Adding TCP/IP Ethernet to PIC - how?

[dhouston]

I'll add my favorite, the Lantronix XPort.

I haven't looked at these in depth for a few years. As I recall, they had email limitations. (You had to predefine the receipient. It could not handle authentication.) Has this improved?

[l_gaminde]

dhustion
I just purchased one of the http://www.connectone.com/products.asp?did=73&pid=93
37.00 not bad thanks for the tip been looking for one to play with

[Charles Linquis]

The LanReach looks like a good one.

And no - the XPORT still doesn't have decent email support. But I have a TON of code that supports it. With the help of special firmware (from GridConnect), I do things that the standard XPORT can't.

[dhouston]

I just purchased one of the http://www.connectone.com/products.asp?did=73&pid=93
37.00 not bad thanks for the tip been looking for one to play with

I probably should note a couple of gotchas.

1. The spacing of the headers is not 0.100" but 2mm (0.079") so you cannot use the $37 model in a breadboard.

2. These are 3.3V devices and the pins are not 5V tolerant. If you connect to 5V PIC input pins that have Schmitt Trigger buffers, you will need level shifters capable of handling both high and low logic levels which probably means a transistor or mosfet. 5V outputs from a PIC to the device's 3.3V inputs will also require level shifting. Here's a chart showing various logic levels.

• http://www.interfacebus.com/voltage_threshold.html

SparkFun has an inexpensive 4-channel level converter.

• http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/pro...oducts_id=8745

You can, however, solder leads to the $38 model for testing. The pinout is given in the documentation for their evaluation board.

[l_gaminde]

I was thinking that there were some pics that I could run on 3.3 for testing

[dhouston]

Another option is...

• http://www.wiznet.co.kr/en/pro02.php...page=1&num=180
  http://www.ewiznet.com/goods_detail.php?goodsIdx=135

It lists SMTP among the protocols supported but that is incorrect. It does not support SMTP but is attractively priced for a WiFi to serial adapter.

[dhouston]

I was thinking that there were some pics that I could run on 3.3 for testing

I did not have that option. I had nearly 100 partially assembled PCBs that were designed for the Tibbo EM202. I used the ZX-40a (ZBasic) as the CPU and, while my board is designed to use a wall transformer (switchmode) supply, the ZX-40a must run at 5V or the software UARTS (full duplex background operation) must be limited to 4800bps. I had to design a 5V to 3.3V adapter board so I could use the nano LanReach, instead of the Tibbo which was discontinued just as I ordered the first batch.

[Melanie]

> I was thinking that there were some pics that I could run on 3.3 for testing

Lots of PICs run at 3.3v... even the 10F series, go ahead and play...

[mackrackit]

I was thinking that there were some pics that I could run on 3.3 for testing

Look at the electrical spec part of the data sheet and it tells you there how fast the PIC can be run at what voltage. Slower the speed the lower the voltage.

But...

If you need the speed and low voltage go with an 18Fer. For example: I run 18F4550 with an external 4 Mhz resonator at 3.~ volts. Using the PLL option it is cranked up to 48Mhz.
Works great when you need to connect to something like a SD card. The whole system can then run at the 3.~ volts at a speed fast enough to get something done.

[sougata]

Hi,

CCS makes one product called EZWeblynx : http://www.ezweblynx.com

Available as :

1. 5V Rev1 -- PIC18F2685
2. 5V Rev2 -- PIC18F6722
3. 3.3V -- PIC18F67J60

It is programmable simply through HTML. Can take inputs (I/O, serial) can drive LCD/LEDs.
Uses a modified Microchip TCP/IP stack. So possible to develop your own sometimes...
Cheap. $54

[gtvmarty]

Thanx for suggestions everyone.

I can grab the ENC28J60 locally, but i'm also interested in the "Connect One" modules too....awaiting order to be processed....

As much as i've read thru tcp/ip stack docs, and several webpages etc, it's still not clear (to me anyway, and i've sat thru Cisco CCNA 1+2) about HOW i get these ethernet modules to work.

Can somebody give me some BASIC pointers or links to 'HOW TO' sites....
A simple checklist of things that need to be done would be VERY handy.

Even the data sheets from various vendors state things like
"by implementing the use of....."
"by simply adding...."
"with the simple addition of......"
but these statements dont ANSWER anything.....
they tell me WHAT needs to be done, but now HOW it's done......

So far, all i seem to find in many forums and sites are comments like "i used this, i used that, i added this, and implementd that" which is really NO HELP to me at all when i actually wanted to know HOW they achieved a working unit.

For starters:

Is the ethernet device pre-programmed ready to use?

what do i do with the microchip tcp/ip stack?
Does it program into the ethernet device? into my code? called from my code using the include statement or something else?

It seems many ethernet modules claim "a simple way to connect any mcu onto the internet" and yet i'm finding it to be the most complex task to achive, what am i missing?

For the people out there who have bought these modules, and already tinkered with them for testing, PLEASE share HOW & WHAT you did to get things up'n'running......

I hope someday i'll look back on this and laugh, I know a challenge is good, but frustratiion isn't welcome....

Sorry if i'm ranting & raving, but sheesh, it shouldn't be this hard????

Thanx in advance,
Marty.