I agree with Skimask.
Start at the beginning and work forwards, it is essential to understand the basics before you try to grapple with anything more complex.
Good luck
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I agree with Skimask.
Start at the beginning and work forwards, it is essential to understand the basics before you try to grapple with anything more complex.
Good luck
Pat. Pending
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Forgive Me!
Sorry Guys,
Please forgive me for stepping on your skills and asking for direction to some sample code to use as a backdrop to getting a 5x7 Matrix Display working.
I know I should learn from scratch all over again as I spent last year working through several of Parallax's beginner courses to get the basics. I am neither a software or microchop professional - only a hobbyist looking to learn to build things and have fun.
It is probably me that is in error - but your replys seemed to condem me for not starting with the basic lesson (which I did by buying two books and the PicKit2 along with the 44 Pin demo board.
Moving over from Parallax Basic to PicBasicPro is very different in that a lot more pre conditioning has to take place for the software to work with the many different chips that are out there to use.
I have also gone through lessons using PicAxe chips and was directed to PBasic & Pics by Reynold's Electronics as a means to save money - not true.
All I wanted to know is if anyone has developed software to run 4 - 5x7 LED Matrix Displays and what 40 Pin PIC would work best to program. I stated that the board I purchased and built uses 2 74HC425 chips to control the rows and 20 3904 transistors to control the columns.
The website listed for the part I built was working when posted.
IN CLOSING - HOW DO I REMOVE MY POST OR EDIT?
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Hi Roy,Originally Posted by roycarlson
I would ask that you reconsider, I do not believe anyone is condemming you, So many beginners come with wide eyes and plans for projects beyond their abilities and end up frustrated believing this is impossible, that's all. That said here is a link for starters:
http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=3739, as I get time I will look for others.
Oh and speaking of Bruce, here is a tidbit ON HIS WEBSITE : http://www.rentron.com/PicBasic/Movi...ge_Display.htm there appears to be more than 1 example here including links to one in C.
http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=6033
here is something using shift registers: http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-...ift-registers/
using PIC:http://www.instructables.com/id/EI8L4C81FIEV2ZF7JP/
<marquee scrolldelay="125" width="50%"> Nobody leaves here hungry, unless they want to. </marquee>
Last edited by Archangel; - 2nd August 2008 at 21:15. Reason: add
If you do not believe in MAGIC, Consider how currency has value simply by printing it, and is then traded for real assets.
.
Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants - but debt is the money of slaves
.
There simply is no "Happy Spam" If you do it you will disappear from this forum.
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Dang Joe, you're getting good at posting here. The scrolling text thing was pretty cool..:}
Roy;
Don't get upset by what people post here in response to something you're looking for that's relatively complex, especially when the link you provide to a schematic isn't available, and no one can download a copy to look at - in an attempt to help you.
Skimask & Patrick Pending both assumed, by your statingthat you were a complete newbie, and had no idea how to get started even blinking an LED.First - I am new to PBP and Pic Chips
I know this may sound harsh, but it really is excellent advice. Assuming someone's just getting started. Just blinking an LED tells you quite a lot beleive it or not.
1. Your programmer is working as expected.
2. Your config settings are probably OK.
3. Your oscillator is working.
4. The circuit you have assembled is probably OK.
5. Your compiler is working.
And several other things. It's not that anyone here is trying to give you a hard time - they just want to make sure newbies understand a few basic proceedures before they spend a boat-load of time trying to help them figure out something more complex.
If you show some attempt at getting this to work, I.E. you have a simple example of code you have put together that doesn't work, I really think the folks here will jump in head-over-heels to help you get it sorted out.
There's an amazing amount of talent here, and most will do back-flips to help someone out, but they will normally want to see at least a modest effort on the part of the person submitting a request for help first. Not just - here's what I want to do - here's a schematic, give me some code to get started.
I think if you can at least post a schematic, and be specific about what you're looking to do, 'maybe with a note: I have no idea how to get started' - you'll find this forum better than any other you can find.
Which part of this is not true?I have also gone through lessons using PicAxe chips and was directed to PBasic & Pics by Reynold's Electronics as a means to save money - not true.
A PIC18F2431 costs only $7.68 in qty of 1, and can run rings around the fastest Stamp, and has built in hardware peripherals like timers, counters, hardware PWM, USART, I2C, SPI, motion control module, power control PWM, and a host of other features.
What would it cost to add these peripherals to a $50.00 BASIC Stamp module with zero built-in peripherals? Now figure that times 10 or more projects.
BASIC Stamps are very cool, but a $3.00 PIC can replace one, and it has a ton of built-in hardware peripherals that would cost a lot more to add to any Stamp project. And you're not yanking that $50.00 Stamp module out of every project for the next once since a PIC is much less expensive, and can be left there.
If you're serious about learning this stuff, stick around. There's a lot of talent here just waiting to help....;o}
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5x7 Display
Sorry for the hasty remarks. I will dig more and see what I can find online regarding using 74HC425 chips and Pic Chips to control a string of LEDs.
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Good, now we have put all this silliness behind us, Which PIC are you going to use, what kind of oscillator will you use, internal or crystal, what osc frequency, can you post the schematic ?
If you do not believe in MAGIC, Consider how currency has value simply by printing it, and is then traded for real assets.
