yet another bootloader HELP! post

[jds-pic]

ok, here goes...

hardware platform is 16f876 (non "A") at 4MHz.
programmer is MPLAB to ICD-2 to PIC via PGD/PGC.
i can program the device at will, code runs etc etc.
all of the i/o, including rs232 works as well.
the hardware + software combo is well behaved and deterministic.
note: i'm not actually using the DEBUG capabilities of the ICD-2 -- instead i'm just using it as a programmer. so there is NO ICD reserved space or some such. DEBUG mode is set OFF in MPLAB. in fact i usually program my code and then disconnect the programming cable from the header. so the PIC is running "native".

from <a href="http://www.microchipc.com/" TARGET="_blank">http://www.microchipc.com/</a> i retreive the 16f87x bootloader.

initial attempts to get things going prove fruitless. by "get things going" i mean the following:
1) program bootloader into PIC using ICD-2.
2) follow directions on bootloader website
3) PC downloader is sending the "hello?"-type messages, PIC does not respond in any way (looked at both TTL side and RS232 side with HP logic dart). reset PIC. power down/up PIC. nothing is TX'd from the PIC. blah!

then i repeat steps 1-2-3 a few dozen times. just in case. :)

so i fall back to "KISS" by programming the "serial test program" from the bootloader zip file into my PIC, again using the ICD-2...

ah ha! ---> it works OK.

PICTest v2-00 (c)2003 Shane Tolmie - see <a href="http://www.microchipc.com/" TARGET="_blank">http://www.microchipc.com/</a>
Starting up serial @ 19200 baud, N,8,1, no flow control ...

[... rest of bootloader banner deleted ... ]

so this simple program works. in fact by hitting keys on the keyboard i note that there is bidirectional comms with the PIC (i.e. it gives me the N+1 ASCII value as advertised). and then i get the [alive] messages.

so i go back to working on getting the bootloader to actually download the code above and do something with it. no joy. no matter what i do/tweak/modify, it seems that the booloader refuses to run. i try different baud rates, change the crystal to 10MHz, all kinds of stuff.

so i've got a couple of questions...

is there something inherent with the ICD-2 that makes it problematic/difficult/impossible to use with the bootloader?
has anyone used the ICD-2 to program the above bootloader and had similar problems? didja fix it? :)

what other debugging avenues might you folks suggest i explore?

is there a link somewhere that would show me how to use a PICStart PLUS to program a PIC using ICSP?

thanks for any ideas, this one has me tearing my hair out!

jim
___________________________
This message was ported from CCS's old forum
Original Post ID: 13304

[HENRY]

I think you must reserve the bootloader memory?

:=
:=ok, here goes...
:=
:=hardware platform is 16f876 (non "A") at 4MHz.
:=programmer is MPLAB to ICD-2 to PIC via PGD/PGC.
:=i can program the device at will, code runs etc etc.
:=all of the i/o, including rs232 works as well.
:=the hardware + software combo is well behaved and deterministic.
:=note: i'm not actually using the DEBUG capabilities of the ICD-2 -- instead i'm just using it as a programmer. so there is NO ICD reserved space or some such. DEBUG mode is set OFF in MPLAB. in fact i usually program my code and then disconnect the programming cable from the header. so the PIC is running "native".
:=
:=from <a href="http://www.microchipc.com/" TARGET="_blank"> <a href="http://www.microchipc.com/" TARGET="_blank">http://www.microchipc.com/</a></a> i retreive the 16f87x bootloader.
:=
:=initial attempts to get things going prove fruitless. by "get things going" i mean the following:
:=1) program bootloader into PIC using ICD-2.
:=2) follow directions on bootloader website
:=3) PC downloader is sending the "hello?"-type messages, PIC does not respond in any way (looked at both TTL side and RS232 side with HP logic dart). reset PIC. power down/up PIC. nothing is TX'd from the PIC. blah!
:=
:=then i repeat steps 1-2-3 a few dozen times. just in case. <img src="http://www.ccsinfo.com/pix/forum/smile.gif" border="0">
:=
:=so i fall back to "KISS" by programming the "serial test program" from the bootloader zip file into my PIC, again using the ICD-2...
:=
:=ah ha! ---> it works OK.
:=
:=PICTest v2-00 (c)2003 Shane Tolmie - see <a href="http://www.microchipc.com/" TARGET="_blank"> <a href="http://www.microchipc.com/" TARGET="_blank">http://www.microchipc.com/</a></a>
:=Starting up serial @ 19200 baud, N,8,1, no flow control ...
:=
:=[... rest of bootloader banner deleted ... ]
:=
:=so this simple program works. in fact by hitting keys on the keyboard i note that there is bidirectional comms with the PIC (i.e. it gives me the N+1 ASCII value as advertised). and then i get the [alive] messages.
:=
:=so i go back to working on getting the bootloader to actually download the code above and do something with it. no joy. no matter what i do/tweak/modify, it seems that the booloader refuses to run. i try different baud rates, change the crystal to 10MHz, all kinds of stuff.
:=
:=so i've got a couple of questions...
:=
:=is there something inherent with the ICD-2 that makes it problematic/difficult/impossible to use with the bootloader?
:=has anyone used the ICD-2 to program the above bootloader and had similar problems? didja fix it? <img src="http://www.ccsinfo.com/pix/forum/smile.gif" border="0">
:=
:=what other debugging avenues might you folks suggest i explore?
:=
:=is there a link somewhere that would show me how to use a PICStart PLUS to program a PIC using ICSP?
:=
:=thanks for any ideas, this one has me tearing my hair out!
:=
:=jim
:=
:=
:=
:=
___________________________
This message was ported from CCS's old forum
Original Post ID: 13307