How Difficult? Pic Data To Pc

Hi,

Quite simply, how difficult is it to send data from a PIC (through some kind of USB / Serial connection" to a PC, and then have that data displayed on the computer screen.

Ive heard of this being done, but I have little or no information on the net about how to do it and how much of a pain in the ass it could potentially be.

Thanks for any wisdom you can give.

P.S My PIC is a 16f628a

This post has been edited by Chantry on July 29, 2010 02:57 pm

The PIC will have 'UART', which allows data to be sent serially. You can connect this to a chip such as 'MAX232' to convert the UART to RS232, which can connect to the PC.

Alternatively you could use a serial-usb IC, such as the ones FTDI make. The simplest serial-USB chips will create a 'virtual comm port' on the PC, which you can use in the same way as an RS232.

Using USART is simple, USB is complex, and the converter IC is not easily available.

But now many systems dont have serial ports.

I have a couple of these things. They arent cheap but I think they are brilliant;

http://uk.farnell.com/ftdi/um232r/evaluati...32rl/dp/1146036

yes, and from there you will need to have some way to get the info on the screen. for linux, there is minicom. windows probably has something similar. for a programming interface, there probably are a few ways for each OS.

Thank you for all the info. Serial looks like the best option, ill look into that chip.

Do USB. Sparkfun has the latest FTDI chip for $4, or you can get it on a breakoutboard with the very few other components required for like $15. you can then send serial data from the pic to the PC at whatever baud rate through hyperterminal.

PIC18F2550 .... USB on board

if you use uart, it can be done quickly: the pc needs hyperterminal, and simply two wires, 1 for Rx and another for ground, on the PC and you are done.

it is easier if the pic has a hardware uart but even if on a pic or any mcu without a hardware uart, you can big bang it quickly.

extremely easy would be the right answer, I guess.

Apparently the 16f628a has built in usart. I might look into USB out, I'd prefer USB as long as it doesn't have me pulling my hair out, which it very well might. Im am constrained by the pic and I'm not allowed to use other pre made boards or other pics, so if i were to do it I would have to do all the work myself.

I'll look into it now but i very well need more help on this :0

You can use USB/Serial converter with the max232, it will be good. I built this
circuit one year ago and I got the data on hyper terminal.

Abdulla

Did you code it in assembly or c?

What kind of data?

I recently purchased a pre-programmed PIC with USB connection that was accessible through the normal games-controller drivers.

It has 16 digital I/O lines and 8 (IIRC) analogue inputs too. It shows up as a 'multi-axis joystick' controller and can be interfaced through simple VB routines.

Just a small quantity of text, say around 20 characters each time.

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_i...roducts_id=9115

This seems perfect, except that I wanted to put all compoenents directly on my board not use moles connections to connect to boards such as this. Even though it has e schematic on there, the actual chip looks too small to hand solder on my pcb. Have i got any options?

This post has been edited by Chantry on July 30, 2010 11:17 pm

Small update. I found a module that looks like it would work and is large enough for me to solder the components onto my own board directly:


Link

Any feedback if this would work?

This post has been edited by Chantry on July 30, 2010 11:29 pm

My code was in C.

Abdulla

to use the usb/uart converter, you still have to program a uart interface on your mcu. if you are going to do that, you might as well use a uart connection directly to the pc.

The benefit of USB that I can see is, if I say it uses USB connection, everyone knows what im talking about, if I use a "serial" connection, im probably going to get a lot of blank faces. The other benefit is the box for this board is extremely small, it would help me out not to have a wacking great serial socket on it, and instead have a USB mini socket.

Im still undecided, I guess first I should try to program the PIC to output the Uart and see how I go from there.