Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    PIC Projects for Non-Programmers
    PIC Projects for Non-Programmers
    PIC Projects for Non-Programmers
    Ebook328 pages1 hour

    PIC Projects for Non-Programmers

    By John Iovine

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    John Iovine has created his next masterwork with PIC Projects for Non-Programmers. Engineers and hobbyists new to the PIC who want to create something today will find a valuable resource in this book. By working through the accessible projects in this book, readers will use a symbolic compiler that allows them to create ‘code’ via flowcharts immediately, getting their projects up and running quickly! The ability to create applications with the PIC from day one makes this a real page turner and a highly satisfying introduction to microcontrollers for both novices and readers who need to build their skills.

    • Gets readers up and running fast with a quick review of basics and then onto ten tried-and-tested projects
    • No languages to learn: Simply drag and drop the icons, plug in the settings and the PIC will respond to the commands
    • Step by step guide to using Flowcode 4
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherElsevier Science
    Release dateAug 24, 2011
    ISBN9780080879376
    PIC Projects for Non-Programmers
    Author

    John Iovine

    Author of several successful PIC books including the PIC Microcontroller Project Book and PIC Robotics. He has written 25+ articles in such magazines as Make and Circuit Cellar. He owns Images Scientific Products which develops and sells kits for building electronic projects.

    Read more from John Iovine

    Related to PIC Projects for Non-Programmers

    Related ebooks

    Electrical Engineering & Electronics For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Raspberry Pi Pico

      Mar 2, 2021

      Raspberry Pi Pico
      3 min read

    • Article

      BEST PC SOFTWARE You’ll NEVER Have To Pay For

      Aug 16, 2023

      It’s always annoying when one of your favourite free programs becomes ‘freemium’. This means you have to pay to use certain features, are restricted in what you can do with the software and have to put up with nags to upgrade to the paid-for version.

      17 min read

    • Article

      The Best Free PC Software You’ll Never Have To Pay For

      Oct 9, 2023

      It’s always annoying when one of your favourite free programs becomes ‘freemium’. This means you have to pay to use certain features, are restricted in what you can do with the software and have to put up with nags to upgrade to the paid-for version.

      16 min read

    • Article

      Exclusive Downloads

      Mar 20, 2023

      FREE FULL SOFTWARE FOR A P C READERS Completely remove metadata and GPS information. Often photos taken with a smartphone or digital camera contain personal information that not only disclose on the location and time of the recording, but can also h

      2 min read

    • Article

      Exclusive Downloads

      Nov 1, 2021

      Exclusive Downloads
      2 min read

    • Article

      Stop Using Rubbish Software

      Mar 16, 2022

      Stop Using Rubbish Software
      15 min read

    • Article

      Exclusive Downloads

      Jun 14, 2021

      Exclusive Downloads
      2 min read

    • Article

      Exclusive Downloads

      Dec 29, 2022

      FREE FULL SOFTWARE FOR APC READERS An easy-to-use video converter for Windows. Converting videos is simpler than ever. Abelssoft proves with Converter4Video that anybody is capable of turning videos from one format into another. Converter4Video can

      2 min read

    • Article

      Best Free Software

      Jun 21, 2023

      SYSTEM INFORMATION TOOL www.snipca.com/46385 What you need: Windows 10 or 11 Windows doesn’t make it easy to find information about your PC, such as the make of your processor, the amount of available storage space or which version of the operating s

      3 min read

    • Article

      Exclusive Downloads

      Feb 22, 2021

      Exclusive Downloads
      2 min read

    • Article

      Exclusive Downloads

      Oct 31, 2022

      View, edit and organise your photos. Ashampoo Photo Commander 16 is a powerful all-in-one solution to view, edit and organise your photos. Features include automatic image optimisation plus manual effects and various tools to recover faded images, r

      2 min read

    • Article

      Your Bonus Software

      Oct 7, 2021

      Your Bonus Software
      3 min read

    • Article

      Exclusive Downloads

      Apr 1, 2024

      Download these APC exclusives free from: www.apcmag.com/exclusives SYSTEM CLEANING AND TUNING FOR WINDOWS. A total of six helpers analyse your system and enable deep cleaning operations. For example, you can delete temporary files, clean browser hist

      2 min read

    • Article

      Untangle NG 15

      Apr 7, 2020

      Untangle NG 15
      2 min read

    • Article

      Best Free Software

      Jun 22, 2022

      www.snipca.com/42187 What you need: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 or 11 BCUninstaller - or Bulk Crap Uninstaller, to give its rather crude full name - should be familiar to many Computeractive readers. In Issue 627’s ‘Stop using rubbish software’ Cover Feature

      3 min read

    • Article

      IDrive RemotePC Enterprise

      Nov 10, 2022

      IDrive RemotePC Enterprise
      2 min read

    • Article

      Your Bonus Software

      Apr 4, 2024

      Your Bonus Software
      3 min read

    • Article

      Best Free Software

      Aug 31, 2022

      www.snipca.com/43014 What you need: Windows 7, 8.1, 10 or 11, or macOS Fing Desktop provides a simple way to monitor your home network and ensure that you’re getting a fast and reliable connection from your internet provider. Last time we looked at t

