Lab 2 9.29.04 - Programming the PIC

Pic programming requires multiple steps and a lot of patience. The PICBASIC compiler has a menu item under view called Serial Connection which is important for ensuring serial connectivity and serial communication.

I was able to hook up a potentiometer but it started to fry because of faulty wiring. In short, you place one end at ground, another at power, then place the middle wire to the PIC pin.

My first PIC has a broken pin, so I learned to use either a small screwdriver or PIC tweezer to remove the second chip carefully. During this lab, my power source was inconsistent due to poor wire connections.

The results from the potentiometer show up in the Serial Communication window and vary according to analogue input.

his is the PIC PROGRAMMER which you can check out from the equipment room. I rebooted to ensure serial connection. The LEDs are not a good indicator of power. I may look into getting a mac USB to serial connector to program a BX-24.

NOTE: a couple of PIC trouble shooting pointers

-Make sure the PIC pins are all touching the bread board
-When you place the PIC in the PIC Programmer, the little circle lines up with the lever in the PIC Programmer
-If your pin breaks or is bent, use the pliers to gently push the pins into place or solder a broken pin with a header.
-Unless you've removed the 5V regulator, it's unlikely that you've fried your PIC, try trouble shooting other areas.
-Be very carefull when you lift the PIC from the breadboard - use a PIC pliers or maybe a screwdriver.

Here are screenshots from PIC BASIC PRO. Finiding the icons isn't always clear:


This is the second part of the chip programming.


Again, make sure the right PIC is selected. If you get an "Error 100", there is something wrong with the connection, either serial or PIC. For instance, I have to push down on a PIC with a broken pin to get rid of the "Error 100".