.
Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants - but debt is the money of slaves
.
There simply is no "Happy Spam" If you do it you will disappear from this forum.
|
Hi Roy,
I had hoped to add a little bit of background about myself when I posted my reply, but my 7-year old was bugging me at the time so it had to be brief.
I started programming PICs about a year ago, so I still consider myself a relative newbie - I'm just a little bit further along the path than you are. I have started a number of projects that I have had to temporarily abandon while my programming skills catch up with my expectations. Initially, I did not take my own advice and started in the middle, working backwards to try and fill in the gaps. I can tell you, from first-hand experience, that this is not the best way to do it. Working this way is frustrating, as the simplest of mistakes (which would be obvious to those who had started at the beginning) can stop your project working.
In case there still remains any doubt let me say that it was good, honest, friendly advice from someone who has been where you have - and I don't mean Milton Keynes ;-)
All the best,
Pat. Pending
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Getting started
I am very new here myself. I will share what I have found over the years and in my short time here.
People don't mind helping, but they hate doing it for you.
The link you provided is dead, you have some 'kit' you bought and no documentation for it. You are not sure what PIC you want to use.
You are requesting help, with no information to start with the standard help around here is 'Blinky'.
I program for a living and buld electronics as a hobby.
When I started I bought PBP, 2 development boards and a hand full of PICs. I browsed this site and read a LOT of posts. Once I thought I might have enough info, I cracked open the ugly green book and the manual for the development board.
I tried 'Blinky' and guess what it didn't work much to my surprise. Came back here and searched for all the blinky posts. Oooops found out I had not configured the PIC right.
To make matters worse I had two development boards and they both work differently and I also have to different compilers I will not even begin to talk about those.
After Blinky and then Blink 2 LEDs, and so on I worked my way up to try the LCD. I spent hours trying everything I could and at last broke down and posted to the forum. Posted my code and which development board I was using and described my problem.
If you locate that post you will find hints as to what my problem was, but I had to work it out on my own. The answer was there just not spelled out in so many words.
The only way a person can learn is to crawl in and get up to their necks in it.
Read this forum and count how many posts begin; I need code for my class project that is due tomorrow. Help plz.
At times it can get a little chilly around here, but the members on this forum go the extra mile for people who are really trying.
Step into my palor said the spider to the fly. Go ahead Roy you stuck your head in, go for broke.
p.s. I decided on a PIC16F887 to start with it has just about everything you can cram into a chip.
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#1 reason most PIC books use the PIC16F84, old Grandpa has near nothing to get in the way of a newbie's success.
Patrick Pending, I am into this 2 years this month, still fumbling and learning, still putting in "temporary blinky code" in my projects.
If you do not believe in MAGIC, Consider how currency has value simply by printing it, and is then traded for real assets.
.
Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants - but debt is the money of slaves
.
There simply is no "Happy Spam" If you do it you will disappear from this forum.
|
If you'll re-read my post, you'll find little negativity directed squarely AT you...
Generic eBay contempt. You get what you pay for. Buyer beware. That sort of thing.
Generic 'the way things are these days' statement. If you wanted an pre-built pre-programmed project, I'm sure there's a 100 different places to buy stuff like this. And it'll most likely save your money buying stuff you end up not needing and your time trying to learn.You'd learn a heck-of-a-lot more by writing code that doesn't work, posting that non-working code, and asking for assistance in figuring out why it doesn't work, than you would if you were to just cut-and-paste somebody else's working code...unless all you really want is instant gratification...
Again, if you want to learn, post some non-working code that you may or may not have written. You'll get hints on how to make it work, heck, maybe even a link to a working solution if your lucky.A lot of people here know a lot of things about a lot of stuff. And I will suggest, heavily suggest, starting off simple and slow, blink one led, blink 3 leds, blink 3 leds and control them with a couple of switches, and so on and so on.
Just saying that link to that website was dead.Ya, that doesn't work so well..
Ain't stepping on anybody here...at least I don't think so...
Sounded more like asking for working code to a finished project.and asking for direction to some sample code to use as a backdrop to getting a 5x7 Matrix Display working.
The PIC and PBP are a far cry from the Stamps and the like. With the stamps, you tell the taxi where you want to go. With PBP, you have to give the taxi driver directions.I know I should learn from scratch all over again as I spent last year working through several of Parallax's beginner courses to get the basics.
That's exactly what the overwhelming majority of us here are...hobbyists. Only a few people around here are in it for the money.I am neither a software or microchop professional - only a hobbyist looking to learn to build things and have fun.
Question is...Did you actually start with the basics or jump into the deep end expecting everything to work the first time around?It is probably me that is in error - but your replys seemed to condem me for not starting with the basic lesson (which I did by buying two books and the PicKit2 along with the 44 Pin demo board.
Again, sounded like you wanted a finished product.All I wanted to know is if anyone has developed software to run 4 - 5x7 LED Matrix Displays and what 40 Pin PIC would work best to program. I stated that the board I purchased and built uses 2 74HC425 chips to control the rows and 20 3904 transistors to control the columns.
Ya, it happens...The website listed for the part I built was working when posted.
No need for that...IN CLOSING - HOW DO I REMOVE MY POST OR EDIT?
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