Read the newbee threads, 16F877A no go.

[Archangel]

The less part is that I'm required to press the reset button to get my program to run, where the original development board firmware executes on powerup.
Any suggestions where to start looking ?

Thanks,
Bobby

Hi Bobby A,
I agree with you about the books and manuals ability to convey everything a newbie needs to learn, they basicly blow! This forum is very helpful, very many smart people here!
For the problem above try putting a capacitor of say 1uf from the reset pin to ground. the time it takes to charge through the resistor you have going to B+ will allow the PIC to stabalize on start up. It seems some individual pic chips need this, I do not know why . . . maybe est damaged? Just curious are the chips you are using samples?
JS

[BobbyA]

Kind of late responding, but the forum just sent out (in Dec) an email notice there were 4 post to the thread (last in Aug ?). Procrastinator club anyone ?
Anyway, it's not ic specific since the original demo program that came with the board can be reloaded (external device programmer) into the exact same ic and it will run from power up. But the PBP compiled program does not start to execute until the reset button is manually pressed.
I don't know what the real cause was, eventually I chucked the board, PBP, and Hellebuyck's book in a drawer, and things got better.
Cheers, Bobby
PS. Royalty checks only prove people bought it, not that they found it useful.

[Melanie]

> Procrastinator club anyone ?

Since nothing had been heard over this time I for one assumed your problem was solved.

This year marks six years since I started playing with PICs and PBP. Three hundred designs later (averaging one a week - and if it had a PIC in it, then it was driven by PBP) and close to a million PICs shipped, I have to admit that whether folks found the products useful or consigned them to land-fill that I really don't care.

In all that time, I've never had a customer return that was attributable to design, manufacturing or component defect. I put this down in the main that some of the products are large and heavy >2000kg and Mr Postman just can't fit them through the letterbox. But if they end up useful as boat-anchors, then that's still a success in my book.

What I can say with absolute certainty is that the PBP component works - as do the PICs. That leaves a failure to understand hardware, designs, not reading Datasheets or Manuals or defective logic in coding. A look on the kind of posts on this forum tells you that this accounts for 95% of help requests. PICs only need three things to make them work, POWER, RESET and CLOCK (OK, and a half-sensible program too). I don't know your Development Board, but if you can't even get a simple LED to blink in order to verify that those three conditions to make the PIC run have been met, or have the knowledge to determine which of those three are causing you grief, then chucking everything in a drawer and concentrating on watching Bonsai grow is the way to go. That may be a little strong language for this festive season (even if it is intended in jest), but seriously, PICs will do one of two things for you, they'll either make you very rich, or cause you to lose all your hair. I'd rather everyone was in the former category than the latter - and the secret to making everything work is contained in this paragraph.

[sayzer]

...
they'll either make you very rich, or cause you to lose all your hair...

I see you have hair, so have you become rich, very rich or richer?

Also, all things you said above would look good on resume.


---------------------

[Melanie]

>> all things you said above would look good on resume.

"I have to admit that whether folks found the products useful or consigned them to land-fill (or used them as boat anchors) that I really don't care."

Yup... that kind of attitude looks real good on the CV!

> I see you have hair, so have you become rich, very rich or richer?

I get invited to all the best parties at the Bank... ...having a skin-tight leather Catwoman outfit with chrome-plated spikey high heels and a passion for dancing on tables probably helps... try it with your Bank Manager and let me know...

[Archangel]

>> .. ...having a skin-tight leather Catwoman outfit with chrome-plated spikey high heels and a passion for dancing on tables probably helps... try it with your Bank Manager and let me know...

Wow Mel.
I don't know which would be more entertaining, you or sayzer dancing in that outfit! I suspect BOTH for different reasons

[mister_e]

Melanie


Sayzer

mmm hard to say

[skimask]

> Procrastinator club anyone ?

Since nothing had been heard over this time I for one assumed your problem was solved.

This year marks six years since I started playing with PICs and PBP. Three hundred designs later (averaging one a week - and if it had a PIC in it, then it was driven by PBP) and close to a million PICs shipped, I have to admit that whether folks found the products useful or consigned them to land-fill that I really don't care.

In all that time, I've never had a customer return that was attributable to design, manufacturing or component defect. I put this down in the main that some of the products are large and heavy >2000kg and Mr Postman just can't fit them through the letterbox. But if they end up useful as boat-anchors, then that's still a success in my book.

What I can say with absolute certainty is that the PBP component works - as do the PICs. That leaves a failure to understand hardware, designs, not reading Datasheets or Manuals or defective logic in coding. A look on the kind of posts on this forum tells you that this accounts for 95% of help requests. PICs only need three things to make them work, POWER, RESET and CLOCK (OK, and a half-sensible program too). I don't know your Development Board, but if you can't even get a simple LED to blink in order to verify that those three conditions to make the PIC run have been met, or have the knowledge to determine which of those three are causing you grief, then chucking everything in a drawer and concentrating on watching Bonsai grow is the way to go. That may be a little strong language for this festive season (even if it is intended in jest), but seriously, PICs will do one of two things for you, they'll either make you very rich, or cause you to lose all your hair. I'd rather everyone was in the former category than the latter - and the secret to making everything work is contained in this paragraph.

VERY WELL PUT, M.

I think I can say that every failure I've ever had with PICs (except for one!) and/or PBP, or any combination thereof, has been attributed to my own stupidity or ignorance. I've had a lot of things (and I'm sure everybody else has too) I thought 'should work because it looks close to what the manufacturer wanted' ended up not working because 'it wasn't what the manufacturer specified'. The fix has always been to step back for a little bit, go through the datasheets, think about it, and finally do it the right way (except for that one time).
It's amazing how so many have gotten along so well for so long with PIC/PBP. I wonder what we're doing wrong?