A header wizard

[Acetronics2]

HI, Walter

And what about the MPLAB config screen, once " config bits set in code " being unchecked ???

noooooo .... not on the head !!!

Ok, the VDI doesn't exist any more ...

Alain

[ScaleRobotics]

Ok Alain, I think I am up to speed. Here is the MPLAB window with nifty drop down boxes:




I had to look up what VDI was. But I like it! Looks like even Microsoft could not keep up with their own chips. When did this VDI get exxed?

Yes Ioannis, I hear you as well. Like Dave says, a database could be made with all the descriptions. Hopefully a new chips .inc file could be parsed, and the corresponding English text description would be pulled. It would be neat to try initially with two or three families of chips, to see what it takes.

[cncmachineguy]

I've been trying to remember the VDI for a while now. I played with it once about 6 years ago, but it didn't support the chip I was using at the time.

It is basically what I was thinking about, but doesn't need to be graphical.

Being able to use the .inc files to populate the form is a great idea, but it may add loads of complexity to the application. I really don't think entering the data the first time will be an issue. After all, without the wizard, you would have to type it all in a program and hope you didn't miss anything.

As for selling it to someone or some company, of course I have no control over that. But I really did see this as GNU. Now if it comes down to 1 person doing all the work, and its not a community project, well that person should have the say about its eventual distrubtion.

I have been talking to people here at work, and I am told SQL is a kin to lotus notes. If thats the case, maybe I can be useful in this design effort.

@dave, please point me to exactly the software you are looking at for this.

[mackrackit]

I am not familiar with lotus notes. SQL or SQLite are just data base engines.
But after reading the comments I am not sure if that is the best way. Like Walter said, it is in the *.inc.

Might just parse the inc. Would have to have a couple or three pre-set parameters because not all incs are equal...

I decided some time back to only use Python for PC stuff, cross platform and free Command line, GUI, CGI..

Goto python.org and look at the cgi module. I think a web interface for this is what we want, but still open to suggestions.

Marketing sounds nice but a community project would be fun. Besides that I may not have the time to do it all myself, nor may I have all of the skills needed. I certainly do not know everything about every chip... So help will be needed.

[cncmachineguy]

I'm not sure how the parsing of the files will work, but it would for sure eliminate the need for the database. then we would have a stand alone app using the *.inc provided by microchip.

Do the inc files have all the data to do as I have "wished" for? I assume they do, but just don't know.

I will have a go at python. I would love to learn a language to write stuff for windows. I have been using ruby (very little) to write a plugin for sketchup. but at this point, i am not set on anything.

python 2.7?

Have any thoughts on work flow as I posted?

[mackrackit]

I am not so sure about a stand alone app. If it were web based then updates would be easier.

Pretty much everything about the chip is in the inc.

Python 2.6 or 2.7. Not 3.xx Many web servers have not went with 3 yet and there are just enough changes that I am aware of to cause problems. There are some app to convert 2.xx to 3.xx but I have not used them.

Work flow...
I am still thinking how to go about it.
Something like...
A script to parse the inc to place the data we want in a "standard" format for each series. Figure the configs would be a good starting/testing app at first. Take a look at the differences in the configs between a random 16F and 18F.

A new file would be created for each chip? Or a data base entry made? Or just work this into the main app directly from the inc, but that might slow things down some.

Then when a chip is selected the file is read to see if MCLR has an option (example) or internal OSC. The config select part of the app would then be populated with radio buttons to turn MCLR ON/OFF, another option for the OSC speed and type...

The app would then run through the file, with a little logic, for things like PLL USB DIV.

The completed configs would then be printed ready to copy paste.

Something like that...

[cncmachineguy]

Thanks for the python info, i will download and install tonight. I was running out of new things to learn, down to only 4 or 5.

I agree with the updating and the web access.

I also agree starting with the configs will be a great start and instantly useful.(always a good thing)

new file vs database vs direct read on the fly. hmm, I am not sure about the extra time for the direct read. do you think we are talking seconds, minutes? big pro to me for the direct read would be the .inc files are maintained by microchip, so in theory they will always be up to date.

sounds to me like the operation and use is the same as I was thinking, so I second that.

instead of copy and paste, I was thinking the file itself would just be opened and start coding from there.