Matrix user forums

Hi,

I am attending am engineering college and we are required to take a simple design & programming course to get our minor.

My major is business and we are required to do a senior project that requires us to start a business, develop a marketing plan, do patent searches, create a product, this type of thing.

We are a team of 4 people and I have convinced the rest that we should combine our 2 classes. We want to build our own little PIC to control very simple automation, small pick & place robot (pneumatics). Total of 8 cylinders, a company is loaning us a demo unit they have.

If we go beyond a breadboard design and produce actual final product we get to participate in the winter open house at school and show off our project.

PCB design should not be to bad, I have played a little with Tina 7 and have a real designer that said he would assist me in learning that part of it.

Now for my problem....

One of the requirements our professor gave us easy re-programmability with a programming unit. From my research on the WWW I need to be able to load a boot loader on the PIC. Then I can download new programs vis RS-232 port on my laptop.

Flowcode does not appear to support this feature........

I purchased a USB programmer that works with MPLAB 7.5.

What software will I need to buy that can generate the bootloader program?

Is there anyone out that that has the experience that is willing to teach me how to do this?

With having to purchase PCB design software, PIC programming software, the programmer this project is getting expensive very fast.

Does anyone know if there is a distributor that offers "combo" deals to help lower the cost of buying Tina & flowcode together in a package?

Any other recomendations are appreciated.

Thanks.......

Ron

Ron:

See "Boot-loader for Flash Parts" on page 5.

Regards,

Jim

Hello

Here is a good place to start.

http://www.microchipc.com

Everyday Practical Electronics will shortly be offering a TINA and Flowcode bundle

http://www.epemag.com I think.

Hi Jim,

Thank you very much for your reply. I already have a MPLAB 7.5 ICD2 USB programmer.

Can you tell me if this software will work with it?

How much memory does this boot loader software take up on the PIC, say 16F88?

Once I get the software would you be willing to help me off line get it working via emails?

thanks for your time.......

Ron

Ron:

Yes - I would be happy to help.

I use the boot loader regularly for in-circuit-programming with the 18F2525. My application incorporates a serial link between a "main module" and a remote control so my boards already support the RS232 interface. The software is a breeze to use. The PIC resident portion takes up 256 words of program memory for non-18F parts and 336 words for 18F parts. If you haven't already done so, visit
http://www.mecanique.co.uk/code-studio/ ... index.html for more complete details.

Regards,

Jim

Hi,

Thanks for your offer to help, I really appreciate it.

My programmer is MPLAB 7.52 ICD2 USB.

Is the MAX232 required on all the PIC controller boards I build or only for the programmer? I am hoping for 3 wire programming. SInce this is a senior project we must provide costsing and adding the chip and support components on each controller will raise the price considerably.

Some information I have read on the web says that once you get bootloader on PIC you can use Hyper terminal to download you HEX code. Do you know if this is true?

I want to order a few of several different PIC chips to have on hand. Can you recommend 3 or 4 types. The 16F887 is only 2.43 in QTy of 25 but takes up a great deal of PCB space.

Do you know of a web site that has basic PIC circuits that I can look over?

How can I get a hold of you offline via email?

Thanks

Ron

Ron:

You don't have to include the RS232 interface components on every board but you do have to dedicate the RX/TX pins on the PIC to the serial communication function.

In my application the serial link between the "main board" and remote control is done single-ended at TTL levels. The RS232 support circuitry is on a separate board that is only used while programming or otherwise interfacing with a PC.

I use a PICSTART Plus to program the flash parts but your programmer should work fine so long as it supports your part.

You can email me directly at: jimhumphries@sbcglobal.net

You can use Hyperterminal if you want to but the MicroCode loader package includes a nice interface - you just point the loader to the right .hex file and away you go.

Jim