How does everyone debug their code?

[HankMcSpank]

Well, I've after two solid nights battling to get my PIC 16F690 to talk to the outside world...I've got it working

I decided I really did want some form of serout command (that I could call on demand), therefore last night I messed about with a MAX232 for a couple of hours....no success (I now realise that this was becuase I was feeding the MAX232 just 3V...sourced from the PICKIT2 VCC - it needs 5V - doh! Thanks to DavyJones for emailing me the schematics)

Anyway, the post that mister_e madecaught my attention - & I've ended up going that route. I now have PIC program going outputing to the UART window (within the PICKIT app - altough it's a little clunky if you ask me). I 've actually pimped my PICKIT2 board by soldering on a little switch which allows me to quickly switch between the PICKIT as a 'programming device' & the PICKIT 2 as a 'serial interface device' ....so no need to change the PICKIT2 edge connector now :-)

Anyway, I'm on the final straight...my query now relates to Terminal Window formatting (or rather whatever it takes to get the PICKIT 2 UART window to clear down!)

Can anyone outline (in simple terms), how I can send simple 'clear screen', line feed commands etc using the HSEROUT command?

here's a little of my code (you've not to laugh!)

ADCIN 0, DC_Level_IN ; Read the DC level on RA0 (pin 19)
HSEROUT ["ADCIN Value = ", DEC DC_Level_IN]

The problem with the above method is it's very hard on the eyes, as ithe data progresses across the screen left to right. Ideally I'd like each update to appear on a new line (or even just totally clearing the screen before the data is updated each time)

Many thanks in anticipation.

Hank.

[Archangel]

ADCIN 0, DC_Level_IN ; Read the DC level on RA0 (pin 19)
HSEROUT ["ADCIN Value = ", DEC DC_Level_IN]

The problem with the above method is it's very hard on the eyes, as ithe data progresses across the screen left to right. Ideally I'd like each update to appear on a new line (or even just totally clearing the screen before the data is updated each time)

Many thanks in anticipation.

Hank.

Try:
[code]
HSEROUT [254,1,"ADCIN Value = ", DEC DC_Level_IN]
[code]

[Archangel]

ADCIN 0, DC_Level_IN ; Read the DC level on RA0 (pin 19)
HSEROUT ["ADCIN Value = ", DEC DC_Level_IN]

The problem with the above method is it's very hard on the eyes, as ithe data progresses across the screen left to right. Ideally I'd like each update to appear on a new line (or even just totally clearing the screen before the data is updated each time)

Many thanks in anticipation.

Hank.

Try:

HSEROUT [254,1,"ADCIN Value =  ", DEC DC_Level_IN]

[Archangel]

Damn, need the edit feature back . .

[HankMcSpank]

Thanks for trying to help me out Joe, but it didn't solve my problem...



(though I'm seeing lots of little rectangles after the data onscreen now - perhaps such unexpected results is a quirk of Microchips' UART tool window?)

[HankMcSpank]

This works intermittedly...

HSEROUT [10,13," Increase Gain, ADCIN Value = ", DEC DC_Level_IN]

...about 4 times out of 10, I get a new line!

I've tried changing the baud

DEFINE HSER_BAUD 2400

...but I just get garbage when i do (yes, I'm changing the setting in the UART window too!). therefore I'm thinking this might the general flakiness of the internal oscillator &/or the quirkiness of the Microchip UART window?

[Archangel]

This works intermittedly...

HSEROUT [10,13," Increase Gain, ADCIN Value = ", DEC DC_Level_IN]

...about 4 times out of 10, I get a new line!

I've tried changing the baud

DEFINE HSER_BAUD 2400

...but I just get garbage when i do (yes, I'm changing the setting in the UART window too!). therefore I'm thinking this might the general flakiness of the internal oscillator &/or the quirkiness of the Microchip UART window?

Have you tried sending 2 separate lines, 1 to clear or give a newline and the second with your data? I would put a little pause in between too. You might research CHAR_PACING too

[mister_e]

In this order.
hserout [whatever data, 13,10]

this will work all the time as long as you have sufficient delay between all your HSEROUT, and as long as your baudrate is accurate.

What you want is a ANSI terminal, those who accept ESC character, like the boring Hyperterminal, TeraTerm, RealTerm to name only but those. With an ANSI terminal, you can clear the screen, change font color, background color etc etc etc ( see http://www.pbpgroup.com/modules/wfse...hp?articleid=9 for reference)

Unfortunately, PICKIT USART tool is not an ANSI one, so you have to deal with the pain or work around. If you're a bit familiar with Microsoft C#, you could modify Pickit USART tool (as it is open source anyways) to accept ESC characters, or to clear the screen when you receive, let's say, ASCII 225 or whatever else. That should be easy.
<hr>
I'll redo my explanation about USART tool debugging...

Unless your current hardware don't use Serial communication, there's no need to use a switch, no need for HSEROUT either. What you do is to sit your PICKIT on the regular programming pins (MCLR, PGD, PGC) all the time, then you use DEBUG/SEROUT/SEROUT2 on PGD I/O. For this you must use TRUE mode.

Clear enough now?

I may try to post an example before going to sleep.

[Archangel]

Thanks for trying to help me out Joe, but it didn't solve my problem...

(though I'm seeing lots of little rectangles after the data onscreen now - perhaps such unexpected results is a quirk of Microchips' UART tool window?)

I misread your post, I thought you were sending to a serial LCD.