EB006 Multi Programmer QUESTION!!
Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2010 8:51 pm
Hi there,
This is the story of my experiments with FlowCode v4. A story with quite a few hurdles, that made me feel quite helpless
at certain moments.
With this story I would like to reach out to other Flowcode beginners, so that they will be able to skip the hurdles...
So, I recently bought FlowCode v4 with a kit: The 'Elektor Easy Internet Kit' (EB-486)
(details: http://www.elektor.com/products/e-block ... 1494.lynkx)
Installing Flowcode v4 was easy, but entering the registration was a bit unclear, but in the end I managed.
Also installing the Flowcode v4 update that was availble was not so straightforward, but in the end I also got that working.
However: getting the Multi-Programmer Board to be recognized by Windows 7 was the the next step.
But the driver didn't work!! oops!! No go.
The following info solved the driver problem:
I downloaded the drivers via this (direct) link:
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/softwar ... driver.zip
Installing this driver:
Please FIRST unzip the file, and put the file on the desktop.
Install them by right clicking on the 'Computer' icon on your Windows 7 desktop, select 'Properties' (bottom),
and then click 'Device Manager', and find out WHICH divice is the one that pops up when you connect the Multi Programmer Board.
On my system the device showed up under the 'Custom USB Devices' tab, and was called 'Matrix PICmicro Programmer'.
I right-clicked it, and selected 'Update driver software'.
Then MANUALLY browse to the folder containing the unzipped driver files, and select the driver, and click OK.
Accept with YES/OK if a question pops up about unsigned drivers.
Now the system should be able to recognize the EB006 Multi Programmer board. Yihaa!!!
(PS: only a 32 bits driver if available at this moment. I understood that Matrix is working on a 64bit driver.)
Phew!!!
After solving all that, I was finally ready to write some simple programs, and test them within FlowCode v4.
It was really easy to build programs thanks to FlowCode.
After some hours of getting the hang of it, I wanted to see my code running on a real PIC, using the EB-006 Multi-Programmer Board.
I was finally ready to do some real testing, by compiling the program and then sending the *.hex files to the PIC on the Multi Programmer Board.
Oops!! The command 'Compile to PIC' didn't work all the way.
The PPPv3 program could not find the directory with *.hex file that was produced by the compiler.
It compiled OK, but could not send the *.ex file to the PIC chip programmer.
But I found the solution to this bug:
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/support ... f=22&t=612
Maybe the Matrix software guys will fix this bug in the next version of Flowcode v4. Would be great!!
Always remember folks: It's NOT over until the fat lady sings!!
Now that I was up and running I noticed some strange effects, and in order to make sure that my EB-006 Multi-Programmer Board
was in good working shape, I just wanted to test it, using the software that Matrix Multimedia is using themselves to test
produced EB-006 boards before they are shipped out to the outside world.
There is a document that describes all the steps for the test procedure(s).
This document:
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/datashe ... 6-30-7.pdf
It's the technical datasheet for the EB-006 Multi Programmer.
On page 7 of this document it describes how to setup the EB006,.
You are suppose to upload a PRECOMPILEd hex file called RC_LVP.hex
Four QUESTIONS here:
-1) WHERE can one find this program?
(I checked the Matrix website but I cannot find it.)
-2) HOW does the test pattern on the LED board looks like?
That info is missing from the document. One should know what to expect as an output from the testprogram.
-3) On page 7 of the PDF file (http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/datashe ... 6-30-7.pdf) it says at point 11:
quote:
11) Note that LB3 will not illuminate due to the fact that the program sets the PICmicro into Low Voltage Programming mode
unquote
What is LB3 ??
The is no LB3 on the EB006 Multi Programmer Board, and also no LB3 label on the EB004 LED board.
The leds on the EB004 board are labeled D0-D7.
-4) Why is the source code of the RC_LVP.hex testprogram not available for download, but only the compiled code???
Would be great to learn from it how to be able to test hardware.
Is it a big secret?? Is it an question of 'not wanting to give the show away'??' (just kidding here!!)
Just curious to know.
Anyone??
Help/hints/answers are MUCH appreciated!!!
Cheers
Robbert / PA3BKL
(with many thanks to Mr. David Aldersley of Matrix Multimedia Ltd. Support for helping me out!!)
