Help with Breadboarded electronic circuit

[Omar.M]

I had the same problem the first few times I breadboarded any circuit using my microcontroller. I am not sure if our problems are alike, but I remember that I was not pushing on the microcontroller hard enough (so it wasn't fully connected on the breadboard). Because of that, the blinking lights were dim and sometimes really wacky.

Again, just taking a crack at it. Doesn't hurt to push the microcontroller in more. By the way, don't take a hammer and whack it in place-- I mean gently press it so it is in more .

Omar

 

[AllVol]

I had the same problem the first few times I breadboarded any circuit using my microcontroller. I was not pushing on the microcontroller hard enough (so it wasn't fully connected on the breadboard). Omar

Along that line, you should try to not use anything larger than AWG 24 wire with a breadboard if possible. The larger leads sometimes found on surplus caps, resistors and other components can spring the small metal clips, rendering them virtually useless in the future.

1N4001 diodes from Radio Shack are especially bad to spring clips.

 

[Logan.Bahro]

The microcontroller is in all of the way.

I'm using AWG 22 wire. Is this a problem?

Something interesting that happens with the circuit - when I unplug the wall wart, and it's just running off of the 470 :mu:F caps for a moment, everything works normally.

 

[Sceadwian]

Poor ripple rejection?

 

[Omar.M]

Yes, Sceadwian is right. Try throwing a few more capacitors into the circuit. One or two big capacitors before the regulation begins, and a few smaller ones on the power bus strip (on the breadboard) after the regulation.

You might try to use a 9V battery and hook it up to the regulator. That might help you find out if the power ripples are affecting the circuit.

 

[ericgibbs]

morning Logan,

Your program runs OK on my simulator, as I have no 16F88 to hand I can't program a PIC.

My MPLAB assembler throws up some warnings.

I see that your OSCCON has been set for 2MHz internal.

What assembler are you using, as its unusual to have to 'equ' the ports and status regs.

Let me know and I will retest your program

Regards

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

What assembler are you using, as its unusual to have to 'equ' the ports and status regs.

I'm constantly amazed by the number of posters who do this?, why don't they use the include file provided by MicroChip?. I have noticed there are a number of websites that use this very bad habit - so perhaps they all visit one of those first?.

 

[Logan.Bahro]

Powering it from a 9V battery fixed it.

Thank you everyone!

 

[BeeBop]

For some reason, this is missing from the thread, so I'll quote what I got in the mail:

Dear BeeBop,

blueroomelectronics has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to
entitled - Help with Breadboarded electronic circuit - in the General
Electronics Chat forum of Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free.

This thread is located at:
https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/help-with-breadboarded-electronic-circuit.28842/

Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
Did no one notice RA4 is being used to drive an LED? (This is an open
collector output)
***************

Missed that one, and I should know better; I've done the same at one time, and looked at my own circuit for a long time before noticing.

I've got to stop eating out of aluminum!

Logan, William is correct, RA4 won't drive the LED the way you have it hooked up.

 

[Logan.Bahro]

That's strange. It works fine how I have it hooked up, and I don't have a pull up resistor on RA4 or anything. Are you sure that is true on the 16f88?

 

[BeeBop]

Ah, that's why his post was deleted! Pardon me! I'm old and senile.