[GreenKeys] Re: TTY-Connect Firmware Question

[gil smith]

Hi Bob:

For you folks that want to burn your own PICs, and have access to a 
programmer to do so, you need to obtain a PIC16F876-20/SP chip (mouser part 
579-PIC16F87620SP is $5.44 ea).

On the website, is a file called bootloader.hex (I just shortened the name, 
if you have downloaded it already).  This small file gets burned into the 
pic -- it resides in the upper hundred or so bytes, and provides bootload 
capability over the serial port.  This is the only time the pic needs to be 
in the programmer.  Since most folks don't have a programmer, I am doing 
this step for them.

There is a companion application for winblows xp/98;  this is also on the 
website, and is called PIC-downloader.exe.  This little standalone app 
allows you to send the actual tty-connect object code to the pic.  Both the 
bootloader code and the downloader are simple freeware goodies, but I have 
used them for years, and they perform flawlessly.

To use, PIC-downloader.exe, you need to have the tty-connect.hex file to 
download into the chip.  This is not yet on the website, but version 1.0 
will be up soon.  I will actually load version 1.0 into the chips that I am 
sending out with the boards, so the pic will just need to be plugged in.

However, if (or when), I make a change to the code, I will upload the 
latest version to the website, and folks can use PIC-downloader to update 
their tty-connect system to the latest version.  All of this magic made 
possible by flash memory in these 16Fxxx pics (as opposed to the 
one-time-programming of the 16Cxxx parts).  Details are in an appendix of 
the firmware doc.

Files are at:
http://www.vauxelectronics.com/gil/tty-connect/

Note:   I will have the downloadable object code for tty-connect on the 
website, but I am NOT releasing source code -- sorry, but a big chunk of 
this code is lifted from the code in our products.  If you want a new 
feature, let me know, and I'll see if it can be added.

gil


At 07:01 AM 7/2/2004, you wrote:
>Hi
>
>On the TTY -Connect board you have a PIC that does a bunch of marvelous 
>things. The blank PIC's I have sitting here do almost nothing except draw 
>power and warm up the room.
>
>Normally I'm used to taking a hex file and putting it into a programmer 
>like the PIC Start and then shooting a dip package part. Next step is to 
>plug it in the socket. Not terribly complex and I can generally get it 
>right two times out of three.
>
>Do you have something else in mind for the PIC on the board or is the 
>software simply not out there yet?
>
>The main reason I'm asking is to make sure that I don't also need to send 
>you money for some pic's to go with the boards ....
>
>         Thanks!
>
>                 Bob Camp
>                 KB8TQ
>

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