PIC simulator : A cool one

I guess most of you who are using using PIC for theirproject do use a simulator to test your code first then realise it as a hardware. For those who are not aware of simulators well i’l give it a briefing.
Simulators are software that you’l use to test your code.As in the case of PIC simulator you will load the .HEX file that you wrote in MicroC.

The simulator will give you the graphic view of the pins, an integrated LCD display on your screen and Program memory contents and the ROM memory contents of the PIC you will be using. All you have to do is it just load the.HEX you wrote and watch the poins go high and low. You may induce external sensor signal using a buttpn in front of the pins to actually suimulate how your program will respond on occurance of a signal from your sensor.There will be various spped of execution and you may view at your own pace.

Simulators greately help in optimising you code and are a great techinical tool.I normally use the simulator from Oshonsoft.

In that download page if you are using PIC16F877A you’l have to download the first one.
This software is not FREE and comes in a trial period of 30 trials. I made a partition of 2 GB to load a OS and load this using partition magic that essentially doesn’t damage your existing data during partition. Then at the end of trail period i reformat the 2GB and load this again and use.(Not a real fun still worth it).

The interface is cool and simple and nice to use with no complications and confusions.

In the picture above you may see lot of things . just don’t confuse. all you have to do is . File–>load hex. then just click to simulate.Then watch your pic screen tha’a the picture below.

i guess now things are clear. you can see the PINS and a green in front of it indicates a high in that particular pin and a grey color indicates a low. In pics that have A/D conversion facility you may adjust the A/D using a adjuster which is shown at the centre saying “Change Analog value”. Hey ant this will disappear once you set it so you’lthen have a cool uninterrupted view of your PIC and the PIN states. This will be most helpfull for someone beginig with a PIC learning.

For begginers i’l suggest you to just pull down an example hex provided to you after you installing Microc. for example the simplest being “LED Blinking” and test its hex on th simulator. This will give you a very good idea of using you simulator.
Well now chill out and get your copy od simulator and get working.

–Madan
P.S:-This simulator is of great help and i had tested my micomouse code on this simulator and is amazing tool to debug.
–>to purchase a version i badly need 55 euro. is anyone likes to contribute a bit for that please feel free to donate here
Thanks for that!!!

Microsoft Bot Contest!! “Now Create Robots with Microsoft”

Well Gates doesn’t want you to make any bot to count his money nor his associates around the world. The contest is to make a bot for MSN messenger. Hey wait did MSN sound to you like an internet messaging service.. yeah you are right. Then what Bot to make??well you’l understand if you do this.

–>Open you msn messenger: all window versions will have one installed.
–> now if you donot have a hotmail id get it registered (you’l need it anyway to comtest) then once you have signid in into MSN messenger with your Id just add these contacts:
samplebot@hotmail.com
secretarybot@hotmail.com
alice@worldofalice.com
cox@mamute.org
recipesfinder@hotmail.com
processbot@hotmail.com
xboxRobot@hotmail.com
santa.robot@hotmail.com
dubyabot@hotmail.com
chat@insidemessenger.com
and talk to them!!!

–>Hi, found them talking stange?? Well don’t get surprised , They are the robots microsoft wants us to make.

I wondered if this was about robots at all ?? do you. (leave a comment about this. A topic to be diuscussed) . Wellthis is a contest that can fetchyou upto 20 laks in INR and $40,000 if you win. Microsoft gives lnk to three robot builders to write up you code. suggestions of the extent to which they would want that robot to work for you to make your winning chance better is all discussed in their webpage. Link upto them here

http://www.robotinvaders.com/main/default.aspx

Try it out. I found that the best part in creating it is to decide your response for various question. I wrote up one to make the user say “sorry” before the bot ever responded to him, he he he… it was FUN. i crated and tested it only on my computer and not on the network. i downloaded the ‘Conversagent™ BuddyScript SDK‘. but will soon download Akonix® L7 Builder™ SDK but its about a 102Mb .

You’l have to download the IDE’s and create your bot and set it up in a place which they provide at http://www.improvcenter.com/ and then submit to the contest. Registration essentiually means submiting your dfinished robot.

Try it out . Its open for students an professionals and just about anybody, Who knows you can chill out with some cash at the end of it.

–Madan
P.S:-
–>In case you are contestint pls comment it here so that you can help people who do not know what to do further once they are stuck somewhere!!

–>I personally have nothing with MSN or microsoft but i think this contest is just about a great stategy to get more people sign up with MSN and popularise the IDE’s.Hey don’t get suspicious, do try it.

PC Based Osciloscope : Winscope 2.51

This is one cool software that very robotic engineer must have. All credits to Konstantin Zeldovich . Its working is quite simple,just connect the probe to your sound card and watch the wave on your monitor. Its an amazin oscilloscope for budding roboteers than buyin a 20Ghz oscilloscope for about 20K which you'l nerver be using that high frequencies.For most newbie application the range that it offers that's 20Hz – 20Khz is quite enough. it gives variable gains, XY mode. and then its so handy and comes in a small ZIP package.

Download it from here .

Is this not enough to try this FREE software?? well then have a look at this

Trust me its awesome. Follow the link for downloading it above and make your personal oscilloscope in seconds.

—Madan
P.S:- It comes along with a readme file and a 55kb help file.Just have look