      4 min read

    • Article

      Named & Shamed

      Oct 26, 2022

      Just getting your hands on IObit Driver Booster 10 is something of a challenge. When I visited the software’s website (www.snipca.com/43554), I was faced with two choices: Free Download or Free Trial. Free Download attempted to download IObit Driver

      2 min read

    • Article

      Exclusive Downloads

      Aug 8, 2022

      The Windows tool ScreenVideo offers a very easy screen capturing and films either the whole screen or only a part of it. A moderator function with picture-in-picture integration further enhances the films. This results in presentations, tutorials and

      2 min read

    • Article

      Best Free Software

      Aug 16, 2023

      www.snipca.com/47106 What you need: Windows 10 or 11 You can fix many problems with Windows by tweaking the registry or running special commands, but unless you know what you’re doing, you could further mess up your PC. FixWin provides one-click repa

      4 min read

    • Article

      Best Free Software

      Oct 11, 2023

      www.snipca.com/47740 What you need: Windows 10 or 11 On 31 October, one of our favourite free tools for updating software, SUMo Software Updater, will be discontinued following the closure of its parent company. WingetUI provides a reliable alternati

      3 min read

    • Article

      Run Windows Apps On Mac

      Feb 8, 2021

      Run Windows Apps On Mac
      4 min read

    • Article

      Your Bonus Software

      Jul 8, 2021

      Your Bonus Software
      3 min read

    • Article

      Yodeck

      Mar 5, 2024

      Yodeck
      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for PIC Projects for Non-Programmers

    3.5/5

    3 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      PIC Projects for Non-Programmers - John Iovine

      Table of Contents

      Cover image

      Front-matter

      Copyright

      1. Flowcode Program Installation

      2. Writing Our First Program Wink

      3. Uploading Wink into Microcontroller(s)

      4. Binary Number System – Outputting Data

      5. Reading Data on Input Lines

      6. Language Reference Guide

      7. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

      8. RS232 Serial Communication

      9. Analog-to-Digital Converters

      10. Power Control from DC Motor to AC Appliances

      Appendix A. Installing ECIO Drivers

      Index

      Front-matter

      PIC Projects for Non-Programmers

      This book comes with a free version of Flowcode 4.5, which is available on its companion site at www.elsevierdirect.com/companions. This free version of Flowcode 4.5 has a few restrictions, which are removed if you chose to purchase a full license for the software, though this is not necessary in order to use the book.

      For further information on Flowcode and about the author, please visit John Iovine's website at http://www.imagesco.com

      PIC Projects for Non-Programmers

      John Iovine

      Newnes Press is an imprint of Elsevier

      Copyright

      Newnes is an imprint of Elsevier

      The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB

      225 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02451, USA

      First published 2012

      Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

      No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangement with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions

      This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein).

      Notices

      Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.

      Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.

      To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.

      British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

      Library of Congress Number: 2011933374

      ISBN: 978-1-85617-603-3

      For information on all Newnes publications visit our website at: www.elsevierdirect.com

      Typeset by MPS Limited, a Macmillan Company, Chennai, India www.macmillansolutions.com

      Printed and bound in the United States

      12 13 14 15 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      1. Flowcode Program Installation

      This chapter discusses step by step method for the installation of Flowcode 4.5. It also outlines the minimum system requirements for the installation. A free version of Flowcode 4.5 is available on the companion site (www.elsevierdirect.com/companion).

      Keywords

      Flowcode 4.5; Installation; www.elsevierdirect.com/companion

      This book comes with a free version of Flowcode 4.5, which is available on the companion site (please visit www.elsevierdirect.com/companions and follow the instructions there). The free version of Flowcode 4.5 has a few restrictions, which are removed when one purchases a license. The free version has a 2 KB code limit in addition to limited icon components. The student version of Flowcode 4.5, which as of 2011 is under $100.00 USD, eliminates these restrictions.

      Minimum System Requirements

      • Personal Computer

      • Pentium processor or greater

      • Windows 98, XP, Vista and WIN7 compatible

      • CD Rom drive

      • 256 MB RAM

      • 50 MB hard disk space.

      Step 1

      Open Windows Explorer, copy the URL into the address bar and select the Flowcode software. Start the installation by running the SETUP.EXE. The start-up installation screen is shown in Figure 1.1.

      Step 2

      If the install program asks you if you want to install the PPP program (see Figure 1.2), the PPP program is specific to the use of Matrix Multimedia’s own PIC programmer hardware. If you elected not to use this programmer, you do not need this software. I chose to use the PPP programmer as well as microEngineering’s EPIC USB programmer. The Matrix Multimedia PIC programmer is a combination programmer/developer board that allows development. It has multiple DB9 connectors for connecting Matrix’s proprietary I/O boards. This programmer is discussed further in Chapter 3.

