Whats the quickest way to set bits?

[Charles Linquis]

I have so many unique situations that I don't know if Proteus would help. I have an unlimited number of development boards, but what is hard for me is simulation. I'm using all the pins of an '8723 (and in some cases, 2 8723's "lashed" together). I have so many combinations of digital, analog, and serial data that testing is becoming very, very time consuming.

And I have to deal with a lot of external hardware. Like I2C. And I almost always control fans using a PID control loop using the PICs CCP registers to send 158Khz PWM out to a "buck" converter, which is filtered to give pure DC to the fans. I watch the fan tachometers and use that feedback to control the PWM. I have an algorithm that automatically sets up the coefficients for any fan (big or small) that I hook to it. But it seems like I'm always tuning that algorithm.

I also need to process a lot of serial data - often SNMP packets that have to do a large amount of parsing. I use Lantronix XPorts or MatchPorts to do the network "heavy lifting" but long packets still come in over the USART or SPI port. The ability to inject long strings into those ports and watch the execution of the parser would be priceless. Right now, I capture network packets with WireShark and go through long lists, byte-by-byte.
Since I'm dealing with external devices, a lot of things are time-critical as well.
The whole test process takes far too long.

I can't imagine that Proteus could do all of what's needed, but if it could help me with even part of what I'm doing, it would be money well spent. What do you think?

[HankMcSpank]

This bargraph generator looks like it could be useful!

I watched the video, but I wasn't able to work outwhat all the user input was for - what I'd like a bargraph generator to do is react to an incoming analog signal.

Ideally with just 5 leds... up until, now, I've been using a dedicated bar graph IC ( - warning turn your PC sound down), but the problem with that IC is that it's a one trick pony...therefore I was thinking of using a PIC to do the bar graph - becuase this would allow corny LED patterns like Knight rider etc!...so I was pondering how to do this just a couple of days ago...this thread is very convenient!

[ScaleRobotics]

I was thinking of using a PIC to do the bar graph - becuase this would allow corny LED patterns like Knight rider etc!...

For Knight Rider bargraph, check out post number three on the MIBAM thread here: http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=10564

[rmteo]

Charles, download the current issue of Embedded Systems Design here. You can also subscribe to the print version which is available for free to professionals.



It will give you a good idea of what is happening in terms of tools (hardware and software) and techniques that are used in current embedded systems design and development.

[Charles Linquis]

I keep threatening to change compilers (to C18, for example) or make a bigger move to ARM chips, but it seems like I never have time to make the switch.

Also, I have so many thousands (truly!) of PICs in military applications that it is really hard to change. In some cases, it took a year to get the hardware qualified but we now have enough of a 'track record' with the hardware and sw that we can get products qualified "by example". If I changed chips, I would have to start over.

I guess I'll have to keep doing it the hard way for a bit longer.

And one more thing - anyone who thinks that PBP is somehow not as good as 'C' can be told that it is running in an awful lot of very, very critical military applications. When written correctly, PBP is bulletproof.

[rmteo]

....And one more thing - anyone who thinks that PBP is somehow not as good as 'C' can be told that it is running in an awful lot of very, very critical military applications. When written correctly, PBP is bulletproof.

Hey, if it works for you and your customers are happy, go for it.

[Charles Linquis]

But I will still have to make the change sooner or later. That is, unless we can get Darrel to add functions, procedures, better string handling and a few other features to the next version of PBP!

[Darrel Taylor]

Charles,

I think you're out of luck on the fan part, it does have a fan motor but you have to measure RPM from the commutator current pulses. There's no direct RPM output.

It has the 8720 and 8722, but not the 8723 ... yet. Every new version (about every other month) has more chips and stuff.
You can run multiple chips simultaneously.

It doesn't have an XPort, but you can interface to an external COM port, so it could use a real XPort.

It has I2C and SPI debuggers that allow you to send anything you want to either the master or the slave. It will definitely be useful for that part.

But overall, I think you'll be better off sticking with hardware for such a large project, especially because simulating lots of analog circuitry slows it down considerably. It would probably take an 8 or 16 core computer to simulate your whole circuit anywhere near real-time.