Sending data to laptop via USB from PIC16F684

[Steve311]

Hi All,
Im working with a project that will require sending data from a PIC16F684 to a laptop. What is the easiest way to accomplish this? Basically, the PIC will read specific values and send them to some sort (any sort) of GUI on a laptop via USB/RS-232.

Any thoughts?

Thanks All
SL

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Use a USB/Serial converr lead, this allows a USB connection at the PC end (but allows you to access it as a virtual serial port making it simple to use), and a serial port at the PIC end, and serial is trivial to do in a PIC. It's up tp how you send the data, which depends a lot on what it is - if you send it as comma delimited data, you could read it directly in to a spread sheet?.

 

[Steve311]

Thank you Nigel. Very interesting. I have a RS-232 to USB converter which should suffice for the data line. I am very unfimiliar with writing to a PC via PIC. I have never attempted this before. How would I send comma delimited data? I would LOVE to have the data sent directly to a spreadsheet such as Excel? Is this possible using a PIC16F684?

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Thank you Nigel. Very interesting. I have a RS-232 to USB converter which should suffice for the data line. I am very unfimiliar with writing to a PC via PIC. I have never attempted this before. How would I send comma delimited data? I would LOVE to have the data sent directly to a spreadsheet such as Excel? Is this possible using a PIC16F684?

Check my tutorials, send the data as ASCII and simply add the commas in the correct places.

 

[Steve311]

Nice tutorials. After looking at Tutorial 7 and its sub-tutorials regarding ASCII and RS-232, I am still a little unsure of how you are communicating with the PC. Are you putting any of that data into a spreadsheet? If so, what type?

Thanks in Advance

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Nice tutorials. After looking at Tutorial 7 and its sub-tutorials regarding ASCII and RS-232, I am still a little unsure of how you are communicating with the PC. Are you putting any of that data into a spreadsheet? If so, what type?

No, I'm just displaying using Hyperterminal - but if you add comma delimiters (as and where required) a spreadsheet will be able to read the data directly, or save it to a PC file, then import from there.