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Forum Index : Electronics : Remote Sensing

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Bryan1

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Joined: 22/02/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 1395
Posted: 10:36pm 15 Dec 2007
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  GWatPE said  

what you have stated is quite valid for a much more powerful micro, but the options are very limited with only 14 bytes or 7 word variables in an AXE-08M.

cheers, Gordon.


Gordon,
As you state the picaxe has a limited memory, why in the world won't you simply upgrade to using a real pic instead of a micro designed for school kids. The 16f88 is a 18 pin micro with 8kb of memory and can use a bootloader. Oshonsoft do a cheap basic compiler/simulator so in my opnion that should be the way to go. If you like I can load a bootloader onto a 16f88 and post the chip down to you.

Cheers Bryan
 
herbnz

Senior Member

Joined: 18/02/2007
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 258
Posted: 02:45am 16 Dec 2007
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Gordon,
As you state the picaxe has a limited memory, why in the world won't you simply upgrade to using a real pic instead of a micro designed for school kids. The 16f88 is a 18 pin micro with 8kb of memory and can use a bootloader. Oshonsoft do a cheap basic compiler/simulator so in my opnion that should be the way to go. If you like I can load a bootloader onto a 16f88 and post the chip down to you.

Cheers Bryan

Bryan I agree I have also usually used 16f88 and have a programming board its great the picaxe range for simple development and ease of progamming but once set up its a waste to have the command overhead on the chip.
Even other brands such as Intel etc can be just as cheap and many times more powerful once the idea of assembyling / compiling is grasped.
Plenty of free software in basic C etc is out there
Herb
 
GWatPE

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Joined: 01/09/2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 2127
Posted: 09:48am 16 Dec 2007
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Hi herb,

I do not intend to get back into C++ programming again. I left it in 1986, when I finished writing and debugging a program to output PCB layout data from PCLO, [Commodore AMIGA 1000] to a Roland DXY880 plotter to make a 2Mb DRAM expansion board for the A1000.

The 8kb memory you talk about in the 16F88 is accessed through a bank switching process. This is similar to the stampIIpe, with multiple 2kb blocks. It is not a simple task to utilize all of the memory efficiently.

I originally only wanted to use a chip that Gizmo had used, in another task. I have been able to achieve transmission of 300 readings per second with the remote sensing and RF telemetry. Pretty well all the applications I am working on now work with the over 1000 readings/sec that I get with the opto coupled version.

You knock the AXE chips. There may be an overhead interpreter loading on the processor, but by reducing the task to building blocks and parallel processing, a significant boost in overall cct performance is possible. Each section of the task can be individually checked for operation without affecting the other tasks. I have a modular approach to my designs now, and I am able to link modules in series/parallel to perform very complicated tasks.

I am sure that as micros evolve and compilers etc become easier to use that other alternative solutions will outcome.

cheers, Gordon.
become more energy aware
 
herbnz

Senior Member

Joined: 18/02/2007
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 258
Posted: 06:56pm 16 Dec 2007
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Hi
Far from knocking picaxe I think revelution has come up with the greatest thing since sliced bread. They get our begineers into microcontrolers. The stamp range was an early attempt at the samr concept. However in developing working ccts its time to move on. Interestingly I have been repairing both Trace and Tristar controllers recently I take the time to do a bit reverse engineering both use the raw pic range.
If you do not like C as a language plenty Basic interperaters that nearly identical to picaxe basic. Also no need to concern oneselve with banks here This is only necessary if programming in assembly for compact high speed code.
Herb
 
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