Strange SerOut Problem

[masosi]

Well, what I really meant was to give PortB a try.

Ok, will do shortly.

Another thought: Is it a good thing or a bad thing that this power supply doesn't have a ground (earth) to mains??
DC shouldn't have earth, should it?

[skimask]

Ok, will do shortly.

Another thought: Is it a good thing or a bad thing that this power supply doesn't have a ground (earth) to mains??
DC shouldn't have earth, should it?

You mean a ground lug, like the 3rd pin? If so, that's a chassis ground. If something shorts out inside the case of the PSU, the juice returns through that line. I wouldn't worry about it too much in a wall wart type power supply.

[masosi]

You mean a ground lug, like the 3rd pin? If so, that's a chassis ground. If something shorts out inside the case of the PSU, the juice returns through that line. I wouldn't worry about it too much in a wall wart type power supply.

Very good, thanks.

[masosi]

Would it be worth trying a 350W Computer PSU?
Are it's outputs (5VDC & 12VDC) regulated?

[skimask]

Would it be worth trying a 350W Computer PSU?
Are it's outputs (5VDC & 12VDC) regulated?

More trouble than it's worth. Get a NiMH battery pack and a charger. Smaller, more controllable, etc. And those computer PSU's DO require a minimum load and you have to do some trickery to them to get them to work.

[masosi]

More trouble than it's worth. Get a NiMH battery pack and a charger. Smaller, more controllable, etc. And those computer PSU's DO require a minimum load and you have to do some trickery to them to get them to work.

Ok, thanks again.


I can see a LED flash on PORTA.1 and now PORTB.5 when it does SerOut, so I guess the ports are fine.
So if its not timing, not the programming, not the chip, not the COM port and not Hyperterminal - I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!

[paul borgmeier]

1) Are you sure you have pin 2 correct and pin 5 correct (you are using a 9 pin connector that is straight thru?) see http://www.airborn.com.au/rs232.html

2) Try it without TX connected

3) A must - add a decoupling capacitor across VDD and VSS (10 uF should do or anything close to this)

4) You do have pin 5 connected to your PIC ground?

5) try another power supply that can be regulated (or 3 AA batteries in series)

6) Do you have access to an oscilloscope? see what is coming out of PortA.1 and pin 2 on the cable?

7) Check your hyperterminal settings to make sure you have 300 selected and the parity off

8) you have been using a crystal like in your sketch?

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