APP-1 V1.0
(c) 1998 by Al Williams Consulting
http://www.al-williams.com/awce.htm

APP-1 Release Notes
===================
If you are using a PICStic, you may connect 5V from the Stamp
to the PICStic, or you may connect the main power to the
PICStic's main power (pin 1) whichever you prefer.

If reading or programming seems to be offset by one or two words, you
have too much load on MCLR. What happens is that the APP-1 tries to
reset the PIC to programming mode, but the capacitance on MCLR causes
it to rise slowly. This allows the PC register to increment before
the PIC enters programming mode and you start off a few words. Be sure
you don't have too much wiring on the MCLR line.

If you are using a PICStic, you don't need anything else to go ahead and
prototype your circuits. A regular PIC, however, requires a clock. You
may have trouble running very high frequency oscillators on any solderless
breadboard due to the capacitance involved.

If the PICAWC84 software says it can't find the programmer, make sure
you are connected to the correct COM port, make sure your wiring at
E42, E44, and E45 is correct (Stamp I only), and finally, disconnect
power to the breadboard, reconnect, and try again. If the software
informs you that it can't open the port, you have another program
holding the specified COM port open.

PICAWC84 Controls
=================
Although they aren't labeled, the fuse configuration controls on
the PICAWC84 screen are easy to decypher. If your HEX file contains
the correct configuration, you shouldn't need to change these anyway.
To the far left, the check box marked Protect turns code protection on and
off. The drop down list next to that selects the device type. Knowing
the device type allows PICAWC84 to correctly set and decode the fuse word.
The next list is the oscillator selection (use XT for a PICStic).
The next box allows you to select the Power Timer (PWT), 
the Watchdog Timer (WDT), both, or none.

The five boxes for ID words are related. The four top boxes allow you to 
enter hex numbers. The bottom box contains the ASCII text of the low 8 bits
of the ID words. When you change any of the numbers, the text updates and
vice versa.

Don't forget to set the program up for your COM port and programmer type
(select Setup from the View menu). If you are using the Basic Stamp II, 
you must set the high speed option. This option must be off for the
Basic Stamp I.

Using the COM Port as a Power Supply
====================================
In some cases, it may be possible to use the COM port as a power supply.
AWC does not recommend this due to the large variance in COM port voltages.
However, if you would like to try it, here's how:

1) Remove the BS2 programming jumper from the ASP-I. Be sure the board
   is connected to a serial port.
2) Using a voltmeter, measure each pin on the jumper and note the row
   number that has about -12 volts on it. If the absolute value of the
   voltage is less than 12 volts, this probably will not work.
3) Connect a 1N914 diode (included) from the row that has -12V to the
   other side of the breadboard. The banded end of the diode goes away
   from the -12 volts. So if your breadboard has -12V on row 46, you could
   put the non-banded end of the diode into hole E46 and the banded end
   into I46. 
4) Connect the end of R1 that usually goes to pin F1 or J45 to the
   same row as the banded end of the diode (for example, J46).
5) Start PICAWC84 and in the setup screen (from the View menu),
   be sure that the COM Port Power check box is checked.

If your serial port supplies enough voltage, you can now program PICs using
just the 9V battery you usually use. However, this may not work with all
PCs. Also, if and when PICAWC84 supports other PICs, this will certainly
not work. Note that before you can program a PIC in this configuration
you must remove the programming jumper (or if you've replaced it 
with a capacitor, you may have to remove the capacitor).

AWC does not support this mode of operation. If it works, great! If it
doesn't, that's not surprising. Try another computer or another serial
port, if you like but remember that the only supported operation for the
APP-1 is with an external power supply.

Fuse Verify Failure
===================
If your HEX file sets bits in the fuse word (0x2007) that are not implemented
in hardware, the verify for the fuse may fail. Since the fuse is the last
word burned, this isn't a problem as long as you are sure the correct
bits did burn. You can always read the device back in and manually
verify it, although the chances are good that if you successfully
burned the rest of the file, the fuse word is correct, too. This will
generally be a problem if your config word starts with 0's as in 001F instead
of 3FFF (which is the same as far a 16C84 is concerned).

PIC Resources
=============
Learning to program the PIC is different from using a Stamp.
Probably the easiest way to get started is to get a PicStic (which
looks like a Basic Stamp I, but is really a 16C84 PIC) and, perhaps,
a BASIC compiler. If you want to do assembly, you can get several
assemblers for free including the MPLAB assembler and emulator from
Microchip.

A good book to help you get started is Myke Predko's Programming and 
Customizing the PIC Microcontroller. You can find this book in many
bookstores, or order it online from AWC (go to 
http://www.al-williams.com/wd5gnr and follow the link for
electronics books).

Essential Software
Stamp Software & Manuals
	http://www.parallaxinc.com/

Microchip MPLAB (assembler, and simulator)
	http://www.microchip2.com/softupdt.htm

PicStics are PICs in a Basic Stamp I package with regulator, clock, and I/O
	http://www.micromint.com

PIC mailing list (send SUBSCRIBE PICLIST to subscribe)
	LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU

AWC's Web Site (look for PIC books and updates here)
	http://www.al-williams.com/awce.htm

General Links to PICInfo
	http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Way/5807/

Author Don Lancaster has a lot of PIC information
	 http://www.tinaja.com/

There are many, many more PIC sites out there, but these will get you
started. Nearly every site has links to other pages. Probably the
best place to start is to download MPLAB and the tutorial from
Microchip and then go to http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Way/5807
and look up some of the pages about getting started with PICs.
  














































