Matrix user forums

Hi,
I brought the above programmer last year and now I am starting to make use of it the first time. I had played around Flowcode V4 for two years this is the first time I am using the programmer. I set up the programmer by using external power supply and set J29 to "PSU", J12-J14 to "USB" J11,J16 & J17 to "I/O port". SW2 to "XTAL" SW1 to "FAST". EB-007 to port A & EB-004 to port B. I wrote a simple Flowcode program just to press the switch and light up the led. I am using the PIC16F877A as supplied together with the programmmer board package. I download the hex file direct from FC4. The screen info shows that everythings going well and successfully program without any error. I also manage to check the PIC16F877A program memory that contains the download hex data. The problem is I can't get any respond when I press any of the switch on EB-007 and no light show either at the LED EB-004 board. I am using the PPPV3 version 3.9.12.26. I do not know what version of my programmer board as I try to look at the version number by autodetect. It just stated a programmer board had been detected, no version number mentioned. The DCM date printed on the PPP chip is 10/4/08. I presume it is a version 6 or 7 board. I had reviewed all the topic in the E-block forum section and also instruction regarding the installation and programming of the EB-006 board many times but still can't figure out what is wrong, please advise.
Thank

Hi Leong,

Have you tried changing your chip configuration settings in Flowcode? If you navigate up to Chip >> Configure on the menu at the top of Flowcode you can check that the settings match what your switches are on the board, Flowcode defaults to RC at the start. If you have already tried that then let us know!

Regards,

David

Hi DavidA,
I did configured the chip at Flowcode4 with either "xt" or"HS" and select chip PIC16F877A. the results are the same. One more question, if I download the hex file from Flowcode4 via the "compile to chip" button, there is no error reported. Whe I download the hex file from the PPPV3 --> open hex file ---> configure PIC ---> download to PIC, there always give error of program memory fail or chip erase fail? I did check the program memory and it always show program memory erase with content showing "FFFF" after erase or after sucwessfully download program ,same OIC memory con shows the same hex data from the downloaded hex file. Please advise. Q

Hello,

Have you connected a wire from the +v terminal of the multiprogrammer to the +v terminal on the switch E-Block?

To program directly from PPP go into the configure PICmicro screen and click auto detect. Now click ok and you should be able to send your hex file directly.

Hello Leong.
Have you got Microchip mplab already installed? If you have mplab then from configure menu you can set target chip. Also In configure menu select configuration bits and make sure 'configuration bits set in code' is ticked.
Import your hex file, and then look at the configuration settings. Check these are set correctly. E.g watchdog off, background debug disabled etc.
If you have not got mplab, rather than installing, if you would like to post the hex file, I will check your software is OK, and configured correctly.Then you will know its a hardware/programming issue.

Hi Benj & DavidA,
Thanks a lot for your help and responds. I manage to find the problem and now the programmer is working fine. The problem is not the program, it is the delay loop in the program that caused the problem.
TQ