingosoftware.com/elektor/images/fetch/dpr_2,w_300,h_206,c_fit/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elektormagazine.com%2Fassets%2Fupload%2Fimages%2F42%2F20200331232322_Aeroflot-Yakovlev-Yak-42-Gilliand.jpg" alt="pictured below (see Figure x - FIGURE Aeroflot_Yakovlev_Yak-42_Gilliand.jpg FIGUREYak-42 (Image: Wikimedia Commons / Michel Gilliand)" width="300" height="206" /><figcaption>The Yak42 needed significant rework
(Source: Wikimedia Commons/Michel Gilliand)</figcaption></figure>
I understand that 32-bit controllers are getting cheaper by the minute. But do you really,always,need the 32-bit performance? Look at what happened when Java went 64bit — in many cases,the longer pointers caused the total system performance to degrade. Especially when working on a low-power system,having to feed 32 memory cells instead of eight cells to store one pointer makes a difference.

<strong>Elektor: So,the 8-bit microcontroller is still relevant. Can you now tell us what you like about the PIC family of microcontrollers?</strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> One word: simplicity. It is not a coincidence that Massimo Banzi picked the AVR for the <a href="https://www.elektor.com/arduino-uno-r3?__hstc=209580365.39a09b617688e7e6ce085690bfd7b1ce.1586000624669.1586000624669.1586000624669.1&amp;__hssc=209580365.1.1586000624670&amp;__hsfp=802374358" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Arduino Uno</a> — an 8- bit microcontroller,but optimized for the needs of C compilers. The PIC,on the other hand,was developed from the get-go as a product intended to be programmed by hand. This makes its internal architecture ideally suited as a teaching architecture.

Due to the extremely wide spread of the product,the ecosystem is very mature. Programming devices are dirt cheap. Most PICs are available in DIP housing. And,additionally,as PCs got faster and compiler technology got more advanced,<a href="https://www.elektormagazine.com/tags/microchip" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Microchip Technology</a> invested a lot of effort into making the C programming experience almost perfect.

<strong>Elektor: Some engineers will say an 8-bit microcontroller is hard to program with C. Do you agree or disagree?</strong>
<figure class="inpage-caption image-right"><img src="https://cdn.xingosoftware.com/elektor/images/fetch/dpr_2,w_300,h_248,c_fit/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elektormagazine.com%2Fassets%2Fupload%2Fimages%2F42%2F20200331232740_Palm-VII.png" alt="Palm VII" width="300" height="248" /><figcaption>The Palm VII portable computer with less than
2MB of total memory!</figcaption></figure>
<strong>Hanna: </strong>Some people say that transporting cargo with a Tu-144 is difficult,and that this makes this supersonic aircraft a universally bad and utterly useless design. No tool can satisfy everybody. If you want to run a complex algorithm,an 8-bit microcontroller probably is not ideal. If you enjoy allocating large amount of memory,you also won’t like the experience.

But,let us be honest with one another. For many,if not most jobs,the task at hand is quite simple. In this case,a small C routine is easier to handle than Assembler. If you find yourself banging your head against a wall all the time,switching to a more powerful controller or creating a combinatorial process computer should be a natural choice.

On the other hand,my view,of course,is jaded. Just look at the Palm VII. I actually programmed that thing.</div>
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<h3>Electronics and Cigars</h3>
<strong>Elektor: Ok,so we've covered the 8-bit microcontroller. Now let’s shift to your background and interests. When did you first become interested in electronics? Were you inspired by someone? Or perhaps you developed your love for electronics by tinkering on your own?</strong>

<strong>Hanna</strong>: In the 1990s and 2000s,people interested in technology were automatically branded Internet-addicted sociopaths. Professionalizing my interest in electronics and IT was a way to escape. Microcontrollers and PDAs don’t care much about who operates them. As long as the source code or the circuit configuration is valid,the system works. This merit-based system came as a welcome escape for me,and has kept me happily and profitably at work ever since.
<figure class="inpage-caption image-right"><img src="https://cdn.xingosoftware.com/elektor/images/fetch/dpr_2,w_300,h_235,c_fit/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elektormagazine.com%2Fassets%2Fupload%2Fimages%2F42%2F20200401162727_tam-hanna-scopes.png" alt="Tam Hanna's oscilloscopes" width="300" height="235" /><figcaption>One oscilloscope for each job.</figcaption></figure>
I taught myself a lot of stuff experimenting on my own. This,however,should not disgrace the TGM engineering school in Vienna. Having had access to the workshop was a huge nuisance at the time,but in retrospect,I saw so many things which I would not have seen in another way.

It would be unfair and bad character if I would not thank all the people who have joined me on my engineering journey — whether it was buying apps for PDAs,mobile phone applications,books or my many,many consulting clients. Thank you to all of you. Thanks also to all the people who wrote books,allowing me to learn from them. And,last but not least,thank you for reading this interview and for contemplating to purchase my book. I would be humbled if my text helps you in achieving your goals.

<strong>Elektor: Tell us about your current work.</strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> OK,this will be a long one. One of the great things in the life of this electrical engineer is that it just never gets boring. There is just so much going on.

