Any PIC BASIC users here??

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 02-26-07, 02:49 AM

Hi all -

Are there any users of PIC BASIC or PIC BASIC PRO here on the forum?

I usually hand code but have been thinking of purchasing a PIC BASIC compiler...(if only to speed up the development process)

If you have any advice, please let me know, esp best place to purchase. I've located online but the US price of 'PRO' version is less that than 40% of the UK price! - typical.....

Any thoughts greatfully accepted.

John W · 02-26-07, 07:19 AM

Paul,

yes I have used it, but not for a while.
I found it didn't generate very compact code, so went back to assembler.
I hace a 'C' compiler somewhere too, but same story, so only any good for larger devices.

I brought my bits from the microchip web site, and most of the initial chips were supplied as samples.
Granted the cards and software arent that cheap, but if you want the support you have to buy in the uk.
I subsequently brought bits from HiSpec, or HiTek, or something like that. I tried to google for them but couldn't find a link, so I'll try to find an old invoice.

There is a company in Addlestone Surrey that keeps sending me info about PIC packages (and other real time device driver stuff). I've never dealt with them though.

Oh, one more thought. I've brought a lot of bits from this company, who it seems do PIC stuff too: RF Solutions Ltd MEL Basic Compiler

Hope that helps.

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 02-26-07, 10:41 AM

Thanks John...

I'm undecided but it would speed things up a bit for me at the moment. My assembler skills are rusty and I always used to code manually, as you say, much tighter code filling less space.

Sandy · 02-26-07, 11:18 AM

Paul -

Your tag line says it all...

"Too Many Hobbies

- Too Little Time

"

I have not used the PIC in a long while, moved over to 'C' and the Atmel AVR's. Have a stack of unfinished projects too. Look around on the web, one thing that I can say is if your project is small you might be able to squeeze it out of a demo compiler. Some are restricted by code size generation and that about all. I don't know if you do know 'C' but you likely can find an open source compiler like GCC if you can stomach the install (I would expect a PIC version, but not sure).

GNUPIC
Freeware Microchip PIC C Compiler
Proton Development Suite Lite Edition - Free Download
PicBasic Pro Compiler Deom
mikroBasic - Advanced BASIC compiler for PIC microcontrollers

Just some quick samples I found.

What exciting projects are you working on if you can say?

Sandy

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 02-26-07, 05:42 PM

Hi Sandy - very comprehensive links there...

I've been viewing the various options but have still not decided which route to take (if any).

I'm working on several items at the moment, a programmable electric water pump controller, a tacho scaler / prescaler and a monitoring cct for electric heli use..

As you said - too many hobbies, too little time..

Many thanks for the support given.

Sandy · 02-26-07, 05:59 PM

I have the code written for a PWM water/fuel/fan controller, just no time to sit down an finish off the PCB for it. Also did a 3 state rev light (over, under, ok) . The PWM board is one that I do want to finish so I eliminate the hot circulating fuel issues when I get my car going. I did these with Codevision AVR which is about $100 and really nice and simple, but 'C' code and and only Atmel AVR support. Just need more time...

Sandy

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 02-26-07, 06:43 PM

Hmmm - I wish I'd got more interested in 'C' now... When I was at RAE Farnborough, I developed a series of test programs for a 1553 data Bus analyzer called a Conic (SBA-100?). The Conic was a unit that looked a bit like a large Oscilliscope, with internal CRT that enabled you to capture data from the 1553 data bus and then view/interpret. The user interface was at best 'clumsy' and you had to be a bit of a techie to use it. I then subsequently discovered it was based on an an 8085 processor (old) and having been familiar with assembly programming, hand coded a couple of test routines, to display the captured data, realtime in a decimal scaled format. This made the Conic more easily used by non-techies, but also firmly 'stuck' me in a software development position which whilst interesting, did not allow me to develop my programming skills further.

This was all at a time when we were using DEC PDP 11-44s and VAX 11-750s and the like - anyone remember them??? - Looking back at the RL02 hard drives of I think 10MB (which were the size of a small dustbin lid) and costed a fortune - GOD how things have advanced...!

Fun times were had at the RAE - and I developed test Aids for all the data-bus equipment we had installed on a development Bucanneer (XV344), and T4 Harrier - strange to think that the 200+lbs of the items then installed could probably be out-performed today by a pocket PC....

Happy Days...............

Sandy · 02-26-07, 07:03 PM

Yep, cut plenty of code in college on the PDP11's. Remeber the disk paks too, space age looking stuff back then. All that stuff had less computing power then your cell phone, and runs on a battery to boot

When our kids grow up what will they be talking about...

Sandy

John W · 02-27-07, 04:16 AM

re the dustbin disk platters - Ever wonder where the unix/linux term 'mount' came from

Lifting those heavy old solid disk platters on & off was a skilled job. allegedly :p
And what about 8 inch floppies. We used to have to boot our Tnix system from one each morning. Them were the days

Its funny how we now take for granted the capacity of USB memory sticks, when most of them are larger than the memory many mainframes had in the 80s.
I worked for a company making medical diagnistic equipment back then, and their most expensive bit of kit had a 20meg hard drive. At the time this was sold to customers as being the biggest you'll ever need.

Paul, if you need specific stuff give me a pm, I might have it or have access to it.
p.s. I'm still working with 1553, CAN, GPIB, and several other specialist interfaces