Programming a PIC18F4620?

[Oznog]

After filling up a PIC18F452, I decided to try out the new PIC18F4620. It's twice the code space, more RAM, and just became readily available.

I found the Warp13 software for my Warp13 programmer does not support it yet. Did anybody else make software for the Warp13 programmer? Or am I screwed for now?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

After filling up a PIC18F452, I decided to try out the new PIC18F4620. It's twice the code space, more RAM, and just became readily available.

The first obvious question is what did you do with all the memory?. 16,000 words is an awful lot of PIC code, what are you writing it in?.

I found the Warp13 software for my Warp13 programmer does not support it yet. Did anybody else make software for the Warp13 programmer? Or am I screwed for now?

The software for the warp13 is in a PIC on the programmer, it's a true serial port programmer - which is why it can be MPLAB compatible. So you need updated software for the PIC on the programmer, no one, other than the author, is likely to write software for such a specific use.

I suggest you try contacting the author, he's got contact details on his website, and prides himself on swiftly adding new devices (as he should do, it's an expensive commercial product!).

 

[Oznog]

It drives a 256x128 LCD display with graphical fonts. There's a user interface, i2c interface, bar graphs, error handling, etc. Yeah it got pretty full, I think the last figure was around 75% and it's getting hard for the compiler to fit each module into a psect. Still I have needs for another large font and a list of additional features. You could blame it on being compiled C code, but I'd never write this much code in assembly.

Warp13's home page has me a little dismayed. They say they're not doing email anymore except for bugs. I emailed them anyways last night, too early to expect an answer.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

It drives a 256x128 LCD display with graphical fonts. There's a user interface, i2c interface, bar graphs, error handling, etc. Yeah it got pretty full, I think the last figure was around 75% and it's getting hard for the compiler to fit each module into a psect. Still I have needs for another large font and a list of additional features. You could blame it on being compiled C code, but I'd never write this much code in assembly.

Perhaps you could try optimising your C code?, I suspect well written assembler would make a large difference, but writing your C code with smaller neater code in mind would probably make a good bit of difference.

Warp13's home page has me a little dismayed. They say they're not doing email anymore except for bugs. I emailed them anyways last night, too early to expect an answer.

Dontronics list the Warp13 as no longer available, I wonder what's happened?.

 

[Oznog]

I could optimize some. Actually I tried to keep optimization in mind when writing it in the first place. It can do ok in its exisiting package, but there's a lot of room for improvement, I wanted to add a GPS interface for one. I need a larger font and hate to just blow up the existing one, it makes it blocky.

PIC18F4620 is only a few bucks more and if it turns out to be a reliable chip it'd be silly to stick with the lessened functionality. I do have a healthy fear of "undiscovered errata" (bugs). They do have one errata sheet out on it so far.

 

[williB]

Got any pics of the display..?