Why use a bootloader?

[Fredrick]

Yea...
Microcode studio plus is still the best editor for PBP that i know about.
Is there anyone here that are using a better editor?

[mister_e]

Define the word better and we may come up with some idea.

MPLAB is fine, but you don't have serial com port access, no plug-in facility either.

PsPad, nice code editor, but no PBP syntax embedded in

CodeDesigner was great a while back, no longer supported, no serial communication utility, no plug-in facility either.

[Fredrick]

I use PsPad as the default editor in windows, i like that editor, i have used Codedesigner in the past for PBP but switched to MCS and later to MCSP , MPLAB has so many functions that I don´t use there are just there to confuse me.

Microcode studio is simple to use without extra functions i don´t use and have a nice and clean interface with PBP syntax.

[F1CHF]

I got a board with a 16F874 and a Max 232 on board
(TX data and RX data goes to the normal PIC pins RC6 and RC7)

16F874 (20 Mhz) is OK (tested with a Blink program !)

SO, I try to use MCloader (version 1.0.1.7)
I burn bootloader file to the 16F874
I use my blink (Pic Basic pro 2.60) with the define user command
compilation ...
start MCloader ... reset MCLR .. nothing append .. still the message on MCloader about waiting a reset !
question :
is the DTR signal is used to reset the pic via the MAX232 and the 100 ohm resistor
is it used with the "software reset" option I see in MCloader setup

Can I use bootloader without this software reset option (I have just a push button on MCLR) ?
thanks.
Francois F1CHF

[HenrikOlsson]

Hi,
Yes, the DTR signal is used to remotely reset the PIC but you can easily use it without that feature, I do that all the time on one of my developement boards from SURE electronics. I hit Program and it asks me to reset the device - which I do - and it downloads the code to the device.

When it doesn't work it's usually because I've specified the wrong COM-port which happens to me from time to time, especially when using USB->COM dongles/adapters.

It's important that you flash the PIC with bootloader.hex file for the correct oscillator speed (20MHz in your case) and that you put DEFINE LOADER_USED 1 in your program.

/Henrik.

[F1CHF]

OK Henrick
Thanks for your reply
I use a laptop with one COM port (and in MCloader there is no more choice than COM1)
this COM1 is working with my serial programmer
It is important that you said ...

TX and RX lines (via MAX232) goes to RC6 and RC7
good bootloader file burned in the pic (16F874_20.hex from MCloader directory)
compilation (using PBP v 2.6) using good define user line (this program "blink" was tested and PIC is OK)
power on the PIC
start MCloader .. load hex file ... push program icon .... depress RESET button on PIC board

download should works beetween the laptop and te PIC ...

am I right ?

[HenrikOlsson]

Hello,
Yes, when you press Program there should pop up two messages/windows, first one with a progress bar that says Programming and then, when it can't reset the PIC, a second one saying Please reset target microcontroller in order to access the bootloader process... When you reset the PIC the second window will close and you can monitor the progress in the first window, it only takes a couple of seconds depending on the size of the program.

Have you verified that the serial communication is working, ie by using HSEROUT/HSERIN to send and receive data. Perhaps you've mixed up the RX/TX lines?

/Henrik.