Flowcode Support Board

Hello
This post is repeating a question I had about 5 years ago for a lighting control project. At the time I was having trouble getting the DMX Master and Slave to work correctly. Ultimately the project was for a DMX sender rather than receiver and I managed to get the Master component working well, and the project was successful. Now I do need to get the Slave working.

I am using a PIC16F628A chip (the same as I successfully used for the DMX Sender). After many tests and changes to the ReceiveData setups, it is clear that there is no detection of the DMX 'break' (ReceiveData should return a '1' but it never does). The DMX source is an industry standard test unit and works well driving various DMX devices. A scope shows the DMX 5v signal (after level shifting) inputting to the RX pin of the chip.

I would really like to sort this out. Your help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks
Tony

Hello,

Are you using Flowcode 6 or Flowcode 9? Can you post a project that demonstrates your setup and what your doing.

Thanks Ben for replying

I am using Flowcode 6 for PIC and the attached shows the very simple test program, with an LED on B3 showing the state of the ReceiveData return (x) and an LED on B0 as a flasher just to show the program is running and signal input is active (this of course stops as soon as the DMX input is removed).

I have also attached a pdf of the circuit which as you can see could not be simpler. I have shown it with a 20MHz xtal, but I have also tried it with the internal 4MHz oscillator. I also tried setting the Build/Project Options/Speed to different settings either side of 4MHz and a little lower than 20MHz. All without a glimmer of a pulse on B3 (LED or scope). I also tried by changing the wait times in ReceiveDataChain, also different numbers of channels in the Properties, up to 24. All with no success.

When I first started this project, I used something very similar to the Slave Example in the Help Files, but without any success, and then realised that without a return "1" from the ReceiveDataChain, there is no way it can work. Hence this very simple program just for testing.
Once the problem is solved, I will of course be adding GetDataChannel macros to actually decode the DMX signal.

I hope you can help
Thanks
Tony

Apologies, here is the corrected circuit of the test rig

Hello,

This forums is for v9 projects, v6 is now a legacy product and is no linger under support. Could you try loading the project into the free 30-day trial of Flowcode v9 and see if the problem has been resolved?

Hi Ben
I installed the demo version of Flowcode 9 together with the Pic 16F compiler toolchain, but when I try to complie a very simple DMX receiver program (similar to the one I was trying to use in Flowcode 6), I get errors and the compliation stops....

^ (192) undefined identifier "MX_Conv_Var"
^ (196) struct/union required
(981) pointer required ^
(981) pointer required ^
DMX FC9.c: FCD_02571_TypeConversionsFree1__SetLong()
424: MX_Conv_Var.AsLong = FCL_VALUE;
^ (192) undefined identifier "MX_Conv_Var"
^ (196) struct/union required
DMX FC9.c: FCD_02571_TypeConversionsFree1__GetFloat()
439: FCR_RETVAL = MX_Conv_Var.AsFloat;
^ (192) undefined identifier "MX_Conv_Var"
(196) struct/union required ^
DMX FC9.c: FCD_02571_TypeConversionsFree1__GetLong()
456: FCR_RETVAL = MX_Conv_Var.AsLong;
^ (192) undefined identifier "MX_Conv_Var"
(196) struct/union required ^

I'm not sure what "MX_Conv_Var" is. Please help. I have attached the fcfx file.
Thanks
Tony

Hi Tony,

Thanks this bug should now be resolved. Go to Help -> Check for updates and there should be a fix for the COM Port component to will resolve this issue.

Hi Ben
The file seems to compile ok except that it finishes much quicker than expected. In Flowcode 6, compiling virtually the same file takes much longer with a series of dots displayed until finally reaching the memory summary and "FINISHED". With this Flowode 9, it very quickly ends compilation, there are no error messages, although there are a couple of warnings...

C:\Users\TC\Desktop\Flowcode9 projects>C:\PROGRA~2\Flowcode\COMPIL~1\picv2\batch\..\pic\bin\xc8.exe --chip=16F628A "DMX FC9.c" --MSGDISABLE=359,1273,1388 --FLOAT=32 --DOUBLE=32
C:\PROGRA~2\Flowcode\COMPIL~1\picv2\pic\bin\picc --chip=16F628A DMX FC9.c --MSGDISABLE=359,1273,1388 --FLOAT=32 --DOUBLE=32
Microchip MPLAB XC8 C Compiler V2.10
Build date: Jul 30 2019
Part Support Version: 2.10
Copyright (C) 2019 Microchip Technology Inc.
using updated 32-bit floating-point libraries; improved accuracy might increase code size
DMX FC9.c: 1173: (765) degenerate unsigned comparison (warning)
DMX FC9.c: 1173: (757) constant conditional branch (warning)


Memory Summary:
Program space used 17Fh ( 383) of 800h words ( 18.7%)
Data space used 4Dh ( 77) of E0h bytes ( 34.4%)
EEPROM space used 0h ( 0) of 80h bytes ( 0.0%)
Data stack space used 0h ( 0) of 50h bytes ( 0.0%)
Configuration bits used 1h ( 1) of 1h word (100.0%)
ID Location space used 0h ( 0) of 4h bytes ( 0.0%)


Compilation successful!

Launching the linker/assembler...
C:\Program Files (x86)\Flowcode\data\tools\DoNothing\DoNothing.exe


FINISHED

but unfortunately when I use the .hex file to program the chip (using a MiniPro TL866A programmer), it appears to complete the programming but ends with an error code:

ERROR! CONFIG:0x000001 Buf_Val:0xFF IC_Val:0x3F

It seems that the linker/assembler isn't starting for some reason so the .hex file is incomplete. Once again, I would appreciate your help on this.

Thanks
Tony

Hi Tony,

Flowcode v9 uses a different C compiler to v6 and it is significantly quicker at compilation, XC8 vs BoostC. No linker is required for the compiler.

From the error "ERROR! CONFIG:0x000001 Buf_Val:0xFF IC_Val:0x3F" is sounds like your configuration settings may be incorrect. Use the Build -> Project Options window to check the configuration settings are correct for the device.

Hope this helps.

Hi Ben

The reason why I thought the linker/assebler isn't running is the message...

Launching the linker/assembler...
C:\Program Files (x86)\Flowcode\data\tools\DoNothing\DoNothing.exe

As far as I can see all the Build settings are normal, and they are the same as in Flowcode 6, which never shows "DoNothing.exe" during the Compile process. I am entering the compiler by simply clicking "Compile to HEX..." which in FC6 generates a hex file (among others) which I can load into the programmer and always successfully program the chip with it.

In the FC9 Compiler Options, it lists a number of pickit options (pikit2, 3, 4) as well as a 2 others. In selecting any of them, clicking linker/assembler, it shows Location as " $(appdir)tools\DoNothing\DoNothing.exe" , which would seem to be the problem. I guess I have to navigate to the correct .exe, but in the folder "tools" (Flowcode/Data/tools) there's a long list but I'm not sure which one needs to be selected for the compilation to be successful. Please advise.

Thanks
Tony