START OF TUTORIAL 1

Development board users should use the IDE to load the PICmicro with program TUTA1.HEX Click on the 'Full' Listing tab to see the settings needed.

This program is not intended for simulation on the Vlab.

SCREEN CLICK OPTIONS

Before we embark on the tutorials, first a few words about the options that are open to you via the screen and the mouse.

Of the two main text areas which you see, the one you are reading from now is the area in which only the tutorial texts are shown; call it the Text screen.

The text area on the right, call it the List screen, is used to show selected sections of program listings so that you can readily see the program commands to which the tutorial text is referring. That is what you see in this screen now, the relevant extract from program TUTA1.ASM. In this case, it's actually the entire program, but the principle remains!

The listing extract is always loaded into this area whenever you first enter a numbered tutorial section. To view the full program listing click on the 'Full listing / IDE' button.

The Full Listing is the complete .ASM file listing from which the extract listing has been taken. This text is the one from which the code actually sent to the PICmicro MCU is assembled. If you open the IDE to view the Full listing you will notice the head of the program looks like this;

;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
;program name
;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
;Configuration Data
;development board settings
;:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Always check the configuration data before sending your program to the PICmicro MCU. If a program appears not to work as it should it may be that you have the development board configured with the wrong settings.

There are five buttons above the two screen boxes. Three EXERCISE buttons, the Vlab button and the Full listing / IDE button just referred to.

Most buttons have two states: enabled and disabled. An enabled button is a button that when clicked will cause something to happen (the Vlab will open etc.), and a disabled button will do nothing when it is clicked.

A disabled button looks different to an enabled button: it is 'greyed out'

Descriptions of buttons and their functionality

* Any number of the three exercise buttons may be enabled. Clicking on an enabled exercise button will open a window displaying a suggested experimental exercise for you to consider and try to implement.

* The Vlab button - in this mode the Full listing is loaded into the simulator and you can run it, observing how the PICmicro MCU processes each of the commands. You may also amend and experiment with the Full listing programs from within this mode. If the Vlab button is disabled the listing extract is not intended for simulation (as with the extract shown now).

* The Full listing / IDE button - in this mode you can edit, compile and send the programs to the development board. Whenever you click on the IDE button it opens with the Full listing program . To compile the program you press the 'Assemble' button. To send the program to a development board you press the 'Program' button. If you feel adventurous you can also modify (edit) the code, if you do this you should save your code using a different name as you don't want to overwrite the tutorials! Although the IDE will load the current tutorial program by default you can use it to open any .ASM file you like (other tutorials or your own programs)

To learn more about the IDE or the Vlab you should read the relevant material in the 'Getting started section'

PRINTING

You may wish to have printouts of the listings or text. Printouts of the exercises in particular will be especially helpful, simplifying matters when you need to follow the text of the exercises as well as create, assemble and load your own program files.

The full Listings and any .ASM files (including programs you write) can be printed off directly from the IDE. Load the relevant program and select 'print' from the File menu.

If you are using Internet Explorer click on the page you want to print with the right hand mouse button. This will open a menu. Select 'print' from the menu and the selected page will be printed off.

If you are using Netscape click on the page you want to print with the right hand mouse button. This will open a menu. Select 'open frame in new window' from the menu. This will load the page you have selected into a separate browser window. In the new window, go to 'File' on the toolbar and select 'print' from the dropdown menu and the page will be printed off. Close this window once the document has been sent to the printer.

Now use the contents tree to navigate to Tutorial 1.2 where we shall discuss Listing 1.