Updating README and adding a NOTES document.

timvideos · Dec 29, 2015 · 95b8d1d · 95b8d1d
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diff --git a/firmware/NOTES.md b/firmware/NOTES.md
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# PIC18F USB Stacks
+
+There are multiple options for a USB stack on the PIC18F series chips.
+
+For this board, we specifically need something which works with the PIC
+18F14K50 IC. 
+
+
+ * [m-stack](http://www.signal11.us/oss/m-stack/)
+   * Pros
+     * Good documentation.
+     * Clean code.
+     * Lots of examples
+   * Cons
+     * Currently no support for 18F14K50.
+     * Seems to use *a lot* of resources.
+     * Microchip xc8 compiler
+   * Notes
+     * Includes bootloader?
+     * Apache 2.0 or LGPLv3 license
+
+ * [Dangerous Prototypes JTR-Honken](https://github.com/DangerousPrototypes/USB_stack)
+   * Pros
+     * Working examples
+     * Some documentation
+     * PIC 18F14K50 support
+     * Smallish
+   * Cons
+     * Code isn't high quality
+     * Not really in library form
+     * Microchip c18 compiler (EOL, no Linux support)
+   * Notes
+     * CC-BY License
+     * [How To 1](http://dangerousprototypes.com/2012/06/06/open-source-usb-echo-demo-wiki/)
+
+ * [Microchip mla_usb](https://github.com/MicrochipTech/mla_usb)
+   * Pros
+     * Created by chip manufacturer.
+     * PIC 18F14K50 support
+   * Cons
+     * Examples are not under FOSS license
+   * Notes
+     * Apache 2.0 License
+
+ * [SpareTimeLabs Minimal USB CDC-ACM](http://www.sparetimelabs.com/usbcdcacm/usbcdcacm.php)
+   * Pros
+     * Uses SDCC!
+     * Seems pretty small.
+   * Cons
+     * Only supports the PIC18F4550
+     * Source code in tar.gz!?
+
+As you should be able to see from the Git history, I ended up going with
+heavily customizing the Dangerous Prototypes JTR-Honken stack. I'm not entirely
+happy with the code quality of this library, or having to use the C18 compiler
+but it does seem to work.
+
+# Using Microchip C18 Compiler on Linux
+
+ * Install the i386 version of the Java runtime with;
+   `apt-get install openjdk-7-jre:i386`
+ * Install [MPLAB.X from Microchip](http://www.microchip.com/pagehandler/en-us/family/mplabx/)
+ * Download [MPLAB C18 Linux Full Installer](https://github.com/Manouchehri/Microchip-C18-Lite/releases/download/v3.47/mplabc18-v3.47-linux-lite-installer.run)
+ * Install with `sudo ./mplabc18-v3.40-linux-full-installer.run` (You may need
+   `--mode text` otherwise the installer will just segfault on new Ubuntu
+   versions.)
+
diff --git a/firmware/README.md b/firmware/README.md
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@ the following features;
  * Emulation of a 24 series EEPROM for TOFE ID Detection
  * Access to the ADC data.
 
-## Origin
+# Building
 
 Currently this requires the following tools to build;
- * [Microchip MPLAB.X](https://github.com/DangerousPrototypes/USB_stack) and
+ * [Microchip MPLAB.X](http://microchip.com/mplabx) and
  * [C18 Compiler](http://www.microchip.com/c18)
 
+See the [NOTES.md](NOTES.md) file for information on setting up the C18 compiler.
+
 ## Bootloader
 
 The PIC is loaded with the Microchip HID USB Bootloader from the "Microchip