PBP projects for R/C models

[ScaleRobotics]

Last week you sent me two short programs. You also suggested that I go to Darrel Taylor's page and grab some code. I got his "blinky" to compile and work with the minor adjustments of changing the output to an LED register and the DT_INT-14.bas fix. I never got either of yours to compile and run.

Mine will only compile properly for a PIC18F device, for sure with a PIC18F2520. It will need some work to translate for PIC16F devices.

On page 125 of your 18F2520 spec I found T0CON containing TMR0ON, T08BIT, T0CS, T0SE, PSA, T0PS2 AND T0PS1. I could not relate any of this to the contents of pages near 77 of my 16F887 spec. I also could not find in any code you posted where you set these bits.

Sorry, it is page 75 in the datasheet, and page 77 on Acrobat. Look for the page that has:
REGISTER 5-1: OPTION_REG: OPTION REGISTER on it. Where I set these registers is here:

T0CON = %00000001
T1CON = %00000001
T2CON = %01011111
CCP1CON = %00000101

Scalerobotics thought I might be able to measure the PWM radio receiver outputs if I converted it to a serial stream. Good idea, but I don't know what to do with a serial signal.

You mean you don't have any computers laying around with a serial port? Yeah, I guess it is like that in my house too! Your PicKit2 comes with a great resource (in my opinion). It has a serial port built in, and you can use it to see what your program is doing. Or in this case, figure out what your Pulse Width Measurement is doing. With the Pickit2 software, go to tools, then choose the Uart tool. Make sure you are sending your serial data to the right pin. In this case, you will have to use the serout commands, as the pickit pins will not be connected the the hardware serial port. Follow the serout as defined in the PBP manual.

I would feel successful if I could see on a flashing LED that my radio receiver is working and that the PIC can read it. (I know it is working because the car wheels turn.) This is the intent of the first code (RC-Input - 12F675) Scalerobotics sent me. It originate with Malcolm from Hertfordshire, UK.

LED's can be a good trouble shooting tool. However, we do not even know if the timebase is going to be similar in your chip, or what crystal you are running, etc. The serial port will be able to tell you so much more about what is going on. I think you will feel even more satisfied seeing actual results.

I'd like to get that working.

Me too!

One thing I learned about was MicroCode Studio's ICD (in circuit debugger). It is a great tool to see what your code is doing. It lets you step through, or view it, while allowing you to view registers, etc. I used it a lot in the beginning, then I started a few projects that were very time dependent, so I could not use the ICD in them, so I have not used it in a long time.

And about that USB HID ... what about the back to basics part?

-Walter

[mackrackit]

Ken,

Get a USB to serial converter. You do not want to mess with USB from the PIC at this time. Keep it simple.

The use the serial terminal in MCS.

[Kenjones1935]

I have discovered the Analyzer Tool in the PICkit Tool Logic Tool package.

It looks like this tool will provide me a picture of the output of my radio receiver if I can get Scalerobotics' program to work. I have both MPLAB IDE and PICbasic PRO packages. They have some duplications. I have a book "PIC PROJECTS" which pontificates the advantages of MPLAB. I have an impressive PICkit Tool HELP menu.

My impression is that the PICkit package is what I should focus upon. Does that make sense?

Ken

[Kenjones1935]

I succeeded in getting scalerobotics second code sample to compile.

This is the one that samples PWM incoming and puts it out the serial port. It created an .asm file that would not build. The list of errors is too large to publish here. (Besides that it does not word wrap well.)

I am completely missing something. I do not understand PICBASIC PRO.The multiple hundred page microchip DATA SHEETS blow my mind. I try to read a section (16F887 Page 74 on SOFTWARE PROGRAMMABLE PRESCALER) and I can not put it in context.

I am not sure where the basics are that I am meant to go back to. I have a couple of paperback books. Maybe I should read page by page.

Ken

[rmteo]

A good understanding of PIC's as well as a some idea of how BASIC works will be a great help to your success in getting this project going. Here are 2 free books that will give you a good start.

PIC Microcontrollers
Programming PIC MCUs in BASIC

[Kenjones1935]

Scalerobotics,

How did you know of the contents of:

http://darreltaylor.com/DT_INTS-14/asm_ints.html

and

http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/show...39postcount=38

Is there a centralized resource?

Ken

[ScaleRobotics]

Scalerobotics,

How did you know of the contents of:
http://darreltaylor.com/DT_INTS-14/asm_ints.html
and
http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/show...39postcount=38

Is there a centralized resource?
Ken

I learned about them from the great folks on this forum. Without it, I couldn't do any of the things I think are pretty slick. Really, everything that I think is pretty amazing, was learned from reading, searching, and asking on this forum. Aside from the 222 page PicBasicPro manual, the forum is the most centralized resource that you will find.

I would agree with Alain, after reading the PBP manual and it's examples, the next best resource of examples is www.parallax.com site will have the best examples of basic. I have a Pic Basic Pro book that I hate, and I have browsed a few others that I dislike equally. Most are using examples of PIC16C devices and such that are older than my dog, and don't talk much on timers, interrupts, etc. I say save your money, and get the free examples that Parallax has in their documentation, and use this forum. Also read your manual from cover to cover two or three times. It will start to sink in, as you use the commands.

You can learn more about the DT_INTS by searching the forum. Besides Darrel's page, this is the only other source for information on how to use his interrupts.

[Acetronics2]

Hi, Rmteo

If your first reference is useful to understand the Pics themselves, the second is TOTALLY unadapted to help a PbP Beginner for Basic, as the two " basics" are much, much, much differents one from the other ...

let's say ... Pbp looks like the old GWBasic - or very close to Parallax Basic ... But Mikroelektronika Basic ( did I say " Basiç " ??? ) looks very, very, very close to " C " ...

Do not tell me " false " ... as I use those 3 Compilers !!!

Sooooo, the best Basic course for PbP you can find is PARALLAX ... here:

http://www.parallax.com/tabid/535/Default.aspx

here ... you'll find a progressive and comprehensive learning curve, with level adapted examples, and OVERALL ...
What you've learnt is directly re-usable ...

last, but not least !

Alain

[Kenjones1935]

The computer architecture part of

http://www.mikroe.com/en/books/picmcubook/ch0/

reminded me of the lectures I received in 1957 when I was hired as a computer programmer by Lincoln Labs to work on the SAGE Air Defense computer. If you want to read what preceeded the picmcubook (above) look at:

http://history.sandiego.edu/GEN/20th/sage.html

I started my career coding for SAGE. I graduated from CISCO Systems as a Senior Software Engineer in 2003. Since that time my mind has not been focused on technology.

I feel that my problem with PBP and the 16F887 is lack of access to the 'common knowledge'. How did scalerobotics know about darreltaylor?