[sdiy] Pic program to midi interface

[Craig Critchley]

From: "patchell" <patchell at silcom.com>
>     There are several books on programming the PIC, find one that you
> like.  Then, sit down and start with simple programs.  Generally, the
> first thing I do with any new system is write a short program that will
> turn an LED on and off.  This is important, because, it is about the
> only way you are going to get any "debug" information from your PIC,
> unless you purchase an in circuit emulator (I am too cheap to do that
> myself).

Check out the combination of the new PIC16F87x parts and the PIC-ICD tool.
The PIC-ICD is a programmer and rudimentary debugger - not an ICE but a lot
better than nothing.  The "F" parts are flash programmable so you can
quickly change your code and upload a new version.

The ICD comes with a daughterboard you can plug into a prototype.  You can
also design a debugging/programming port into your device so you can update
your firmware on a finished board.  Doing so consumes three or four port B
pins and adds a connector (6-pin phone jack) and a couple of resistors, <$1.
The whole ICD kit is $99 I think.  I have the serial version, which is
rather slow, but apparently there is a USB version now.

I found it very handy when building my touchscreen interface.

Then again, even with the ICD, being able to wiggle a pin for an LED or a
'scope is an invaluable debugging trick...

                        ...Craig