Strange SerOut Problem

[masosi]

But all of your PICs might not be! Or at least none of the ports you've hooked up to. Maybe not just PortA.1, but all of PortA, heck for that matter, maybe the whole chip. I don't know why...just maybe...

Ok, I'll get my hands on another chip and give that a go.

Nah, I'd chalk that amount of error up to you not clicking quite right on time, maybe a couple ms here and there in the program, etc.etc., ya know, all those things adding up. I'd say your clock is good within say 1-3%, far close enough for 300 baud, and probably up to 2400 baud.

Well thats good news!

[skimask]

Ok, I'll get my hands on another chip and give that a go.

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

[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.