EDF - OnePIC MCU  v1.1.0
8bit IR Demo User's Guide

Steps to run demo:

  1. Add 8bit IR folder by right clicking the OnePIC project header and follow the screenshot below.
  2. Select OnePIC: 8bit_IR
    8bit_dropdown1.jpg
    8bit_dropdown2.jpg
8bit_all_parts.JPG

Physical Setup for the 8bit IR demo.

Note:
The IR Link is directional, the IR Dongle and PICtail must face each other

For more in-depth documentation, please see the associated 8bit IR document.

Please install the MCP2200 driver and then double-click the 8bitIR.exe. The Simple-IO.dll should also be in the same directory as the executable. This file can be found inside the same zip archive as the driver file which can be downloaded on microchip's website.

The EDF board should also have its IR PICtail inserted into the board with the transceiver facing the LCD & programming header as seen in the above picture.

Once the driver is installed and a board or dongle (or any MCP2200 device) is plugged in, Windows will create a virtual COM port. Below shows the splash screen of the GUI.

8bit_gui1.jpg

This is the screen that will be presented when the GUI is first started. The Dongle must be paired first before any communication is to occur. Only plug in one MCP2200 device (the dongle) to pair. Once paired successfully, you should see something similar below.

8bit_gui2.jpg

The MCP2200 serial number as well as the COM port in which it is connected to will now be saved and automatically loaded on each time the GUI is run. These settings are saved in on the PC in the user's local AppData folder.

Press 'Open' to open the port and start communicating. When this is pressed, the Serial Port will be assigned the settings that are currently selected in their respective drop box. This must be performed! A SUCCESSwill appear if windows could open the port. This does not test if the board is successfully communicating with the GUI.

Only the default settings work as of V1.0, which is why some boxes are grayed out. If any of these settings are changed from their default, a: Warning. Unsupported Settings Used will be issued. The EDF board should now be programmed with the 8bit_IR project. It can be powered by either a battery or USB. The GUI should now display what button was pressed as well as TX/RX LEDs. The RX/TX status labels are with respect to the Dongle as seen below.

8bit_gui3.jpg

To send a single character, type the character in the textbox and then either press enter or click 'send'. The character will now be erased and displayed on the LCD next to 'TX: '. Only the first character can be sent at a time. If a string is entered into the box, it will be discarded with the exception of the first byte. Board-to-Board communication is also possible without the use of the IR dongle. Simply connect the EDF board to the PC and pair it. You can now communicate to the EDF board directly.

Warning:
Please do not disconnect any MCP2200 devices while the GUI is running. The virtual serial driver and protocol are antiquated and will break if this happens. To be safe, if any error messages occur such as COMX does not exist, simply unplug the device and restart the GUI.
8bit_pictail.JPG

Be sure to insert this into the EDF board with the front side of the board facing the inside

8bit_ir_dongle.JPG

IR Dongle that should be connected to a computer