Hello and thanks Ian for porting the topic here!
I will continue posting in both discussions so to keep them updated in both places, but if Microchip's forum will keep me out of posting then I'll just leave it to you (or whoever can) to post a copy of my posts here in the other forum.
now, let me answer back right where we left.
The prices: I'm really happy to see USA and UK have such low prices there but here in Italy we don't. Prices here are usually 20% to 50% higher than in any other place. Fast comparison: iPhone 5 in USA costs 599$. In Italy it costs 699€ (950$ USD). Now you got the idea. So please be a little patient, I will eventually buy those PICs and all, but I just need to find a good offer
About learning circuit and PCB design, soldering... well, I just want you guys to have a look at this:
http://www.edaboard.com/thread292915.htmlI had that project done for my graduation exam.
I agree having a 18F4550 breadboarded so I could prototype all of the things I need and then start working with the ones I intend to use in the final project.
Getting a little bit back to which and what. The EMC2305 comes in a QFN16 package. But for a hobbyist out there it might not be the right package because it's very tiny and hard to solder. Can you suggest alternatives with higher package sizes? I had a (fast) look at some ICs available on the web and there are even 14-pin DIP packages but only control 2 PWM channels...
@NorthGuy: It's not going to be used any way other than it should. Precisely controlling the fans is just a personal matter of squeezing every last bit out of those chocolate pin bars to achieve pixel-perfect results. It's obvious such higher precision control is not absolutely necessary, but if it can be reached without too much hassle, then why not?