Oricom Technologies BOT40 Programming

Oricom Technologies
www.oricomtech.com

Return to: BOT40 main page. Programming the BOT40 Boards Index
|> Bootloader
|> PIC Programming
|> MPASM - Sample Software

The BOT40 boards include a PIC16F877, 20-Mhz microcontroller chip. These chips have flash eeprom for storage of up to 8K of program software. The eeprom is erasable, and can be re-programmed 100s of times. Datasheets for the chips can be downloaded from Microchip.

<| Boot-Loader Software

The PIC chips included with the BOT40 boards are pre-programmed with bootloader software. This makes it easy to immediately start programming the PIC without needing to purchase a separate chip programmer, which typically will cost $50 or more.

The bootloader remains in the 'F877 chip, and user-developed software is downloaded into the program eeprom via the RS-232 port on the BOT40 board. The chip can also be completely erased, and programmed as normal using a chip programmer (see below).

The bootloader provided with the BOT40 boards is a modified version of the Rick Farmer PIC-Loader, which is freeware. We do not specifically sell this bootloader, per se. Rather, we program the PICs with this bootloader so that anyone who does not have a chip programmer can immediately start using the BOT40 boards. See the site referenced for more info on using the bootloader and troubleshooting bootloader operation.

See here for pertinent info regards: Running the Bootloader.

User-software can be developed using the software development tool MPLAB, available as a free download from Microchip. MPLAB includes an IDE (integrated development environment), assembler, and simulator. It produces HEX files compatible with the bootloader programmed into the PIC chip.

For those having their own chip programmer, the 'F877 can also be erased and re-programmed with one of the other freeware or shareware bootloaders - PICCLite, Wouter-Loader, TinyLoader, Shane Tolmie loader, and Karl Lunt.

<| Normal PIC Programming

There are a number of chip programmers and compilers available for the 16F877 and the other 40-pin PIC chips which plug into the BOT40 Controller Boards.

The included PIC chips can be erased and programmed normally using a regular chip programmer, such as the inexpensive EPIC Programmer available from Melabs. The BOT40 boards are equipped with a header for in-circuit serial programming (ICSP).

There are several Basic and C compilers for the PIC. Links to these, as well as sample software, can be found on our Piclinks page.

<| MPASM - Sample Software

MPASM is the assembler that comes with Microchip MPLAB integrated development environment, which is available as a free download from Microchip (about 25 Mbytes). The most-recent versions of MPLAB support the most recent versions of Windows.

On the present site, we have an older version of just the MPASM part of MPLAB, which will run on older Windows machines back to Win95. This can be downloaded here: MPASMWIN ver 2.3 (220 Kbyte ZIP file).

The user documentation for MPASM is available on the Microchip site. Look for MPASM Assembler User's Guide (1.6 Mbytes).

Sample Software. We have sample programs below of source and .HEX files, which have been edited using a standard ASCII-text editor, and assembled using MPASMWIN ver 2.3. These are in a compatible format for downloading and execution using the Bootloader which is programmed into chips on the BOT40 boards. Assembly and running instructions are included in the files.

download: OTFTEST.ZIP (10 Kbytes, 01.2005).

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