0
PIC programming made easy
Posted by Chris
on
Monday, March 16, 2009
I've been getting back into PIC programming and have been reviewing some of the assembly code I wrote for an earlier (chicken counter) project. It took a few hours just to understand what on earth was going on! So I decided that however clever it might be to write in assembly, it would take forever to code, test, compile, test, debug, fix, compile, test (ad infinitum) each version of the microcontroller code. There's nothing for it, I'm going to have to use a compiler.
Compilers come in a variety of flavours, but the most common ones are for C and for Basic. Having been working in C for a few years, this was my initial choice. But then I found this website: http://www.oshonsoft.com
The PIC simulator IDE is more than just a BASIC compiler (it's a pretty good one at that!). As it's name suggests, it also provides a virtual PIC simulator. So even after your code has been compiled, you can step through it and monitor exactly which line in your code the CPU is up to.
The syntax is really easy to use and all the complicated stuff like serial communications is encapsulated into a couple of commands. Usually I spend ages trying out demo versions of different software, registering it (ok I admit it, often re-registering under a new username/email address/fresh installation) then trying to find ways around the limitations (it's amazing the number of fully functional demos that can be used beyond a 30-day trial just by changing your PC clock!)
PIC simulator IDE was a different thing altogether - after just two days I knew that this was the package for me. So I stumped up about £25 and bought the full version.
I've already got a few hex files compiled and tested in the simulator. Now I'm just waiting for my new programmer to arrive from eBay and I can download the code onto the actual device and start seeing those flashing lights!
Compilers come in a variety of flavours, but the most common ones are for C and for Basic. Having been working in C for a few years, this was my initial choice. But then I found this website: http://www.oshonsoft.com
The PIC simulator IDE is more than just a BASIC compiler (it's a pretty good one at that!). As it's name suggests, it also provides a virtual PIC simulator. So even after your code has been compiled, you can step through it and monitor exactly which line in your code the CPU is up to.
The syntax is really easy to use and all the complicated stuff like serial communications is encapsulated into a couple of commands. Usually I spend ages trying out demo versions of different software, registering it (ok I admit it, often re-registering under a new username/email address/fresh installation) then trying to find ways around the limitations (it's amazing the number of fully functional demos that can be used beyond a 30-day trial just by changing your PC clock!)
PIC simulator IDE was a different thing altogether - after just two days I knew that this was the package for me. So I stumped up about £25 and bought the full version.
I've already got a few hex files compiled and tested in the simulator. Now I'm just waiting for my new programmer to arrive from eBay and I can download the code onto the actual device and start seeing those flashing lights!
Posts
Post a Comment