Serial LCD syntax help

[mister_e]

Yes it is reliable BUT...at least you need a reliable hardware design to start, then everything will follow. The internal osc is never reliable for asynchronous serial communication anyways.

you could still share the OSC/Clockout of 1 PIC and connect all other pic to it... everybody will have the same the same reference so it could work. Never tried it, but in theory it have to work.

The Synchronous communication will work. You can use SHIFTOUT to send the data.. but you'll need to build your own routine to receive and decode it... or use the USART in synchronous mode.

[flotulopex]

Thanks Mister_E.

I think I'm going to do as you say: build my own decoding routine.

In fact, I'm trying to find the best ways to track Variables, Values and Status (bits) in my programs for debugging purpose.

I've found the trial version of PIC Simulator from http://www.oshonsoft.com/. But it seems it cannot show variables that haven been compiled with their program (?).

I don't know how you "professionals" do it.

Any good advise is welcome.

Please keep in mind that I'm a hobbyist and can't invest lots of $ (I don't make money with PICs - I just make my familly crazy...)

Last week, I have bought (my wife got mad once again...) the PICkit2 programmer - would this one be any help?

[mister_e]

Not another Sim issue? why i'm not surprised?

BTW, i usually use a Serial communication between my PIC and my PC, OR if there's a LCD attached to the project i could use it and drop some data on. I prefer the serial communication.

An ICD could be a nice option. PICKIT 2 have a debugger for a really few models listed bellow

PICkit 2 MPLAB 7.51 Support

Debugging & Programming

* PIC12F683
* PIC16F684, 685, 687, 688, 689, 690
* PIC16F883, 884, 886, 887
* PIC16F913, 914, 916, 917, 946

I never tried it, so can't comment how good it is.

Mecanique ICD (comming with the MicroCode Studio PLUS version) works pretty nice even if it's a little bit slow. Example and tutorial bellow
http://rentron.com/PicBasic/MCS_X3.htm

[mister_e]

O.K i did few test with the PICKIT 2 debugger in MPLAB... not bad but slow and there's no way to modify it's speed like the ICD-2.

To use the debugger, you need to load the PGD and PGC pins with 2 4.7K pull-down resistors... unless it works erratic or simply do nothing. I fitted 2 smd resistor in it. Fixed forever

OH and you must have MPLAB 7.52

[flotulopex]

Okay.

I'm going to try MPLABS again.

I already tried, but MPLABS is quite complicated to setup (in my opinion).

This is why I preferred anothe simulator....

BTW, can you see variables too in this debugger?

[skimask]

Okay.

I'm going to try MPLABS again.

I already tried, but MPLABS is quite complicated to setup (in my opinion).

This is why I preferred anothe simulator....

BTW, can you see variables too in this debugger?

Maybe not the variables created by PBP directly, but you can look at the .lst file, get the ram address from that, then pull up a 'watch' window and see them in action there, or since you've already got the ram address of your variable from the .lst file, you can pull up the 'file registers' window and watch everything going on in ram.

[mister_e]

Yes you can look Your variable and the hidden PBP one. You just need to select the right toolsuite and install the PBP plugin