WiFi Card & GPS Card on same Motherboard

[Echow]

Hello everybody ! (Sorry for my bad english, I'm french. But I think I've more chance to find an answer here ! )

Here's my problem :

I work in class on a project which lead me to the e-Block card. Basically I build a "Watter scanner" which have to be able to do some measure (pH, temperature...) and to send them to my Laptop. To do this I use a Sensor Interface Card (I've no problem with it ^^) and a WiFi card (no problem either !). The problems is I want to localize my measure, so to do this I bought the GPS card. Actually I'm using a pic 16F877A and I didn't find any solutions to connect at the same time my WiFi card and GPS card (when I read the Datasheet I need to connect both card on C port...).

Even if I managed to solve this problem, my 16F877A has not enough space to store all my program (280% use...), because of the GPS and ADC macros which are really fat

I though about two solutions :
- Using two motherboard and make them communicate on my "Watter Scanner", one with GPS card, the other with WiFi card.
- Buy a new Pic Micro that would able me to solve my problems (I have no idea what to choose, I though about a 32 bits one... Help me !)

If someone could help me, give me another solution or say me what pic I need to buy I would be really greatfull.

Thanks !

[Benj]

Hello,

Here are some chips which are pin compatible with the 16F877A, have two on-board UART peripherals and additional memory.

16F1946, 16F1947

[Echow]

Thank you for this quick answer !
I looked at these two pics but it seems they are 64 pins and I only have 40 on my Eblock motherboard... (EB006)

[Echow]

Do someone have an idea ? I'm running out of time, and I looked all other the web, I found this chip :
http://www.microchip.com/wwwproducts/De ... PIC16F1719

Which doesn't have double UART but which has a lot more memory (I'll try to use the patch system to use UART on both card on only Port C)
But Flowcode doesn't take it...

Help !

[Benj]

Sorry I thought those chips were also available in DILs but obviously not.

Maybe this chip would work: PIC18F23K22

You would need the latest version of mLoader and maybe also to upgrade the firmware on your EB006.

As a second option what about moving to our ECIO40P16 device on an EB061 Application board? This device features 4 UARTs.

Maybe there is an add on E-block we can create that does something like convert SPI into multiple UARTs?

[Echow]

No problem man ^^

I think I will buy the ECIO40P16 and its application board, I just wanted to be sure that I'll be able to use my E-Block GPS, Wifi, Sensors, relay cards on it ^^ (I don't want to waste money...)
I use Flowcode v6 to program my current EB006, I won't have any problem with it ?

Thanks again, I'll command this when you'll say me it's okay ^^

[Benj]

I don't think you will have any problems with the ECIO40P16, hopefully any bugs have now been discovered and fixed. I have used it in a few project so far as have a few of our customers so I am fairly confident you should be fine to proceed.

One potential problem may be that you need the dsPIC/PIC24 chip pack as this device is not included in the PIC chip pack.

Any problems then please let us know and we will investigate.

[Echow]

Hi, I just received my ECIO40P16 !

I just have a problem, on my "Home" computer, which use Windows 7, mLoader works and I can use the bootloader of the ECIO to send program !
On my laptop, mLoader doesn't worh, it is a Windows 8.1 :
- First the program says : "USB is not open"
- Then I have an other window wwith Runtime error!

Do you have any solutions to fix this problem ? Cause I really need to be able to travel and to program my ECIO on my laptop...

[Echow]

Well I started to work on my home computer, and I fell on a very strange problem...

When I do a very basic program like turn on some Port, everything is okya !
But when I add WLAN EB061 to my project and I only put the macro 'Initialize' in the algorythm. Well, when I try to compile I got a lot of warning and errors :

Flowcode4.c:219: error: conflicting types for 'FCD_01521_WLAN1__SendHTMLString'
SAFE.c:162: error: previous declaration of 'FCD_01521_WLAN1__SendHTMLString' was here

I checked the C file and the 'FCD_01521_WLAN1__SendHTMLString' is defined 4 times one after the other...

I guess the problem comes from the C creator (I don't know the official name ^^), I'm running Flowcode V6.1.1.0.

Any ideas ? ^^

[kersing]

This is a known issue with the WLAN component. The code generated by Flowcode for this component is not correct. Matrix TSL will need to provide an updated component to solve this issue.

[Echow]

Ohhh.. And is there any way to fix this ? :/ I kind of really need this...
I asked if I wouldn't have any problems exactly for this, and I fall on an huge problem, 110€ spent for nothing...

[kersing]

For Matrix it is a 15 minute fix. As we (users) do not have the source for the component we can not fix it.

You did not spend your money for nothing, I expect a solution to be available in a few days.

[Echow]

Okay I hope they will fix it fast then ^^ Cause I'm running out of time !
Thank you for your answer !

[Benj]

Hello,

What version of Flowcode are you using? I've just tried this here and it is working ok for me so may already have been fixed.

The file needs to be copied here "C:\Program Files (x86)\Flowcode 6\components"

WLAN.fcpx

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[Echow]

I'm using Flowcode v6.1.1.0.
Your fix worked ! Thanks a lot !!!

Do you have any idea for mLoader on Windows 8.1 ?

[Benj]

Hello,

Regarding Windows 8.1 please can you try this latest version of mLoader available from here and see how you get on.

http://www.matrixtsl.com/resources/getr ... php?id=884

If your using mLoader with Flowcode then you can simply overwrite the mLoader version in the following directory with the latest files: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Flowcode 6\tools\mLoader"

[Echow]

I already had the newest version, I download your's just to be sure and I still have my problem...
Here is the error I get :

Capture.PNG

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Capture2.PNG

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[kersing]

Do you have any other HID USB devices connected? I've seen issues with leap motion devices and Fitbit Bluetooth dongles connected.

[Echow]

No it my ECIO is the only USB I have on my laptop... I have a Lenovo Yoga 2, maybe one of the Lenovo software block mLoader ?

[Benj]

Hello,

We are looking into the problem for you now.

[Steve]

Hi Echow,

The VID/PID in your screenshot is not our device (ours is VID_12BF & PID_00E1) and so there is another piece of hardware interfering with ours. Do you know what it could be?

Unplugging this other device (temporarily) should allow you to send the program to our ECIO device.

I have an idea of a more permanent fix for mLoader to avoid this issue altogether, but it might take a little longer to implement.

With regards,
Steve.

[Echow]

Hello,

I found out what is the piece of hardware which interfering with the ECIO is the "Collection de capteur HID" in french, which means all the sensors which allow my laptop to adapt the luminosity of the screen, to rotate it automaticly... So this hardware is obvioulsy inside my laptop, I'll try to find out how disable it temporarly !

[Echow]

I founf it out !!!! I went to my drivers configuration and simply found "Collection des capteurs HID", I disabled it, and it works perfectly !
Thank you so much for helping me guys, I'm very thankful

[kersing]

I'm glad you found a way forward. I've created a bug report for mLoader hoping Matrix will be able to solve this in the near future.

[Benj]

Hello,

We have now hopefully rectified the problem.

Echow, please can you try this latest version of our mLoader software with the "Collection des capteurs HID" device re-enabled.

If you want to update the mLoader version in Flowcode 6 then you can do so by extracting the files here "C:\Program Files (x86)\Flowcode 6\tools\mLoader"

Let us know how you get on and if this resolves the issue you were having with the last version.