MLABX IDE on Pandora?

[HelenF]

PIC16F88 is supported by both programs.

Note that MPLABX has interactive debugging, and the command-line tools don't. Fixing mistakes can be much more tedious without it.

(Actually, I'm not sure if MPLABX and Pickit 2 or 3 support real debugging for all PICs, would need to check that.)

 

[EssoAir]

So basically that means the pandora will be too impractical?

 

[HelenF]

In the various documentation, it looks like MPLAB can do hardware debugging with PIC16F88 and Pickit 2 or 3.

I wrote quite a bit of PIC ASM without using MPLAB. But I think I ended up doing some (rather more crude) oscilloscope debugging instead.

Simulation works in most cases. The simulation is run on the development computer, so you have access to the things happening inside.

GPSIM seems to be a partner project to GPUTILS. I'll try compiling that and see what it does.

 

[EssoAir]

Wow! You are most helpful. Im new to coding and stuff so this is all very difficult for me. And my teacher has never used anything other than x86 so the fact that I have an ARM PC means that I'm on my own to make things work

 

[HelenF]

GPSIM is working on the Pandora. The Pandora's small screen means I can't see as much as I'd like at one time. And even on a desktop computer, GPSIM is not as user-friendly as the MPLAB simulator.

So, PIC ASM development is just about practical on Pandora. It's more awkward than on a full-size x86 computer, but since you wanted to write code on the Pandora keyboard, maybe you wouldn't mind.

I'm researching how to make PNDs from C programs. The PIC tools are probably good programs for my first port (even if they turn out not to be practical enough and no-one uses them in the end). They're relatively straightforward to compile, and my PIC experience is useful.

 

[EssoAir]

So once you make it a PND you'll upload it to the repo?

 

[ekianjo]

GPSIM is working on the Pandora. The Pandora's small screen means I can't see as much as I'd like at one time. And even on a desktop computer, GPSIM is not as user-friendly as the MPLAB simulator.So, PIC ASM development is just about practical on Pandora. It's more awkward than on a full-size x86 computer, but since you wanted to write code on the Pandora keyboard, maybe you wouldn't mind.I'm researching how to make PNDs from C programs. The PIC tools are probably good programs for my first port (even if they turn out not to be practical enough and no-one uses them in the end). They're relatively straightforward to compile, and my PIC experience is useful.

Check tutorials on pandoralive.info ー> resources for pnd packaging.

 

[HelenF]

Check tutorials on pandoralive.info ー> resources for pnd packaging.

Thanks, I'll look into that.

So once you make it a PND you'll upload it to the repo?

The resources are advising me to get a few people to test it first, to avoid bad ratings. But if I can get it to work, I'll definitely upload it somewhere.
Does anyone else on this forum use PIC? Anyone have a Pickit 2, original or clone?

 

[HelenF]

Hopefully complete enough to try out:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qth9cekpwm0d6uo/pictools_0.0.0.2.pnd

It's still rather messy (the internal documentation needs sorting out in particular).

For gpasm/pk2cmd, the "--help" option gives the essential information.

Simplest case, you write the absolute assembly file foo.asm in your favourite text editor; assemble it with "gpasm foo.asm" to get the lst/cod/hex files; and use "gpsim foo.cod" to test it.

 

[EssoAir]

Hopefully complete enough to try out:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qth9cekpwm0d6uo/pictools_0.0.0.2.pnd


It's still rather messy (the internal documentation needs sorting out in particular).


For gpasm/pk2cmd, the "--help" option gives the essential information.


Simplest case, you write the absolute assembly file foo.asm in your favourite text editor; assemble it with "gpasm foo.asm" to get the lst/cod/hex files; and use "gpsim foo.cod" to test it.

Could you make a video showing you doing that?

 

[HelenF]

Here's a slideshow.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oxb78yr6nvhai6m/HedpKqoPCX

There is a discontinuity because I redid the GPSIM part (so the text in the terminal after I close GPSIM doesn't quite match what happened just before).

 

[EssoAir]

Here's a slideshow.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oxb78yr6nvhai6m/HedpKqoPCX


There is a discontinuity because I redid the GPSIM part (so the text in the terminal after I close GPSIM doesn't quite match what happened just before).

OMG thank you! you're the best!how can I compile this for 16F616 or 16F688?

 

[EssoAir]

Also, if I got a Pickit 2 (or a clone) which should I get? I'd like to have one that doesnt put so much weight on the pins as my current pickit 3.

 

[HelenF]

Download the datasheets for your PICs and study them for a while. Change all occurrences of the part number in the .asm file and shell commands. Some other things might need changing depending on the differences between the types of PIC. For example, the Pickit 2 demo board has the LEDs attached to the lower half of PORTC; 16F88 doesn't have a PORTC, so you'll need to change that to however your dev board is set up. The .inc files are in /mnt/utmp/pictools.hf/share/gputils/header (while the PND is loaded) so you can read the appropriate one to see what named memory locations and values are available to use in your program.

*You said 16F88 earlier, and I just noticed you said 16F688 in the last post (which does have a PORTC) but the same principles apply. Your dev board is quite likely to be connected differently from mine.

Also, if other things are different besides the pin connections and you get stuck with the config, you could search the web for "PIC16F688 example program" or whatever serial number it is...

The Pickit 2/3 and clones I've seen are all the same shape. But you can connect it with a cable or a right-angle adapter (see the photo on the eBay listing I linked earlier).

 

[EssoAir]

sorry thats a typo. Its a 16F88

 

[HelenF]

If you're doing it for class, haven't they given you any example programs for the dev board they provided?

 

[EssoAir]

If you're doing it for class, haven't they given you any example programs for the dev board they provided?

Everything fails to build because MPLabX is a bitch to work with. My teacher is pulling his hair out because nothing works. I wanted to see if I could use a Pandora and make it work

 

[HelenF]

The "Blink LED program" on this page seems to work with gpasm/gpsim on the Pandora.

http://www.prc68.com/I/PIC16F88.shtml

On the real hardware, making the program do the right thing requires considering the circuit the PIC is in.

 

[EssoAir]

The "Blink LED program" on this page seems to work with gpasm/gpsim on the Pandora.http://www.prc68.com/I/PIC16F88.shtmlOn the real hardware, making the program do the right thing requires considering the circuit the PIC is in.

Im so new to all of this. I wish I knew more so I could better understand how to help myself.

 

[HelenF]

I started with the "PICkit 2 Starter Kit" (the thing I was using in the slideshow). It comes with a tutorial and 12 example programs written for that particular demo board.

When you say in class, everything fails to build, is that all stuff written from scratch, or did the dev board come with example programs that won't build?

It's possible to work through a tutorial on the simulator (even with a different PIC from the one you're intending to use); but things make a lot more sense somehow with real switches and LEDs to play with.