The interview is being made in a somewhat funny time. The firm currently is voluntarily <a href="https://www.elektormagazine.com/tags/coronavirus">quarantined</a>,as are most of our suppliers. This is not so bad though. I recently traded my facility for a large underground lab in Hungary. I’m sitting there,working on all kinds of engineering projects. Before I dive into some specifics,let me point you to my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tam.hanna/">Instagram account</a>. Always stay on top of what the Crazy Electronics lab is up to by following my Instagram.

Thanks to stockpiling,my company is able to continue working as normally. The focus is aimed at supplying our clients with engineering consulting work to keep their processes running. In addition to the new products discussed below,I use this opportunity to do some maintenance tasks. I am thinking about recapping my Solartron tabletop multimeter,fixing clogged 3-D printer extruder heads,doing interior renovations,and installing new kitchen fixings. Finally,I might also clean up the laboratory floor so that my wife can finally get around to mopping it.

<strong>Elektor: Do you have any engineering tips or advice for Elektor readers?</strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> On the risk of making myself enemies and inviting my ex-wife to say that my lab looks like it’s located in Havana,Cuba,do not hesitate to buy used things. Having your own vector network analyzer or your own spectrum analyzer is worth its weight in gold. Trust me that your lending place will be closed when you need the kit the most.

In addition to that,I can’t stop repeating the old advice to try and break tasks down into smaller problem units. Taking it one step by step,in many cases,is more efficient. Finally,as said in my book,do not be afraid to switch between the hardware and the software domain. And do not hesitate to abuse systems to debug themselves. One really good example for this approach was the debugging of a Kinect application. It was intended to split a picture across threads in a piecemeal fashion. So,thread one handled the left-most part,thread two the middle,and thread three the right-most part. We solved the problem by temporarily making each thread paint each pixel which it touched. After running the modified code,it became clear that the thread picture boundaries were not correct – fixing this,then,was a piece of cake.

Finally,do not hesitate to play with “big machines” and mechanical work. My property was a catastrophe when I took it over,and now is in a more than decent state. The experiences I gathered in mechanical tasks ranging from assembling and adapting furniture to fitting vents on Circo-Geyser radiators directly translate to my electrical engineering work.

<strong>Elektor: Engineers and makers understand the importance of learning from their mistakes. What was most instructive engineering-related mistake you’ve made? </strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> This will sound stupid. Normally,I advocate for pushing forward. But my stupidest mistake in recent history was trying to go solo on a TDS754D attenuator repair even though I obviously could not do it due to a tremor at the time. Asking for help or passing off a task to a colleague can,in many cases,save you time and money.
<figure class="inpage-caption image-right"><img src="https://cdn.xingosoftware.com/elektor/images/fetch/dpr_2,w_300,h_257,c_fit/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elektormagazine.com%2Fassets%2Fupload%2Fimages%2F42%2F20200331233500_danahermissing-2.jpg" alt="Danaher missing" width="300" height="257" /><figcaption>Small,but important (and irreplaceable)</figcaption></figure>
Another mistake involves not religiously gaffa-taping hard-to-replace parts of equipment to the carcass during repair. I recently spent a week looking for a small brass cover for a 576 – without it,the fuse for the mains could not be installed.

Finally,always be willing to go where no one has stood before. Using 3D printing in consumer-facing applications was,so far,considered insane. I am pretty confident that owners of Humidors will,soon,appreciate being able to pick the color of their Hygrometer.

<strong>Elektor: What’s next for you? Do you have a new book,product,or project in the works?</strong>

<strong>Hanna:</strong> Next for me? I’ll go and light up a cigar. And while doing that,I will look at one of my upcoming products — the HygroSage. It is the first Humidor hygrometer which does <em>not</em>need calibration at all,has a color screen,and has a 2% accuracy guaranteed over lifetime.
<figure class="inpage-caption image-right"><img src="https://cdn.xingosoftware.com/elektor/images/fetch/dpr_2,w_300,h_194,c_fit/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elektormagazine.com%2Fassets%2Fupload%2Fimages%2F42%2F20200331234148_privatesale-2.jpg" alt="he next-generatioTgrometer" width="300" height="194" /><figcaption>The next-gen hygrometer is ready for sale.</figcaption></figure>
New product number two is the Stinkely series of replacement displays. Danaher makes a pretty penny selling cathode ray tubes for the Tektronix 57x series of curve tracers – we will,soon,throw a wrench into that piece of mechanics. Plus,rescuing these units from the landfill always gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Finally,I work for a US-based fashion start-up which still is in stealth mode for legal reasons. (The USPTO is a strange and fascinating place.) But trust me if I say that we will redefine sunglasses and ashtrays – if you currently circle a $200 (US) ashtray or a $200 (US) set of sunglasses,better wait and let us surprise you.
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The 8-Bit Microcontroller and Beyond: An Interview with Tam Hanna

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The 8-Bit Microcontroller and Beyond: An Interview with Tam Hanna

The 8-Bit Microcontroller and Beyond: An Interview with Tam Hanna

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