12f675_fuse_about_to_blow!

**LEDave** · - 27th March 2010, 21:22

Hi mackrackit,

Hard economics for me I'm afraid, I'm a carer.

Dave

**LEDave** · - 28th March 2010, 09:20

Hi mackrackit,

Buy it from Lester. He is the one that gave us this forum

I appreciate what you're saying and this forum, I really do and I don't want to cause an upset.

The difference in pricing from Mec & Corn means I can buy a PICkit2 and a
USB/serial cable for the difference, without upsetting the wife.

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 28th March 2010, 10:37

Originally Posted by LEDave

Hard economics for me I'm afraid, I'm a carer.

That sounds like a demanding job. I bet playing with MCUs is a good way to get your mind off it at the end of the day.

Economics, yup, know what you mean.

I appreciate what you're saying and this forum, I really do and I don't want to cause an upset.

No upset here, many buy from mecanique, I did not know that they are selling PBP for 20 less than Crownhill. Interesting... I have seen complaints about mecanique here, but as long as they deliver... Maybe someone else will chime in about this.

I was looking at this http://www.myamicus.co.uk/ as an alternative but it is only for a 18F25K20 and I do not know much about it yet. I am not recommending, just showing a possible option...

**rmteo** · - 28th March 2010, 15:28

Originally Posted by LEDave

Hi mackrackit,

I appreciate what you're saying and this forum, I really do and I don't want to cause an upset.

The difference in pricing from Mec & Corn means I can buy a PICkit2 and a
USB/serial cable for the difference, without upsetting the wife.

Dave

Have you considered using free tools?

**LEDave** · - 28th March 2010, 17:21

That sounds like a demanding job.

It has it's moments (usually several a day) that said it's very rewarding.

I bet playing with MCUs is a good way to get your mind off it at the end of the day.

100%, I love it. We all need an interest. In a funny sort of way PIC's are very similar to us humans. They both input and output and if something goes wrong in between then there's a problem that needs sorting.

When you asked what PIC's I had the other day.Were you thinking of any I should have in particular?

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 28th March 2010, 17:28

Originally Posted by LEDave

100%, I love it. We all need an interest. In a funny sort of way PIC's are very similar to us humans. They both input and output and if something goes wrong in between then there's a problem that needs sorting.

That is a good one!!!

When you asked what PIC's I had the other day.Were you thinking of any I should have in particular?

I was just wondering so we could make lessons to match your hardware...

**LEDave** · - 28th March 2010, 18:01

Code:

I was just wondering so we could make lessons to match your hardware...

Well, I'm going for the PRO_version asap. So by the end of next week I'm hoping I can pretty much use any PIC (within the confines of the PICkit1) I like.

If you let me know what you think I'll need I can order it in.

I really appreciate what you're doing by the way.

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 28th March 2010, 18:20

Originally Posted by LEDave

Well, I'm going for the PRO_version asap. So by the end of next week I'm hoping I can pretty much use any PIC (within the confines of the PICkit1) I like.

COOL!!!

If you let me know what you think I'll need I can order it in.

I think the serial parts we talked about will be good for now. That will give a way to debug and learn how to communicate with another device.
...Do you have a solder-less breadboard? and some miscellaneous LEDs and resistors? ...

I really appreciate what you're doing by the way.

Dave

What comes around goes around...

**LEDave** · - 28th March 2010, 18:45

Do you have a solder-less breadboard?

No but I saw one in Maplins the other day, I'll pick one up.

and some miscellaneous LEDs and resistors? ...

Yes I do, hey I'm LEDave...

**Byte_Butcher** · - 28th March 2010, 18:57

Originally Posted by LEDave

If you let me know what you think I'll need I can order it in.
Dave

Might I suggest a LCD display?
Getting an LCD up and running might be a good experiment, and it's also a handy tool for debugging code later.

steve

**LEDave** · - 28th March 2010, 19:26

Getting an LCD up and running might be a good experiment, and it's also a handy tool for debugging code later.

I'm game, don't forget I couldn't turn an LED on a few weeks ago though!

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 28th March 2010, 19:37

Is there a surplus store over there like this?
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a...splays-/1.html

**LEDave** · - 28th March 2010, 19:55

There's RS

They have these (and I've got an account).

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...20Alphanumeric

Or Maplins again:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?...=lcd&source=15

The RS range seems far superior.

Dave

**Byte_Butcher** · - 28th March 2010, 20:18

Originally Posted by LEDave

I'm game, don't forget I couldn't turn an LED on a few weeks ago though!

