DDS deadline met

I have completed the first prototype of the dual-band frequency synthesiser, ( just before my self imposed deadline of the end of the decade ), by writing the last piece of the software to tune the output frequency up and down in 1Hz or 10Hz steps. This function works perfectly; whatever the actual output frequency, it precisely matches the frequency indicated on the display, as of course it should do. So 2010 will end on that happy note. But what about the future ?
This first prototype is what I would consider as a ' concept and technology demonstrator'. For the second prototype synthesiser I have decided to change to a more sophisticated PIC microcontroller, and one that has not been in production all that long, e.g., the Microchip PIC18F4550, which will allow me to implement more features. In fact I have already completed about 25% of this prototype , based on "MyDev2"; see posting on 2nd November.
Concerning software, until now I have been programming in Microchip's assembler language. Using 'C' language is probably a better choice in future. I have absolutely no prior experience of 'C'; but what I do know is that its command syntax is more descriptive than assembler, and the code is not type specific to any one manufacturer's microprocessor families. Some of the extended functionality I want for the second prototype is better suited to 'C' and would be extremely difficult to program in assembler for a novice programmer as myself. The PIC18F4550 can be programmed in both assembler and 'C'.
Back to the present, and the first prototype is shown in the upper picture placed on top of my longwave transmitter with which it will be used to gain some operational experience which may suggest improvements or further development. The middle picture is the post-filter rf output voltage displayed on an oscilloscope, showing a 656mV peak-peak pure sine wave. The lower picture is the output frequency of the synthesiser as I tune it from 137700Hz +/- 50Hz in 10Hz steps.