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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Question about Microbridge
| Author | Message | ||||
knivd Regular Member  Joined: 07/09/2014 Location: United KingdomPosts: 72 |
I have a need to upload firmware into a PIC32MZ and thinking of taking the easy road given by the microbrodge. I only wonder if it will work the way I need it - UART-->PIC32, and USB to remain unused. Is that possible? Thanks Edited 2022-02-28 20:23 by knivd |
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| Tinine Guru  Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
All I can offer is that I successfully loaded ByPic on to a MX170+Microbridge. Terminal is assigned to different pins on ByPic so all I could do was load the firmware. Craig |
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| knivd Regular Member Joined: 07/09/2014 Location: United KingdomPosts: 72 |
Did you upload it through the UART or via USB? |
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| matherp Guru Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 10620 |
Not quite sure what you are asking. The microbridge loads to the pic on the pics pins that are defined for PGEC and PGED. It works on pics that don't even have USB. The microbridge itself connects to the computer using its USB port and can only connect like that. |
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phil99 Guru Joined: 11/02/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2832 |
One of the easiest ways to load a .HEX file on to any PIC32 is with TassyJim's MMFlash program using a MM2, MM+, Arduino Nano or MicroBridge for the ICSP hardware. |
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| knivd Regular Member Joined: 07/09/2014 Location: United KingdomPosts: 72 |
Simply put, I want to explore the possibility of using the microbridge as a hardware "bootloader". On one side is my PIC32 board, on the other side is something else connected via serial port (not USB). The "something else" part uploads a hex file into the PIC32 board via the microbridge Edited 2022-02-28 22:30 by knivd |
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| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
All I remember is that I grabbed a couple of micromite.org modules that consist of a SMD MX170 and a piggy-backed microbridge. I loaded the MMBasic firmware successfully via the micro-USB and just for giggles replaced it with ByPic_Firmware. I believe that was the end of it and the module went back in its box. I have a Pickit-4 which is pretty much all I use. If this module could be of any use to you, please PM me and I'll send it. I'm in the process of disposing of things that I have no real need for. Craig |
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| Tinine Guru Joined: 30/03/2016 Location: United KingdomPosts: 1646 |
@knivd How is the "something else" coming along? I keep checking for updates on the "something else" forum  Craig |
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| robert.rozee Guru Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 2466 |
if you are wanting to program a PIC32 over a serial link, then the answer is YES, this is possible, but not using a "microbridge" which only talks down a USB link. you need to use an Arduino (ATmega328p) to do this - either a bare 328p chip with appropriate Arduino bootloader installed, or an Arduino Pro Mini. The Pro Mini talks serial directly (no USB to serial bridge), and is an easy option. the pic32prog repository is located here: https://github.com/sergev/pic32prog pic32prog has embedded within it the necessary binary for a 5 volt 16MHz Arduino Nano. this should, in theory, also work on a 16MHz Pro Mini, but may not. when i wrote the code (nearly 7 years ago!), i only tested it on a Nano. the source code for this binary is contained in the bitbang folder here: https://github.com/sergev/pic32prog/blob/master/bitbang/ICSP_v1E.ino (browse) https://github.com/sergev/pic32prog/raw/master/bitbang/ICSP_v1E.ino (download) read the comments in the source code carefully. you need to MODIFY the Arduino IDE's serial library to expand the serial Rx buffer size to 1024 bytes, the comments explain this. a schematic showing how to wire things up is here: https://github.com/sergev/pic32prog/raw/master/bitbang/ascii%20ICSP%20using%20arduino%20nano%20v1_1.pdf cheers, rob :-) Edited 2022-02-28 23:05 by robert.rozee |
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| knivd Regular Member Joined: 07/09/2014 Location: United KingdomPosts: 72 |
Thank you! I found a pdf with your original work, dated 4/4/16. Does the method described there apply to the PIC32MZ as well? The microbridge page only mentions PIC32MX, and the PIC32MZ family chips have a different size flash page |
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| robert.rozee Guru Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 2466 |
as i recall it does work with the MZ devices, insofar as Peter produced a port of MMbasic that ran on one of the MZ processor (i don't remember which one) and verified that pic32prog could upload the firmware to it. cheers, rob :-) |
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| knivd Regular Member Joined: 07/09/2014 Location: United KingdomPosts: 72 |
Great. And what is the input, a hex file? |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4147 |
Are you sure you want to use PIC32MZ? Almost no-one does & the software and other support is very poor. BTW, Maybe pic32prog documentation tells you what input file it accepts... John Edited 2022-03-01 21:25 by JohnS |
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| phil99 Guru Joined: 11/02/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2832 |
The file has to be .HEX as that goes over ASCII serial easiest. Pic32prog.exe is intended for an Arduino Nano but TassyJim's Windows front end for it (MMFlash) can also use a MM2 or MM+ by switching it to a different mode . Pic32prog.BAS gets loaded on to the MM (with Peter's Pic32prog CSub). Very easy to use. Click the link at the end of any of Jim's posts and scroll down. Edited 2022-03-01 21:44 by phil99 |
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| knivd Regular Member Joined: 07/09/2014 Location: United KingdomPosts: 72 |
Where did that come from? Yes, I am sure. This is a non-MM related project, and I only need the programming interface to save me from writing a bootloader. The chip itself is excellent, and I use a MZ port of the Plib, which saves me from the unpleasantness of using the Microchip's Harmony, so I have no issues whatsoever with "poor support" |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4147 |
With so few users, I'd worry as to when it will be discontinued. John |
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| knivd Regular Member Joined: 07/09/2014 Location: United KingdomPosts: 72 |
Ah, that... Microchip are not known to easily discontinue products. They still offer some PICs from the mid 1990s, so I am not worrying about that at all . Edited 2022-03-01 23:35 by knivd |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4147 |
Yeah - they actually sold well, though! John |
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| knivd Regular Member Joined: 07/09/2014 Location: United KingdomPosts: 72 |
Btw, in case someone needs a Plib port for the MZ, drop me a message |
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| zeitfest Guru Joined: 31/07/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 622 |
A MZ2048 is used as a controller in the recent Silicon Chip dual power supply - might be a base for other stuff. I don't know if the software was created using Harmony or not. |
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