Sure, most of us couldn't flash an LED when we started.
But Mackrackit is doing a nice job of getting you up to speed, and a parallel LCD display isn't that hard to set up.

You'll need to set up 4 pins on your PIC, all on one port for your LCD data lines, and 2 more pins for Enable and Register Select
You'll need to make sure that those 6 pins are setup as digital outputs and any other stuff that shares those pins (ADC, comparators, etc) are disabled.
Once the pins are set correctly then you'll add a few DEFINE's to your program to tell the PIC where to find your LCD and what pins are what.
Like this, but with YOUR particular ports and pin numbers that you are using:

Code:

DEFINE LCD_DREG PORTD    'Set LCD Data port
DEFINE LCD_DBIT 4        'Set starting Data bit (0 or 4) if 4-bit bus
DEFINE LCD_RSREG PORTE   'Set LCD Register Select port
DEFINE LCD_RSBIT 0       'Set LCD Register Select bit
DEFINE LCD_EREG PORTE    'Set LCD Enable port
DEFINE LCD_EBIT 2        'Set LCD Enable bit
DEFINE LCD_BITS 4        'Set LCD bus size (4 or 8 bits)

Then it's just a matter of using the LCDOUT command...

Code:

LCDOUT $fe, 2, "HELLO WORLD"

or if you wanted to display the content of a variable as a decimal number:

Code:

myvariable		var		word
myvariable = 3955

LCDUT $fe, 2, DEC myvariable

It's easy!

steve

**mackrackit** · - 28th March 2010, 20:31

Has anyone used this one? Is it any good?
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...duct&R=5326795

**LEDave** · - 28th March 2010, 21:16

Hi B_B

Ok, I'm sold

These LCD's look like great fun and a really useful interface.

When my first LED came on, that was brilliant. When my seven segment display /
driver lit up and counted up to nine that was cool.

These look in a different league, can't wait.

Dave

**Byte_Butcher** · - 28th March 2010, 22:36

Originally Posted by mackrackit

Has anyone used this one? Is it any good?
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...duct&R=5326795

That one doesn't look like it's got a backlight. One with a backlight would be sexier...

Here in the US, I find these to be a good deal for $10USD.
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...ywords=c0220az
Don't know about UK vendors.

steve

**mackrackit** · - 29th March 2010, 15:26

Interrupt on change (interrupt when the state of a pin changes)
Again this is a snippet from another chip (16F873A) but it will give you something to start with.

Code:

ON INTERRUPT GOTO MYINT
INTCON = %10010000   'PORTB.0 CHANGE

DISABLE
MYINT:
IF PORTB.0 = 1 THEN
    ' DO SOMETHING
ELSE
    'DO SOMETHING ELSE
ENDIF
INTCON.1 = 0
RESUME
ENABLE
 'THE ABOVE WILL ALSO DEBOUNCE THE SWITCH

**LEDave** · - 29th March 2010, 16:30

Cheers mackrackit,

I made a little table up that other newbies who are maybe following this thread might find useful. It hinges on what you said the other day about setting the prescaler (TMR0) and using that with (I = I +1) to set up a delay of your choosing.

BIT TMR0 Time_u_secs HZ
000 1:2 512 976
001 1:4 1024 488
010 1:8 2048 244
011 1:16 4096 122
100 1:32 8192 61
101 1:64 16384 30.5
110 1:128 32768 15.2
111 1:256 65536 7.6

Didn't quite come out as planned and every time I edit it the changes I make it just resets.
Still, I'm sure you get the drift (might be worth checking my figures as well though).

Any thoughts on that LCD?

Dave

**LEDave** · - 29th March 2010, 17:13

I've just had a thought.

It's probably dangerous for me to offer advice right now, no matter how well intensioned. As some of my conclusions maybe a little off the mark.

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 29th March 2010, 17:40

Originally Posted by LEDave

I've just had a thought.

It's probably dangerous for me to offer advice right now, no matter how well intensioned. As some of my conclusions maybe a little off the mark.

Dave

Most of mine are, does not stop me...

LCD... Back-light would be nice but I did not see very many options from your supplier. So that is why I was looking at one with four lines.

**LEDave** · - 29th March 2010, 18:10

Most of mine are, does not stop me...

LCD... Back-light would be nice but I did not see very many options from your supplier. So that is why I was looking at one with four lines.

In the LCD product spec page (15/17) it says:

(8) In particular do not forcibly bend the I/O cable or the backlight cable.

So maybe it does have a backlight?

That's for the display we were looking at:

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/s...duct&R=5326795

Page (15/17) in here:

http://docs-europe.origin.electrocom...6b806dda19.pdf

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 29th March 2010, 18:18

It also list specs for a LED and EL back light.
So I am not sure. Might be worth contacting them to find out.

