Need PIC16F84A Cool Project

[Agent 009]

I noticed that the circuit is "more" stable: b4, the LEDs of the PIC's board, connected to Port B, were lighting up, b4 I switch on the power to the PIC itself! I would have turned on the power supply, but not the board, but the LED's were ON... Weird... Now, that 'weirdness' is gone: improvement is on the go. But still no characters :cry: :!:

 

[Agent 009]

Another weird behavior: the first row seems to light up b4 the second: it fills out more rapidly!

 

[Agent 009]

I still need, next to the LCD to work, to have a keypad (just 3x3) to act as input... I just need 6 bits, right??

 

[Jay.slovak]

Nigel, I am trying another setup...

You are missing resistor on RA4 PIN. This problem brings you sensitivity, eg if you touch it, it may or may not work.

EDIT: Add a pull up resistor from RA4 to VDD (1-20K will work).
RA4 is open collector output!

 

[Jay.slovak]

I still need, next to the LCD to work, to have a keypad (just 3x3) to act as input... I just need 6 bits, right??

Yes, 6 bits for 84, if you had A/D PIC, only one would be enaugh.

 

[Agent 009]

Nigel, I am trying another setup...

You are missing resistor on RA4 PIN. This problem brings you sensitivity, eg if you touch it, it may or may not work.

EDIT: Add a pull up resistor from RA4 to VDD (1-20K will work).
RA4 is open collector output!

Ok, but it's connected to Enable line of LCD... Do I really need a resistor?
(I'm adding it anyway...)

 

[Jay.slovak]

Nigel, I am trying another setup...

You are missing resistor on RA4 PIN. This problem brings you sensitivity, eg if you touch it, it may or may not work.

EDIT: Add a pull up resistor from RA4 to VDD (1-20K will work).
RA4 is open collector output!

Ok, but it's connected to Enable line of LCD... Do I really need a resistor?
(I'm adding it anyway...)

It is very Important <-notice it's typed in Bold. Open collector output is useless without it as a standard PIN. 8)

 

[Agent 009]

Okok !...

 

[Agent 009]

I think on the PIC board I'm using there r 10k resistors for portA pins... I don't think another would do much difference...

 

[Jay.slovak]

I think on the PIC board I'm using there r 10k resistors for portA pins... I don't think another would do much difference...

If there are, that's fine. I just don't see them in the scheme you posted... Also keep that in mind for the future, if you design different board without them.

 

[Agent 009]

Ok, 10x for the Tip!... But still blocks :cry: !!! Just Blocks!!! No characters!!!

 

[Jay.slovak]

Another weird behavior: the first row seems to light up b4 the second: it fills out more rapidly!

this is an interesting sentance... it tells me that the initialisation is done correctly. Can you check if you didn't swap the RS and RW wires (in HW and in SW also), that might be a prob.

 

[Agent 009]

Just Checking... 10x anyway Jay! That's real-time-interactive help!

That's y we need a new moderator :wink: 8) ...

 

[Jay.slovak]

Just Checking... 10x anyway Jay! That's real-time-interactive help!

That's y we need a new moderator :wink: 8) ...

lol like to hear that...

Try to post us the photo of your "device" (If you have a camera), one picture has weight of a thousand words...

 

[Agent 009]

Though I was sure that no errors in connections, I swapped the wires: same result...

 

[Agent 009]

Just Checking... 10x anyway Jay! That's real-time-interactive help!

That's y we need a new moderator :wink: 8) ...

lol like to hear that...

Try to post us the photo of your "device" (If you have a camera), one picture has weight of a thousand words...

2morrow... It's midnight now and I wanna sleep... 10x really Jay, I c ya 2morrow...

 

[Jay.slovak]

Just Checking... 10x anyway Jay! That's real-time-interactive help!

That's y we need a new moderator :wink: 8) ...

lol like to hear that...

Try to post us the photo of your "device" (If you have a camera), one picture has weight of a thousand words...

2morrow... It's midnight now and I wanna sleep... 10x really Jay, I c ya 2morrow...

OK have a nice dreams :lol:

 

[Agent 009]

10x :lol: ...
I'm awake now :wink: ... I am going to change the way I deal with the PIC: I'm gonna use the PICBASIC, or MicroCode...

 

[Jay.slovak]

10x :lol: ...
I'm awake now :wink: ... I am going to change the way I deal with the PIC: I'm gonna use the PICBASIC, or MicroCode...

Nooooo don't do that, you will never fully understand Asembly!

 

[Agent 009]

Euh... My teacher adviced me 2 use it, bc it's easier to get the LCD to work... Anyway, I'm not bad in programming, and I learn fast... So assembly is not much of a prob: I have taken already 2 courses, using assembly (Computer Architecture and Microprocessor Design) and have had exellent performance 8) ...