TheBackShed.com

Forum Index : Electronics : beginning picaxe for old dogs

Page 5 of 5

Author

Message

Downwind

Guru

Joined: 09/09/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2333

Posted: 01:51pm 21 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Greenbelt,

I would send the supplyer a polite email explaining the problem they have caused and how it has damaged all the main components on the board.
Even point them to the forum disussion on the problem.

If you are lucky you might get a compleet replacement or the components replaced.

You dont get if you dont ask.
An email is cheap and a squeaky wheel is often oiled.

Pete.

Ps. I can relate your signature.

Sometimes it just works

Downwind

Guru

Joined: 09/09/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2333

Posted: 09:52am 22 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Back to learning picaxe!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a few of you with boards now and this thread has gone silent from you guys.

Time to put the end to jingle bells!

SO!!

I will set a programming challenge to all of you involved.

The challenge is:-

to write a program to flash the Red led once, the Blue led twice, the green 3 times and the yellow 4 times then repeat the process.

I dont care how you go about it or what commands you use.
If you have trouble than ask.

Please PM me when you have a working example. So no cheating off each other.
Then we will post each program to see the difference.

There is a doggy bone prize for the first to write a working program.

Pete.

Sometimes it just works

Joblow
Regular Member

Joined: 05/01/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 54

Posted: 01:46pm 26 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Can I solder in a USB cable into the programming port connections, and if so which wires go where?

The man who never made a mistake never made anything

Downwind

Guru

Joined: 09/09/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2333

Posted: 02:11pm 26 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Joblow,

short answer NO!

You need to use a serial port like com 1.
If you have no serial ports on your computer (thought you said you did) than you will need a USB to Serial cable. This cable has a converter built into it.

Like this.

I was hunting on ebay last week and found them here for Au$3.50 including postage.
I have bought some but not yet received them to know if they preform ok.

Ebay USB to Serial cables

This supplier provides a driver for Vista but many are not supported for Vista.

Pete.

Ps. Do a search of the sellers store as i see some there even cheaper now in Au$. Just check what drivers are supported with each.Edited by Downwind 2010-01-28

Sometimes it just works

Joblow
Regular Member

Joined: 05/01/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 54

Posted: 02:47pm 26 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Thanks downwin,
The cables I thought I had turn out to have 15 pins, this fits my computer (laptop) OK but not the Picaxe, maybe I'll have to see if my desktop has 9 pin ports.
But what the hell, I may as well shell out $3.50, it's only money

The man who never made a mistake never made anything

Joblow
Regular Member

Joined: 05/01/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 54

Posted: 07:09am 28 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

I've just been reading the Picax manual 1>quick start, and it says not to use 9v battery as this will damage the chip, use only 3 x AAA = 4.5v. As the fish and chip lady said, 'please explain'

The man who never made a mistake never made anything

Downwind

Guru

Joined: 09/09/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2333

Posted: 09:14am 28 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hello Pauline,

I hope you are smarter than her, or god help us, we are all in trouble.

The picaxe chip has a max input voltage of 5 volts and will work down to around 3 volts.

So yes the manual is correct.

But smart ass here put a 5 volt regulator on the board (LM-7805) so you can use anywhere from 7 volts to 30 volts input and the voltage reg will still supply 5 volts to the picaxe and the whole circuit board.

The other important point to make is the input pins of the picaxe MUST NOT have a voltage input of above 5 volts applied to them.
If the picaxe is interfaced with a circuit using a higher voltage then protection is required to ensure the signal voltage to the input pin can NEVER go about 5 volts.

The outputs have a limited capacity to supply around 20 mA only.
Hence why the proto board has transistors to switch the leds and peizo etc.
Even though the leds and peizo could be driven directly from the picaxe the transistors are there to protect the picaxe output pins from being overloaded should some other circuitry be added drawing more current.

And NO i will not be running in the next election...Will you??????????

Pete.

Sometimes it just works

Joblow
Regular Member

Joined: 05/01/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 54

Posted: 09:56am 28 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Thanks Pete.
Just like to show my ignorance now and again.

ps. running for office not a bad idea. Yesterday I couldn't even spell politshn, now I are one!

The man who never made a mistake never made anything

Downwind

Guru

Joined: 09/09/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2333

Posted: 11:47am 28 Jan 2010

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

There is no such thing as ignorance or dumb questions in this thread.
I promote them.
I see it as a question answered is = to 10 steps forward.
I thought it rude in a past thread where someone asked what the meaning of "symbol" meant and was told to buy a book.
The whole meaning behind this thread is to open a discussion at a starting level and learn as you progress.

One thing to explain is if you get sick of "Jingle Bells" as you try to load something different than move the blue jumper marked SPK... one pin to the left.
This will disconnect the speaker.
Its the same with all the other jumpers they are there to connect/disconnect the various pin same as a switch would.

Pete.

Sometimes it just works

Page 5 of 5

Print this page

To reply to this topic, you need to log in.