Page 26 - Making PIC Microcontroller Instruments and Controllers

ia GETflIO slARfED: rHE HABDWABE aND SOFTwanE SEtuP

You should alreaaly have the following computor equipmed:

r Wintel computer (IBM-PC or compatible)
I Hard drive
I Pdnter
I Awindows operating system
I Access to the Intemet A broadband connection is recommended

Three programme$ are offereal by microEngineering Labs One uses the parallel port'
one us;s tie USB poft, and the third uses the serial port. The operation ofthe three plo-
grammers is almo;t idenlical (as far as the user interface is concemed) We will use a
iJSB port programmer for all o experiments because it is morc conveniert to use than
the others sin-ce it does not neeal a power supply. An impofant added bonus is that if
frees up the COM port for use with the computer (the parallel programmer allows this

I{OIES ON USII{G PROGRAMMERS
The USB programmer does not ne€d a power supply or wall transformer ge$ its power
It
ftom the USB port. Using a USB port frees up the senal port for your expenmentatron'
which is impotant because most new computers have only one serial po(. The PC serial
port connects to ihe LAB Xl serial port for communication experiments
For the serial po and parallel port programmers' first plug the 16-volt power cord
connector ilto th! programner and then into the wall socket The USB pro$alnmer also
needs to be connected but does not need a power supply connection lfyou do nothave
power to the programmer when you start the programming softwarc' the softwar-e will
not be able tosee the programmer and aII enor message will be displayed The softlqare
will reDo( that it could not find the programmer
It is iest to start the progmmmer software from the Mjcrocode Studio editor window
If you alo it this way, the prc$ammer being used is selected automatically and the pro-
grarn you are working on in the Micmcode ealitor window is transfefied automatically
io the compiler software and onto the MCU on the LAB-XI boad lt can be set up to
be a "one mouse click" operation see this book's Appendi\ A for more infbrmation
Inse the microcontroller into the programming socket inrmediately before you begu
prcgranming the microcontroller (if you arc programming an MCU that is not on the
Lai-xt;. ffri" appti"" only ifyou are programming aloosemiuoco roller Ifyou.ar-e
programming a miirocontroller plugged into the LAB Xl, it can be Ieft in the board all
itreiime. On1 orlly exception is for the parallel poft progftnmet beaause the B? pin
is pulled low by this programmer and thus will interfere with your Fogram lf you plan
to use this pin,'you musi unplug the programmer between programming sessions This
is mentioneal again as a reminder and caution-)