12f675_fuse_about_to_blow!

[LEDave]

Hi mackrackit,

I've just posted a question on the PIC / VB thread.

http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/show...3080#post93080

Have you ran across any good VB forums yet?

I'm must have been through half of Google HDD's trying to find a 'ready made' solution, I never thought to actually 'join' a VB Forum

Dave

[mackrackit]

If you are interested I started some Python stuff at the web site in my signature.
I will be adding more as time permits.

[LEDave]

Hi mackrackit,

If you are interested I started some Python stuff at the web site in my signature.

Short answer is yes I am interested and thanks for posting the link. Right now I've managed to get a VB-2008 program to open and close Port_Com1 when I run debug, which is a breakthrough. If I can get it to receive data from the PIC then....... But so far no luck....

Give me a few more days to try and crack it, if I can't I'll jump ship to Python (I might do that anyway).

It's a shame that the 'RENTRON'? "Receiving Data From A Microcontroller" program was a different VB version, I'd just about got a handle on it in the broadest of senses, ho hum.

The VB stuff has been good for me though, it shows up the gaping wholes in my knowledge bank, you really can't run before you can walk with this stuff. Ill keep taking the small steps though.

Just to add, when I open Com1 in VB, then try to open Com1 with serial Communicator, it show the Port in use. When I close Com1 in VB, I can then open it with the Serial Communicator. I'm using this as a test / check.

How big a step forward is getting the Com Port to open and shut?

Cheers: Dave

[mackrackit]

How big a step forward is getting the Com Port to open and shut?

Sounds like you are getting there.

I did download VB 2010, looked at it a bit, watched a tutorial or two, and shut it down.

If you are learning from scratch and do not mind windows only then keep at it. IMHO

[LEDave]

Sounds like you are getting there.

I've got that sinking feeling there's some way to go yet. It would be nice to be pleasantly surprised though.

I think it (the program) needs some sort of event handler / buffer to store and read the data_in in bytes and then make words.

If you are learning from scratch and do not mind windows only then keep at it. IMHO

I'll stick at the VB2008 for now and see what I can 'cobble' together.

Dave

[LEDave]

Hi mackrackit,

I've now become officially obsessed with getting the VB program to receive data from the PIC. I'm going to stick at it until I do. I still haven't got much beyond opening and closing the COM port at the moment though, still doing loads of reading.

I'll get there (one day).

Dave

[mackrackit]

officially obsessed

Probably not something for a business card.

Opening and closing the port. Sounds like you are almost there.

[ScaleRobotics]

That looks about right for that chip. You should have save available though! Maybe you need to have some code in the window for that. Looks like most of the greyed out options are for the in circuit debuger. Some other chips: 16F627(A), 16F628(A), 16F73, 16F74, 16F76, 16F77, 16F870, 16F871, 16F873(A), 16F874(A), 16F876(A), 16F877(A), 16F87, 16F88, 18F242, 18F248, 18F252, 18F258, 18F442, 18F448, 18F452, 18F458, 18F1220, 18F1320, 18F2220, 18F2320, 18F4220, 18F4320, 18F6620 and 18F8620

have an in circuit debug available for them, but as you can see, they are a bit limited. It is an interesting feature though.

Walter

[LEDave]

Hi Walter

You should have save available though! Maybe you need to have some code in the window for that.

Exactly that, I added some code and 'Save' changed from greyed out to Bold.

That was interesting, I changed the chip from a 12F675 to a 16F627(A) and the RUN-STOP-STEP-PAUSE changed from greyed out to Bold,
like you said then that must be because the chip has a Debug available to them (I've never used Debug).

Cheers: Dave

[ScaleRobotics]

(I've never used Debug).

Hi Dave,

Bruce did a great write up on how to use it here: http://www.rentron.com/PicBasic/MCS_X3.htm

I used to use it, and it is pretty cool. When I needed to try to debug things that were using the serial port already, I had to find other ways to debug (not necessarily better). But I would say it can be pretty helpful when you are starting out.

The way it debugs is that it adds code into your program to talk back and forth through the serial port. That way it updates registers, etc so you can see them in the ICD. It uses a fair amount of resources, so it slows things down a great deal, but it is fast enough for a lot of projects.