Subject:
Re: [gnupic] PIC under Linux developpement Howto
From:
Byron A Jeff ####@####.####
Date:
4 Jul 2005 21:02:10 +0100
Message-Id: <20050704200204.GA27064@cleon.cc.gatech.edu>
On Tue, Jul 05, 2005 at 03:41:21AM +1200, David McNab wrote:
> Philippe BEAU wrote:
> > Hello all,
> >
> > i would like to write an howto about the developpement with Pic series
> > under Linux. Do you think it's a good idea ? Is anyone can confirmed me
> > that this type of document don't already exist ?
>
> Such a document is sorely needed. It would have saved me much heartache
> if good newbie doco had existed when I got started with PICs.
>
> Some ideas to consider:
>
> 1. designing the documents as a set of 'trails', where one can click on
> links according to their situation:
>
> - what kind of PIC (I'd suggest supporting just 16F and 18F for
> now)
Bad idea. Pick 1 part and stick to it like glue. Choices confuse new
users. Pick something that has capabilites for intermediate projects but
is simple to get started with. Considering the USB craze, I'm thinking that
maybe the 18F2550 may be a good target.
> - what kind of programmer hardware
> - choices of programmer software
> - choice of languages
> - toolchains appropriate for chosen language
I would put options on a separate page and limit programmers to a single
build or buy choice.
Personally I think it's a disservice to start any PIC newbie in any language
other than PIC assembly.
> 2. walk the reader through each step, eg:
>
> - selecting a PIC chip
Skip. Tell them the chip.
> - procuring the programmer hardware
> - choosing the programmer software, downloading and
No choices. Tell them what to download.
> installing it
> - building a mimimal test circuit with one or more LEDs
> - choosing a programming language - assembler, C, Forth,
> Python or one of the obscure ones
One language. Preferably relocatable assembler. An intermediate user can
make bettern choices.
> - sourcing, downloading, (if necessary, compiling) and
> installing the toolchain(s) - gputils, sdcc, picforth etc,
> possibly with instructions for the major distros such as
> debian, gentoo, ubuntu, redhat etc
That may be OK.
> - writing a 'hello, world' LED-blinker program in chosen
> language
One language.
> - compiling the program successfully to a .hex file
> - burning the program into the PIC
> - verifying the programmed image
> - plugging the PIC into the test circuit and verifying
> that it works
All fine.
> and for PICs with self-programming capability:
Only one pic, and it should be self programmable.
> - building a MAX232 or equivalent TTL<->RS232 level converter
> circuit
> - writing a simple program to test/verify that PIC serial I/O
> is working, via GTKterm or similar
> - choosing a bootloader
> - compiling the bootloader to a .hex, and burning it into the
> PIC
> - downloading the earlier test program to the PIC using this
> bootloader, verifying all is ok
If you're going the bootloader route, and personally I love the bootloader
route, then the programmer should be a one shot such as one of my Trivial
Programmers. They were designed specifically for that purpose.
> and also:
> - link-farm pages with sources of extra info, eg PICLIST for
> contributed library routines
>
> The idea is that the reader can work through each step in sequence,
> verify their successful completion of that step, then move on to the
> next step. After the final step, they will end up empowered to take
> their PIC development wherever they choose from that point on.
I would carry projects from early beginner to mid-intermediate. Stuff
like LCD displays, switches, ADC (for user input), PWM (for LED brightness),
USART. In each show them the hardware solution followed by a software
solution. Explain at each step that they should use the hardware solution
whenever possible.
>
> Thinking about it, it might be a good idea to make it a wiki, so people
> can contribute. Perhaps the wiki could be templated with
> language-specific links at the top, so when reading any given page, they
> can switch to a version of that exact same page in another language -
> also, wherever translations are missing, polylingual folks with a few
> minutes to spare can contribute a translation.
Now that might be an idea!
>
> Good on you, Philippe, for your willingness to offer such a substantial
> boost to the linux-using PIC community. We look forward to seeing how it
> shapes up.
Keep it simple to start. Pick one chip, one language, one programmer, and
one bootloader if you choose to go in that direction.
BAJ
