How to program a PIC microcontroller

By Fernando Brea
Translation by Manolo Hernández-Peña M.
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Table of content

1. Introduction

2. Materials
a. Hardware
b. Software

3. Hardware connections

4. Hardware configuration

5. Software installation

6. Software configuration

7. Programming the microcontroller

8. Errors and solutions

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Introduction.
The aim of this tutorial is to explain how to program a PIC microcontroller used for the
second generation of electronic cards designed for IOCards Project.

IOCards project is based in some electronic cards developed by Manuel Vélez

(http://www.opencockpits.com) and the related software that make posible to control
the flight simulator with external elements as switches, buttons…

The second generation of these cards uses PIC microcontrollers. This tutorial will show
how to program the PIC 16F876 used by the IOCards servomotor II and by the IOCards
encoders II.

I would like to thank to Manuel Vélez and everybody inside the cockpit builders group
for their achievements.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Materials.

Hardware:

Ø The PIC 16F876 controller

Sold in electronics shops

Ø The programmer (T-20se or similar)

Sold in electronics shops.

There are another models as T-20 II, el TE-20 X. If you can’t find them, the best is to
ask for a PIC 16F876 programmer and the personnel in the shop will advice us. Price
can be from 8 to 10 €
NOTE : TE-21 programmer is NOT valid.

Ø A serial cable

Sold in electronics shops.

It depends on which connectors our PC and the programmer have. Nowadays, most of
PCs have a male DB9 connector and most of programmers have a female DB9
connector.
NOTE : we DON’T need a crossed cable; inner connections are made pin to pin.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Software:

Ø ICProg (Ver. 1.05C) software.

Downlodable from http://www.ic-prog.com

Here you can download the last version of ic-prog.exe file and the helpfile. If you use
Windows NT/2000/XP you’ll have to download the IC-Prog NT/2000 driver too (ic-
prog.sys).

Ø Code file (IOCard_Servo.hex)

Available at:
http://www.opencockpits.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=1&orderby=dateD
We will download the file corresponding with the circuit we are building. If you have
any doubt, you can ask in our forum.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Hardware connections.
Plug the cable in the PC serial port. There’s no problem in connecting it while the PC is
running because this port is protected against short circuits. Remember the port number
(1 or 2). We’ll need to define this number later in the software.

Insert the PIC in the programmer socket, taking into account the correct position.

Importatnt NOTES:
1. Insert the pic with the programmer disconnected from the cable to avoid electrical
damages to the PIC.
2. Don’t press the PIC very much. Only a good electric contact is needed.
3. To take out the PIC from its socket, use a screwdiver and try to maintain the PIC
parallel to the socket (to avoid the pins from breaking).

Connect the cable to the programmer.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Hardware configuration.
Lets configure the serial port in our PC:

Windows 9x / ME

Start -> Configuration -> Control panel -> System icon -> Devices administrator tab ->
Ports (Com & LPT) -> Double click on communications port (Com 1 or 2 ). A similar
properties window as the one for Windows XP will be shown.

Windows XP

Start -> Control panel -> System icon -> Hardware tab -> Devices administrator tab ->
Ports (Com & LPT) -> Double click on communications port (Com 1 or 2 ) -> Port
configuration tab

Verify the following values:

Bits per second: 9600

Data bits: 8
Parity: None
Stop bits: 1
Flow control: none

With this we have finished configuring our hardware.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Software installation.
Software installation is very easy. Just extract the downloaded files into a folder:

icprog105C.zip -> icprog.exe (the main program)

help_spanish.zip -> icprog.chm (the help file)
icprog_driver.zip -> icprog.sys (the driver for Win NT/2000/XP)

Note: if we use Windows XP, an error message will be shown the first time we run the
program.

Windows NT/2000/XP doesn’t let any program to use the hardware directly. Only
through windows APIs or through specific drivers. Icprog tries to access to the serial
port so the error is shown. To solve this we’ll have two options:

1- Configure Icprog for using the windows APIs or

2- Install the specific drivers.

First, we’ll accept the error message, and the software will run.

1 .- Use the Windows APIs:

Open Menu -> Settings -> Hardware and check Windows Api. Press OK.

Close the program and start it again. Now the error message is not shown.

2 .- Using specific drivers for NT/2000/XP

Open Menú -> Settings -> Hardware and select Direct I/O. Press OK.

Then:
Menú -> Settings -> Options -> Mics tab and check Enable NT/2000/XP Driver. Press
OK. The following message will be shown:

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Answer Yes.

A new mesagge for installing the driver will be shown:

Answer Yes and the driver will be installed.

The program is now ready to work.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Software configuration.
Start IcProg.exe

Ø Hardware settings (mandatory):

Menú –> Settings -> Type of Hardware

Programmer -> JDM Programer

Ports -> 1 or 2, depending on where we connected the serial cable.
I/O retard -> 10 (we will decrease this value if we have problems).
Interface -> we set it before.
Communication -> All disabled.
Click Ok.

Ø Other settings (optional):

Menu –> Settings -> Options -> Confirmation tab
We will check the desired options.

Menu –> Settings -> Options -> Programming tab

We will check “Verify”.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Programming the microcontroller

1. Select the device (microcontroller) to be programmed.

2. Open the code file to be written in the PIC.

Code is stored in the selected buffer.

Oscillator and Configuration bits are changed as indicated by the *.hex file. We can
maintain these values, or change them later if we have problems during the
programming proccess.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

3. Verifying the information.

The file code that we want to write in the microcontroller is stored in the buffer. The
programmer is connected to the proper serial port.

4. Programming the microcontroller

Clic the “Write all” button. Some messages will be shown:

§ Device writing confirmation (if enabled)

§ Writing code progress bar
§ Writing data progress bar
§ Writing configuration
§ Verifying code (if enabled)
§ Verifying data (if enabled)

We will only know if the writing procces has been successsfully finished if we have
enabled the verification option.

Anyway, we can click the verification button after the writing proccess.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

and when the “Verification completed” message is shown, the PIC is successfully
programmed.

If we obtain a message like this:

it means that there’s an error in the first position. Most of times this is caused by a
communications error.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net
 How to program a PIC microcontroller
IOCards Project

Errors solutions:
General

v Only one chip must be inserted in the programmer sockets

v Erase the PIC before writing it
v Close all other applications running on the PC

Try again after this advices. If you still have problems try this:

Hardware

v Check the cable connections and the number of the serial port
v Check the model of PIC that we are programming
v Check the PIC position on the socket
v Check that all the pins are correctly inserted on the socket

Try again after this advices. If you still have problems try this:

Software

v Check the type of PIC.

v Check Menu -> Settings -> Type of hardware.
v Check the number of serial port selected.
v Check that the file code (*.hex) is correct. It’s no good writing a *.txt file in the
PIC.

Try again after this advices. If you still have problems try this:

v Decrease the value of “Bits per second” (Software configuration). Use the values
4800, 2400, 1200 y 300 trying with each of them.

Try again after this advices. If you still have problems try this:

v Menu -> Settings -> Hardware type, decrease two points the value of I/O retard
and try after each decrease.

Try again after this advices. If you still have problems try this:

v Change the port

v Use another PC
v Try another programmer
v Change the PIC

If everything fails, don’t worry. Look for your friends; at least one of them will be able
to program your PIC.

By: Fernando Brea

fernandobrea@eresmas.net