budude
Way behind schedule - again...
Yes - all parts are necessary.
2x 1k
1x 100k
1x limit resistor
1x transistor
1x NUD
1x PIC
2x 1k
1x 100k
1x limit resistor
1x transistor
1x NUD
1x PIC
Trouble programming the PIC for the LED strobe
- Thread starter rkhanso
- Start date
Hi Toodle_pipsky. I found that my problem seemed to have stemmed from bad contact of the PIC to the board. I have managed to get one of my completed failed boards working by using a flux pen and retouching the PIC pins with the iron,this seemed to work for some of them. I may have killed the others. the only reason i was doing my pics first on the boards was to make sure they were working, once i programmed it after i completed the board all worked as it should.I don't believe there is any thing wrong with the PICKit2, In my case it seemed to be the user.toodle_pipsky said:I'll add my name to those having trouble programming the pic on a completed strobe, I get that same oscal error - dissapointing to say the least since my back hurts from being hunched over the darn thing!
I'm using a Microchip PICKit2 (not a clone). It's too late to try just the pic on the board, so I'll give that a bash tomorrow. Just thought I would mention it.
riri7707
Full time elf
Ok Guys,
Not sure if it's relevant, but here it is how to 100% program the PIC without errors:
1°) If you load the HEX file as it is, you got an error message on OSCCAL (red message), so not good; don't go foward.
2°) First you need to read the device to get the right value of the oscillator : no special message, all seems ok
3°) You load then the HEX file for the strobe
4°) Pin 4 connection to ground needs to be disconnected if you work like this
5°) You program the PIC, all will be ok
6°) You verify (checksum 8DD1)
7°) You have the green line all it's ok
8°) You wired the pin 4 to ground, to trigger automaticly up power goes on.
That's it....
i don't used mplab but simplyPickit programmer...
Let me know about random flash, as for me it's not positive (seems all flashes at same time) :-\
Cheers... Henri
Not sure if it's relevant, but here it is how to 100% program the PIC without errors:
1°) If you load the HEX file as it is, you got an error message on OSCCAL (red message), so not good; don't go foward.
2°) First you need to read the device to get the right value of the oscillator : no special message, all seems ok
3°) You load then the HEX file for the strobe
4°) Pin 4 connection to ground needs to be disconnected if you work like this
5°) You program the PIC, all will be ok
6°) You verify (checksum 8DD1)
7°) You have the green line all it's ok
8°) You wired the pin 4 to ground, to trigger automaticly up power goes on.
That's it....
i don't used mplab but simplyPickit programmer...
Let me know about random flash, as for me it's not positive (seems all flashes at same time) :-\
Cheers... Henri
I too have connected 5 of these together and they all flash the same random pattern.
- Thread starter
- #50
I was just talking to a friend yesterday who told me that "sometimes random isn't as random as you think"Steve said:
I haven't had time to get any more built....but maybe a few more today, trying to work the assembly bugs out once and for all. I'm going to stick with the "solder the PIC only, flash the PIC, solder the rest of the components on and test" method for now. I should be getting the solder paste in a syringe next week and will go into full production then.
JonB256
Full time elf
A random number generator, using the same seed number, is rarely random. If I could base random numbers on the color my daughter has chosen for her hair this week, I'd be pretty random.
- Thread starter
- #52
I just finished soldering PICs on 8 boards and then went to program the PICs. Here's an observation:
The first PIC burned just fine.
The second and third and fourth PICs got the OSCCAL error
PICs 5-8 were OK.
I went back to the PICs that failed and tried them again. One burned OK the next time I tried it. I had the same OSCCAL error on the other 2 again.
I futzed with the angle of the pins from the controller in the PCB and put quite an angle on it to ensure there was good contact, then they both burned OK.
With that logic, it appears continuity/contact problem....either with the programmer in the header pin holes, or, I suppose a poor solder on the actual PIC would cause the same problem and would not be corrected by 'futzing' with the programmer.
I did not try to program with any other components installed - and that remains an unknown for me...but I'll see what kind of results I get after re-soldering the PICs on the boards that were giving me trouble before (which were fully populated).
The first PIC burned just fine.
The second and third and fourth PICs got the OSCCAL error
PICs 5-8 were OK.
I went back to the PICs that failed and tried them again. One burned OK the next time I tried it. I had the same OSCCAL error on the other 2 again.
I futzed with the angle of the pins from the controller in the PCB and put quite an angle on it to ensure there was good contact, then they both burned OK.
With that logic, it appears continuity/contact problem....either with the programmer in the header pin holes, or, I suppose a poor solder on the actual PIC would cause the same problem and would not be corrected by 'futzing' with the programmer.
I did not try to program with any other components installed - and that remains an unknown for me...but I'll see what kind of results I get after re-soldering the PICs on the boards that were giving me trouble before (which were fully populated).
- Thread starter
- #53
I had mixed results when trying the previously failed boards/programming. One said it burned successful after seeing an OSCCAL error, but when powering, the LED never lit up. A couple others would not burn successful, still got the OSCCAL error. I suppose I coulda fried the PICs on those. Well, I'll stick with what seems to work - solder PIC, burn, solder the rest of the parts and test.