Is it possibly a Windows XP Pro Problem?

[mackrackit]

Got any code?

[Ramius]

Sorry serious brain craps!

' Name : HELLOX3.pbp
' Compiler : PICBASIC PRO Compiler 2.6
' Assembler : PM or MPASM
' Target PIC : PIC16F628A or similar 18-pin type compatible with LAB-X3 board
' Hardware : LAB-X3 Experimenter Board
' Oscillator : 4MHz external crystal
' Keywords : SEROUT
' Description : PICBASIC PRO program to send "Hello World" on serial port.
'
Include "modedefs.bas" ' Mode definitions for Serout
Define LOADER_USED 1
Define osc 20
mainloop:
Serout PORTB.3, T2400, ["Hello", 10, 13] ' Display "Hello", next line
Pause 500 ' Wait .5 second
Serout PORTB.3, T2400, ["World", 10, 13, 10, 13] ' Display "World", skip a line
Pause 500 ' Wait .5 second
Goto mainloop ' Do it forever
End

[mackrackit]

Your code looks OK with the exception , I think, that it is PORTB.2 that goes to the MAX232.

If I am wrong on that try the Serial Communicator built into MCS.

[Ramius]

Thank you and inquiring minds would like to know why B.2?
Isn't Port B.2 the TX-in for the Max 232 on a 16F628A or am I looking for a specific type of port?

Thanks, Ed

[mackrackit]

B.2 is the TX and B.1 is the RX from the 628.
Just a matter of looking at it as out from the PIC and in to the MAX.

Are you up and running now?

[Ramius]

Hi, no sadly I am not able to get it to work. I am using Microcode Studio plus, MPLAB IDE, and a Picstart Plus programmer. Somewhere within these three I have made the wrong choices and being perfectly honest, not knowing what options to chose. I think it will probably take a phone call to/from someone to go through the setups. Thanks though, Ed

[mackrackit]

Sorry that I could not help.
But a call to MeLabs and a talk with Darrell should fix you up.
Let us know how it goes.

[ScaleRobotics]

I don't think the 628a is capable of writing to its own memory. So I don't think it is possible for you to use a bootloader for that chip. So what happens if you take this out of your code?

Define LOADER_USED 1

Also, you could try out the sample hex file code on MeLabs website (but it is made for the 4 Mhz crystal that comes with the hardware), just to make sure the hardware is working as you thought. http://melabs.com/doclist.htm#X3

When you define the osc, you must use capitals! DEFINE OSC 20. PBP is proably defaulting to 4 mhz.

Also, the MeLabs example program for that hardware uses PortB.2, like Dave mentioned. Here is their example:

Include "modedefs.bas" ' Mode definitions for Serout
　
loop: Serout PORTB.2,T2400,["Hello",10,13] ' Display "Hello", next line
Pause 500 ' Wait .5 second
Serout PORTB.2,T2400,["World",10,13,10,13] ' Display "World", skip a line
Pause 500 ' Wait .5 second
Goto loop ' Do it forever
End