USB and PIC, friends or foes ?

[TiagoSilva]

Hi, well, isn't this an nice topic ? well, where can i find some simple projects using USB with the on-chip PIC USB interface, on PIC !
The PIC subject is the PIC4550 and i'm interested on C language side of the story, any compiler that works this out.

I hope Nigel can make his 14th tuturial abouth this !

Have a nice weekend

 

[blueroomelectronics]

C18 is the Microchip compiler and has the USB examples. The SE edition is free. Lots of code examples on the net.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

As often suggested here, look at the USB Bit Whacker

**broken link removed**

 

[UTMonkey]

Hi Nigel,

Ok I am going to ask the question, what is "bit whacking"?

Mark

 

[futz]

Ok I am going to ask the question, what is "bit whacking"?

It's like bit banging, only harder!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Hi Nigel,

Ok I am going to ask the question, what is "bit whacking"?

Mark

It's not my site, visit it and read!

 

[tallan]

It's like bit banging, only harder!

That was funny Futz! I don't know why but got a good laugh of of it.
Perhaps because I'm knee deep in reading a data sheet.

Thanks,
Tallan

 

[donniedj]

A trip to double-u-double-u-double-u.microchip.com (no, no redirect) would reveal that they only support C language for the USB versions of their products. They provide examples and application notes up the wazzu for one and zilch for the other language. Yet still, the world cries help while I cry what a joke.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

What's wrong with picking a language such as C as the officially supported language for the PIC 18F and above series, the C18 SE compiler is free, works with the entire 18F series and C is the language of choice for big projects anyway. I do like assembler but understand why Microchip chose C for the bigger projects.

 

[BronzeG3]

**broken link removed** website is great for starting out as it has the basic schematics needed to emulate a USB dev board that the microchip tutorials use.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

That's a handy link thanks.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

What's wrong with picking a language such as C as the officially supported language for the PIC 18F and above series, the C18 SE compiler is free, works with the entire 18F series and C is the language of choice for big projects anyway. I do like assembler but understand why Microchip chose C for the bigger projects.

I agree, I don't do C, but in this case they provide a free C compiler, which is used to write the application notes and datasheets, I see no problem in using C as they do.

 

[3v0]

Learn to read if not program C.

Imagine the problem for the person who speeks anything other then english or chineese.

A trip to double-u-double-u-double-u.microchip.com (no, no redthey only support C language for the USB versions of their products. They provide examples and application notes up the wazzu firect) would reveal that or one and zilch for the other language. Yet still, the world cries help while I cry what a joke.

 

[TiagoSilva]

Learn to read if not program C.

Imagine the problem for the person who speeks anything other then english or chineese.

LOL True, LOL

 

[TiagoSilva]

Thank you all for your support !
The USB Bit Whacker sounds great (LOL...)

I must also thank for this url (**broken link removed**), it was what i really needed ! Since i work best with C# (i'm a pc/pda/web software dev., but no expert in assembler).


Thanks again, and again.

 

[3v0]

The USB bit wacker provides the PIC end. You can write the PC end in anything you like including C#.

 

[TiagoSilva]

The bit whacker was just good if i didn't mind using COM port emulation... but i want to make a real USB device without any king of ports emulation... And after having the PIC firmware developed i can use it with little changes on other projects as well.

I just didn't have where to start before, now i do

USB has some issues when it comes down to make programs on the PC because each USB device has an diferente USB chip and each chip needs an diferente drivers, that just does it...

I don't understand the END POINT, PID meanings, but i will try to spend more time on this, i think that USB is an great periperal interface.

 

[3v0]

Just wanted to say that the com port emulation runs at USB speeds. The com port speed parameter is ignored.

I would guess that C# has a good support for USB. It is one of the things on the long list that I would like to futz with.

Have fun.

 

[TiagoSilva]

LOL i'm sorry to say this, but the framework it uses () has no no suport for USB... it only has an SerialPort component that allows communications with COM ports... very good component, works well with emulated ports, i had an experience with the SerialPort from an PDA's Bluetooth module... But it doesn't have USB or even LPT port support.
This is mainlly because each hardware manufactor develops an diferent driver and thus an diferent API for communicating with their devices... When someone whants to develop an program that works with an USB device on Windows he has to seek info about the USB chip used and get the API to work with... It's very boring actually, i'm bored of just think about it.
...anyhow, you can "wrap" (assign) methods (functions) headers to Dynamic Linked Libraries (DLLs) and use them as if using them with C... but it needs some work, for ex. you would need to define an WORD as being an common Int16, BYTE as a Char... etc...

The good stuff about C# is the .Net Framework, it has many things, like encryption algoritms implementations, IP stack with support for allmost everything that IP can carry...
cool UIs... fast development, integrated garbage collector... many things...