PICBasic Pro Getting Bootloader Into PIC the First Time

[HenrikOlsson]

To get the bootloader firmware into the PIC you need a device programmer such as a PICKit3 or MeLabs U2. Once the bootloader firmware is in the PIC you use it's associated PC software (if it's not a SD card bootloader or something of that nature of course) to "push" your firmware into the PIC.

MeProg is the PC software used to "drive" the MeLabs U2 programmer - it does not, as far as I know, have any provisions for bootloading.

Most common (but not all) bootloaders for 8bit PICs uses the UART in the PIC to communicate with the PC during the bootload process. This obviously means that you need a PIC with an UART on board in order to use the bootloader.

[tumbleweed]

You also have to have a PIC capable of writing to its flash memory in order to use a bootloader.

The 12F683 you mentioned isn't one of them.

[PBCGuy]

Henrick

"MeProg is the PC software used to "drive" the MeLabs U2 programmer"

Does MeProg programming the D-Stick and the Experimenter boards?

Don't know the name for that. Microchip calls theirs 'PKOB'.

Serial loader perhaps?

" UART in the PIC to communicate" AND "need a PIC with an UART on board"

UART to UART. Very interesting. Makes sense.

'Reply at Forum' emails have been going to Spam. Apologize for delay.

[PBCGuy]

Tumbleweed

"have a PIC capable of writing to its flash memory"

Hendrick said it requires a UART. "writing to its flash memory". Same thing?

Notifications were going to Spam. Sorry it took awhile to respond.

[HenrikOlsson]

Hendrick said it requires a UART. "writing to its flash memory". Same thing?

No, it's not the same thing.

tumbleweeds point is actually more important than mine. For any bootloader to work (be it serial, USB, or whatever) the PIC itself needs the ability to program its own flash memory and not all PIC chips can do that.

The most COMMON type of bootloader within the 8bit PIC families is serial and the most common ones (like the MCS Loader, DS30 Loader, Tiny Bootloader etc) relies on the fact that the PIC has an UART to handle the serial communications between the PC and the PIC. There are USB bootloader available, then the PIC must have USB peripheral to handle the communication.

The D-Stick contains a PIC16F1937 it does not have a USB peripheral even though the D-Stick has a USB-port. So there must be a USB-Serial chip on the stick presenting itself as a virtual COM-port to the PC. The bootloader type is then serial but I but I don't know if they're using an off the shelf one or a custom one.

Does MeProg programming the D-Stick and the Experimenter boards?

With MeProg and MeLabs U2 programmer you can program "any" 8bit PIC, including the 16F1937 on the D-Stick and whatever chip is on the Trainer board. But since both the D-Stick and the Trainer board has a bootloader you don't NEED a device programmer (which is what the U2 is) to get programs into them.

If you buy a blank chip from Digikey you DO need a device programmer to get the program into the PIC. That program MAY be a bootloader so that you from THAT point on don't need the device programmer.

It may be confusing at first but it's really quite simple.

[PBCGuy]

Thank you for all the responses.

Alerts were going to my spam folder.

I think that is fixed now.