You must make sure that certain options are set the first time you program the PICmicro. You can access these options by selecting the "Configure PICmicro button" on the toolbar of the IDE

The configuration options screen will be displayed as shown below. Don't panic! There are quite a few options available but you should not need to use most of them within this course.

You should first make sure that the 16F84 device is selected in the box on the top-right of the screen (if you are using a different PICmicro device, then change this accordingly but these tutorials are specifically designed for a 16F84 or 16F84A chip).

Another important option to select is the "version 1 compatible" - select this if you are using the old version 1 boards, but make sure it is deselected if you are using the version 2 board. If you are using the version 2 board, you should tick the "verify PIC contents" and "check cable" as these will let you know when there is a problem sending data to the board. (Note that these options are not available in the version 1 board).

Your "LPT port address" should be 0x378, and the "use delay value" should be unchecked. If you have any problem sending data to the PICmicro, these options can be used to rectify any problems - the PPP help file has more details.

The only other option to worry about is the "Ignore HEX fuse data". This should be unchecked because the ASM files in these tutorials have PICmicro configuration data (otherwise known as "fuse" data) embedded within them. This embedded information is the "configuration word", which contains information about the oscillator type, code protection and which timers are enabled within the PIC. This means that you should not need to worry about specifying the correct oscillator type, etc. within this screen.

The development board developed by Matrix Multimedia can be used with 2 of the oscillator types - XT and RC - depending on which position the oscillator-selector switch is on the board. If you are having problems getting the programs to run, make sure the switches on the development board conform to those listed in the ASM file itself. Similarly, if you are developing your own programs that do not include embedded fuse data, you must make sure that the oscillator type is set correctly, and that any timers you require have been enabled by setting them in this configuration screen. You should make sure that "code protection" is always unselected unless you are an advanced user wishing to use this facility.

For more information on how to use PPP, please see the version 2 development board data sheet or the "PPP help.htm" help file that accompanies PPP.