This is the story of my experiments with FlowCode v4. A story with quite a few hurdles, that made me feel quite helpless
at certain moments.
With this story I would like to reach out to other Flowcode beginners, so that they will be able to skip the hurdles...
So, I recently bought FlowCode v4 with a kit: The 'Elektor Easy Internet Kit' (EB-486)
(details: http://www.elektor.com/products/e-block ... 1494.lynkx)
Installing Flowcode v4 was easy, but entering the registration was a bit unclear, but in the end I managed.
Also installing the Flowcode v4 update that was availble was not so straightforward, but in the end I also got that working.
However: getting the Multi-Programmer Board to be recognized by Windows 7 was the the next step.
But the driver didn't work!! oops!! No go.
The following info solved the driver problem:
I downloaded the drivers via this (direct) link:
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/softwar ... driver.zip
Installing this driver:
Please FIRST unzip the file, and put the file on the desktop.
Install them by right clicking on the 'Computer' icon on your Windows 7 desktop, select 'Properties' (bottom),
and then click 'Device Manager', and find out WHICH divice is the one that pops up when you connect the Multi Programmer Board.
On my system the device showed up under the 'Custom USB Devices' tab, and was called 'Matrix PICmicro Programmer'.
I right-clicked it, and selected 'Update driver software'.
Then MANUALLY browse to the folder containing the unzipped driver files, and select the driver, and click OK.
Accept with YES/OK if a question pops up about unsigned drivers.
Now the system should be able to recognize the EB006 Multi Programmer board. Yihaa!!!
(PS: only a 32 bits driver if available at this moment. I understood that Matrix is working on a 64bit driver.)
Phew!!!
After solving all that, I was finally ready to write some simple programs, and test them within FlowCode v4.
It was really easy to build programs thanks to FlowCode.
After some hours of getting the hang of it, I wanted to see my code running on a real PIC, using the EB-006 Multi-Programmer Board.
I was finally ready to do some real testing, by compiling the program and then sending the *.hex files to the PIC on the Multi Programmer Board.
Oops!! The command 'Compile to PIC' didn't work all the way.
The PPPv3 program could not find the directory with *.hex file that was produced by the compiler.
It compiled OK, but could not send the *.ex file to the PIC chip programmer.
But I found the solution to this bug:
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/support ... f=22&t=612
Maybe the Matrix software guys will fix this bug in the next version of Flowcode v4. Would be great!!
Always remember folks: It's NOT over until the fat lady sings!!
Now that I was up and running I noticed some strange effects, and in order to make sure that my EB-006 Multi-Programmer Board
was in good working shape, I just wanted to test it, using the software that Matrix Multimedia is using themselves to test
produced EB-006 boards before they are shipped out to the outside world.
There is a document that describes all the steps for the test procedure(s).
This document:
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/datashe ... 6-30-7.pdf
It's the technical datasheet for the EB-006 Multi Programmer.
On page 7 of this document it describes how to setup the EB006,.
You are suppose to upload a PRECOMPILEd hex file called RC_LVP.hex
Four QUESTIONS here:
-1) WHERE can one find this program?
(I checked the Matrix website but I cannot find it.)
-2) HOW does the test pattern on the LED board looks like?
That info is missing from the document. One should know what to expect as an output from the testprogram.
-3) On page 7 of the PDF file (http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/datashe ... 6-30-7.pdf) it says at point 11:
quote:
11) Note that LB3 will not illuminate due to the fact that the program sets the PICmicro into Low Voltage Programming mode
unquote
What is LB3 ??
The is no LB3 on the EB006 Multi Programmer Board, and also no LB3 label on the EB004 LED board.
The leds on the EB004 board are labeled D0-D7.
-4) Why is the source code of the RC_LVP.hex testprogram not available for download, but only the compiled code???
Would be great to learn from it how to be able to test hardware.
Is it a big secret?? Is it an question of 'not wanting to give the show away'??' (just kidding here!!)
Just curious to know.
Anyone??
Help/hints/answers are MUCH appreciated!!!
Cheers
Robbert / PA3BKL
(with many thanks to Mr. David Aldersley of Matrix Multimedia Ltd. Support for helping me out!!)