      Step 3

      The next screen asks you to input your name and affiliate organization (if any) (see Figure 1.3). Fill in the required information and select Next.

      Step 4

      The next screen is a standard license agreement form (see Figure 1.4). Select the acceptance radio box and hit Next.

      Step 5

      Unless you have a reason to change the destination folder for the installation, keep the folder at its default location (see Figure 1.5) and select Next.

      Step 6

      The following install screen asks you to confirm features installation, followed by the default programmer (see Figure 1.6 and Figure 1.7).

      Step 7

      The next screen asks you to confirm the installation, followed by the installation (see Figure 1.8 and Figure 1.9).

      Step 8

      The following screen asks for license key information (see Figure 1.10). If you are using the free version of Flowcode, select the Do not enter a key radio option and leave the key information blank. Hit the Next button.

      Step 9

      The following screen informs and confirms that you installed Flowcode sucessfully (see Figure 1.11).

      The following screen is the start-up screen for Flowcode (see Figure 1.12).

      With Flowcode installed, proceed to Chapter 2.

      2. Writing Our First Program Wink

      This chapter focuses on writing the Flowcode program titled Wink. Writing this program involves a number of options to consider, each option has its own pros and cons. It provides instructions for each option mentioned. Coding and running the program is based on Flowcode's built-in simulator. The chapter provides information regarding the choice of PIC microcontroller. It also includes running the simulation to check the program function.

      Keywords

      Wink; Coding, program; Writing, program; PIC microcontroller; Flowcode

      In Chapter 1 we installed Flowcode onto our computer. Now let’s jump in and use it. Usually one explains the syntax (language) of a particular compiler before jumping in to write a program. Since Flowcode is a flow-charting graphic language technically there is no syntax, so let’s see how easy it is to write a working program using its graphic interface. Being a graphic interface, there are screen images to guide you through.

      Our first Flowcode program is titled Wink. What Wink accomplishes is to alternately light two LEDs connected to two Input and Output (I/O) lines to a PIC microcontroller. While this is a simple program, we still have a number of options to consider before we start writing our flowchart program. Each option has its own pros and cons.

      Option 1: Write the program and run the program within Flowcode’s built-in simulator.

      Pros: Easy to do and immediate. Does not require PIC microcontroller, or any external components; no hardware is required. This is a great educational tool to get you up and running.

      Cons: Program execution is a simulation. It’s not the real thing and things happen in the real world unaccounted for in simulations.

      Option 2: Write the program; compile the program into Hex code. Upload the Hex code program (firmware¹) file into a PIC microcontroller using a PIC-compatible programmer. Take the programmed microcontroller and prototype (build) a simple electrical circuit to test the program.

      ¹Firmware is the programmable content of a hardware device, which in our case is the PIC microcontroller. Typically firmware is loaded into a hardware device and not updated. An example would be the various timing and wash cycles programmed into a washing machine or dishwasher’s microcontroller.

      Pros: Real world implementation of software. This option provides experience building and testing of real world devices.

      Cons: This option requires hardware and components, a PIC-compatible programmer and a spoonful of electronic components to build the test circuit.

      Option 3: Write the program; compile the program into Hex code. Upload the program (firmware) directly into an ECIO28 or ECIO40 PIC microcontroller using the computer’s USB port.

      Pros: Same as those listed for Option 2, plus this option saves you from purchasing a standalone programmer. Instead it requires you to purchase a more expensive ECIO28 or ECIO40 USB-compatible microcontroller. The ECIO is a PIC microcontroller on a small carrier board containing a USB interface. It is used just like a PIC microcontroller to build a simple circuit to test the program. This option also requires a spoonful of electronic components to build the test circuit.

      Cons: As mentioned, the ECIO is a more expensive alternative than a standard PIC microcontroller. If you were going to produce a product it would be far less expensive to buy a PIC-compatible programmer and program the microcontroller directly.

      Which Option to Take?

      I can’t answer that question for you, so we will provide instructions for each option mentioned above. You decide your own path. The Flowcode program is the same for all the options, so the coding instructions will apply. However, there is an exception with option 3: when the Flowcode software (or new project file) is started you need to choose the ECIO28 or ECIO40 for the PIC microcontroller chip. In this chapter we will focus on the coding of our simple program and running the program in Flowcode’s built-in simulator. Real world options 2 and 3 will be covered in Chapter 3.

      Our first question is Which PIC microcontroller should we choose to start writing code for? There are a wide variety of PIC microcontrollers to choose from. I am inclined to use the PIC 16F88, and I will do so later on. To begin with, I want to start with the old 16F84. Why? I chose the 16F84 because this PIC chip has been around so long there are thousands of programs available on the Internet. The procedures you’ll learn using this chip are directly applicable to later and larger PIC microcontrollers, so no learning is lost using the 16F84. However, the 16F84 is obsolete at this point in time. So if you prefer to begin your work using the 16F88 chip immediately, feel free to do so.

      Selecting a microcontroller to write

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1