True's beaked whale.jpg

Western spotted skunk

Hooded skunk

Yellow-throated Marten

Wolverine

Archive for January, 2012

HTML5 app developement info

Friday, January 27th, 2012

PhoneGap: a native app wrapper for HTML5 apps
Windows 7 HTML5 app example using PhoneGap
HTML5 iPhone app example
HTML5 app intro

HTML5 info canvas
HTML5 demos and browser support list

Usbpicprog

Sunday, January 8th, 2012

Built a USB PIC microcontroller programmer, the usbpicprog. I used Marcelo Maggi’s version with daughter boards for the USB and ZIF. The boards had some narrow traces–I had two small defects after eteching, and lost a few more pads soldering the components on. Small wires fixed things up and it worked first time.

The instructions aren’t very clear. The bootloader .hex gets burned using a JDM programmer using the self programmer header. Then place a jumper on the self programming header Vpp and Vdd, plug it into the USB port, run usbpicprog. These messages appear on the command line:
Bootloader Devid: 11240
Autodetected PIC ID: 0x11240

Then open the firmware .hex and burn it. The program said it completed OK. Then quit the program, remove the USB cord, and add a second jumper on the self programming header from the Clk pin to Gnd.

After this it I connected my PIC18F46K20 to the ICSP header (on a breadboard), plugged in the USB cable, and ran usbpicprog again. I opened my .hex and burned it. It said the code burned OK but gave an error for the configuration bits (like I was getting from the JDM programmers). Then I tried erasing it followed by running blank check. Both of these completed OK. I re-burned my program, and this time it worked! Configuration bits were programmed and verified!

So far I’ve only finished the main board. I made the USB board but haven’t populated it yet. I intend this mainly for ICSP programming, so I haven’t decided on whether to make the ZIF board. I do need to make an enclosure.

usbpicprog top side
usbpicprog bottom side
You can see some of the trace repairs.

JDM programmer

Sunday, January 8th, 2012

Here’s a JDM programmer for PIC microprocessors that works for me.

circuit board
circuit
docs

I used it to put the bootloader on a usbpicprog PIC programmer I am building. It also programmed my PIC18F46K20. It worked with picpgm and picprog on Linux. Picprog still gave me config bit errors.

I have tried other JDM programmers–simpler ones using no transistors like Simple JDM programmer (though with not-quite-right zeners). It worked intermittently for a while, then stopped working altogether on my PIC18F46K20.

Here’s a JDM programmer that usbpicprog recommends. I haven’t tried it.

JDM prog breadboard

Links for January 2012

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Chris Hayes on how some voters make their decisions
Thoughts on making GFP yoghurt
DIY bio postcards
IDT (oligonucleotides) demo protocols
IDT tech notes on attaching DNA to solid supports
The tame press in Japan
Ayn Rand, performance artist
Kung Fu Monkey: The Crazification Factor
DIY Bio: using a microwave to sterilize media