**LEDave** · - 29th March 2010, 18:27

Might be worth contacting them to find out.

I'll try and contact the technical department tomorrow.

So what exactly are we after here? I'll try and find out if this one anything else they have exactly fits the bill.

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 29th March 2010, 18:31

I would look for one with LED back light. I think 16x4 is nice for one to use on the bench, but a 20x2 would also be OK, IMO.

**LEDave** · - 29th March 2010, 18:40

So I'm after a 16x4 LED backlight LCD.

Any other spec I should make sure it has?

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 29th March 2010, 18:50

Hitachi 44780 controller or equivalent. Seems like most do..

**LEDave** · - 30th March 2010, 16:04

I've just been in touch with RS. They're looking into it.

I've for a 16x4 LED backlight LCD with Hitachi 44780 controller or equivalent.

Fingers X'd

Dave

**Archangel** · - 30th March 2010, 22:59

Originally Posted by LEDave

I've just been in touch with RS. They're looking into it.

I've for a 16x4 LED backlight LCD with Hitachi 44780 controller or equivalent.

Fingers X'd

Dave

Hi Dave. Dave suggested a 16x4 and 20 x2 lcd
I have only seen 20x4 and 16x2, not saying His supplier doesn't sell those, only that I've not seen them. That said, here are some links to eBay sales and sellers in, dare I say it? China, where everything is made.
http://cgi.ebay.com/16x2-LCD-Module-...item51918075ad
http://cgi.ebay.com/HD44780-16x2-cha...item3cab6b0582
http://cgi.ebay.com/HD44780-16x2-Cha...item3efe4469d9
http://cgi.ebay.com/HD44780-20X4-Cha...item414e27f963
http://cgi.ebay.com/20x4-LCD-Module-...item3a59434ceb
http://cgi.ebay.com/HD44780-20X4-Cha...item563ae48d22

Depending upon the trade agreements and import policys you might even get to blow off the VAT

**mackrackit** · - 31st March 2010, 00:02

They come in all sizes.

The one we have been talking about from Dave's supplier is a 16x4. I even have some 24x2 surplus LCDs.

The ones I hate are the 16x1 , I got some that are really 8x2 but all on the same line...

So basically just fine a the largest multi-line display you can afford.

**Byte_Butcher** · - 31st March 2010, 00:23

Originally Posted by mackrackit

They come in all sizes.

I've got some in 2 x 20 and 2 x 24
I was looking at some 2 x 40's and 4 x 40's at Digikey not long ago.

Yes... all sizes.!

steve

**rmteo** · - 31st March 2010, 00:45

Be aware that 4x40 LCD's are a little different and have 2 controllers (and 2 chip enable lines).

**LEDave** · - 31st March 2010, 15:21

Hi everyone.

After seeing Joe's ebay displays, I thought I'd have a look on ebay UK and came
across this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/20x4-LCD-Modul...#ht_2814wt_957

I was thinking of going for this one from Joe's list in the USA as it says free shipping, although it might a couple of weeks to arrive:

http://cgi.ebay.com/HD44780-20X4-Cha...#ht_3109wt_802

What do we think.

Dave

**LEDave** · - 31st March 2010, 15:32

Almost forgot.

I've bought the MicroCode Studio full program from Mecanique and haven't heard a dicky bird from them, not even an acknowledgement email.

I've re-emailed them on both their email addresses, nothing, they haven't even sent a read receipt. And phoned them three time today, again nothing, no one answering the phone.

I'm a little worried, although are they a small one man outfit and maybe on an Easter break?

Not a lot I can do until someone replies to me I guess.

Dave

**LEDave** · - 31st March 2010, 15:40

UPDATE:

I've just phoned again and got through (typical), it's being sent today

So looking forward to that arriving and no more 'you have used all your code lines prompts'

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 31st March 2010, 16:04

Did you only order Micro Code Studio or do you mean Pic Basic Pro with the full version of MCS?

**LEDave** · - 31st March 2010, 16:25

PICBasic PRO Compiler with MicroCode Studio Plus (1)

Please tell me it's the right one?

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 31st March 2010, 16:28

That sound correct.
Your earlier post had me wondering.

**LEDave** · - 31st March 2010, 16:36

Hi mackrackit it's this one:

http://www.mecanique.co.uk/products/compiler/pbp.html

Have a quick look for me (I can't afford to lose another nights sleep).

Dave

**mackrackit** · - 31st March 2010, 16:40

That's the one.
Sorry to scare you...

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