A small amount of background. My friend wants to be a ghostbuster for a halloween party later this month. He asked me to do the wiring/lighting for the proton pack. I did research and decided that a PIC seemed to be the ideal solution for controlling all the lights/motions/activations. I have written code in ASM for a 16F57 and compiled it in MPLAB. It compiles fine, and runs in the MP Sim. I can even export the code and run it in 2 seperate third party simulators and the code works great. Wired the chip up and plugged it in...... Nothing. I've checked and double checked my work for weeks... Even bought a different chip (16F873) and a new programmer (PicKit2) and rewrote the code for it with no luck. Is there a way to test the PIC to make sure it is 'healthy' or in working condition. I've exhausted every online resource that I can find save for the advice of real people. I should be able to just hook up the PIC to power and let it run right? Even trying to replicate the simple blinking LED program I find everywhere on the net leads me nowhere? What am I doing wrong? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,

 

Crystal Ball broken, you're going to need to post your code and schematic.

 

if it was a crystal problem check the info below

but if it was ok check that the port or pins you used isn't conflict with other modules in the chip like PORTA is conflict with Analog to digital converter module so you must 1st tell the controller that you want PORTA to work as a Digital i/o not ADC and that step is before the TRIS

and like blueroomelectronics said you need to post your code and schematic so that we can understand the problem if it was a hardware or a software problem

 

If you have an oScope, put it on x10 and check the ossc. pins to see if there is a signal. ( assuming it is configured to give a signal, normally it is )

 

Hi,
1. Check if you have made all analog pins digital and check to see if you have disabled the comparator module(only available in 16F873A not in 16F873) which is multiplexed to PORTA.
2. Check your configuration bit settings. I'm guessing this could be the problem.
3. Check if you have MCLR pin (pin1 on 16f873a) pulled up. Maybe you didn't do this in hardware.
Good luck!
Tahmid.

 

Didn't post any code because I've literally written dozens of iterations of the same thing trying to rule out any type of software anomaly. I've done the same with the hardware portion and have wired it many ways to check if any combination gives more desirable results. Lastly, I was using two different PIC's and as such didn't know which code to post.

I do not own an Oscilloscope, I would love to, but do not. I am using the internal oscillator because it is not a precision timed process. I have in fact pulled the MCLR pin high on both chips at one point or another, both with a simple jumper, and with resistors. I'm using a 6v Lantern battery run through a 7805 Voltage Regulator. This connects to the VDD (+) pin and the VSS (-) pin(s) on my PIC. The 16F57 gets +5v on pin 2 and 0v on pin 4. The 16F873 get +5v on pin 20 and 0v on pins 21 and 8. An led is brought off of any of the pins because I'm flashing all of them, run through a 330 ohm resistor to 0v. (polarity of led is correct, have checked.) Right now all I'm worried about is getting the led to flash and I'll work on something else from there.

 

A 7805 needs at least 7v to work properly.

 

I've also used an variable voltage regulator, a LM317. Both are giving out a perfect 5v by my multimeter.

 

Post your code.

 

		LIST P=16F57
		radix HEX
	org 0x00
PORTB equ 0x05
	movlw 0x00
	tris PORTB
start
	movlw 0x01
	movwf PORTB
	movlw 0x00
	movwf PORTB
	goto start
	end

or

		LIST P=16F873
		include P16F873.inc 
		radix hex
	org 0x00
	movlw 0x0E
	CLRF PORTB
	BSF STATUS,5
	movlw 0x00
	movwf TRISB
	BCF STATUS,5
	goto start
start
	movlw 0x01
	movwf PORTB
	movlw 0x00
	movwf PORTB
	goto start
end

 

Where's your config statement?

It's running far faster than you can see it flash, you need delay code. What oscillator are you using? do you have decoupling caps on VDD & VSS? Do you have a pullup resistor on MCLR?

 

There is no internal osc on either of those PICs. The OP is using PORTB so the comparator setting doesn't apply.

 

True but the OPs code is far from functional.

 

As far as the config setting goes, I'm using MPLAB as my native programming environment. Using it as the text editor and the compiler, as well as using the internal MPSim to check the code is viable. The settings for config are all set in a drop-down menu inside MPLAB and compiled into the code as necessary. As far as the oscillator goes, I'm running both chips in RC (resistor/capacitor) mode. Which, if I'm not mistaken from the datasheet I'm reading, is in fact an internal oscillator of marginal accuracy. I understand that the flashing of the led would be far faster than my eye could detect, but one would think it would give the illusion of being on all the time in this condition. On a whim I tried rewriting both sets of code to turn the led on, and not turn it off. (I removed the section of code rewriting PORTB to 0x00) This was my way of trying to see if it was the speed of the flash causing me some type of optical illusion. The ADCON1 was actually being written 0x07 in a newer version of this file. (sorry, should have posted that one...) If my code is far from functional why does it run in three separate simulation environments without issue? Just curious. I might try seeing about using a different form of oscillator though. I'll have to buy a crystal/oscillator...

 

Like I said before neither the 16F873 or ancient 16F57 have internal RC oscillators. you can use a simple RC clock on them. A PIC can run millions of instructions per second. You need a delay.

 

Okay, so I don't have an external oscillator/crystal handy... I do have a 555timer, can this be made to output a suitable signal to feed either PIC? I understand the need for a delay, and am not arguing that fact. My final program for the ghostbuster pack used a delay subroutine to provide decent timing in the simulation environment. The delay in that program was definitely necessary.

 

Yes a 555 will work fine, a PIC will run from DC to its rated speed. A simple RC oscillator will work too.
http://www.romanblack.com/pic2clk.htm

 

I was wondering if this was the case. I have to provide some external hardware for the RC oscillator to function. This does in fact make sense, and if I have the appropriately sized capacitors and resistors in my possession I'm going to give it a try. Have you seen a schematic for using the 555 to run the osc on a PIC? I've been looking with less than stellar results.