8044 kit / how to re-program its 16f627a?

Hi all

I’m a bit of a newbie to this. I’ve got a question, hope someone can help me!!!

I’ve got the 8048 pic programmer. I recently built the velleman 8044 kit ‘10 channel light chaser’ which also uses a 16f627a to drive it. I wanted to see if I could download the code off this 16f627 and disassemble it to see how it worked and whether I could reprogram my own patterns!

Unfortunately I’ve erased the pic software completely!!! DOH!! How do I
a) get the original 8044 code back on my PIC
b) use the 8048 programmer to SAFELY read a program stored on a PIC without deleting it!

thanks!

Mike

A:you dont:(
you probely tried to read a codeprotected pic and disabbled the read protection bit, if you do that the hole pic will be erased

B: use READ in progpic2

Hmmm, disassembling/reverse-engineering of proprietairy code is often frowned upon for obvious reasons.

Inadvertantly erasing the said code, during a reverse-engineering attempt, now leaves you in a delicate situation.

You now have three options:-

  1. Swallow your pride and contact Velleman, explaining what you have done and what you wanted to achieve. Request a replacement .hex file to flash to your '627. Hold your breath and dance a random jig whilst you wait:-)

  2. Hope that another user has an appropriate .hex file available and is willing to send it to you. (Not sure how exactly you will do this, there are no PM’s on this forum and I’m quite sure that e-mail addresses listed in posts will be deleted upon detection)

  3. Cough up for another K8044 kit.

Sorry that I could not be of more help,

Mickster.

I’m sure you will understand that for copyright reasons, we never supply .hex code. If you return your PIC, we are willing to re-program it for you, as a one-time courtesy.
Please return it to:

Velleman Kit Tech. Dept.
Legen Heirweg 33
9890 Gavere
Belgium

Hi Guys

Thanks for the replies - I had kind of worked out what I’d done in the meantime (I read about the code protection features and it made sense) - and yes I can see in hindsight how its seen as a bit naughty - I was honestly just being curious how it all worked. I didnt realise that the code would be protected.

I’ve bought a couple more 8044 kits (to make my own Christmas lights! :smiley: ) and a couple of blank PICs to have a go at writing my own code to drive the 8044s.

Does anyone recommend a good higher level programming language, I’d rather use that than programming them directly (its a few years since I did stuff like 6502 assembler it made my head ache). Is something like PICBASIC any good and does it work with the 8048 board?

cheers

Mike

Hi,

Any high level language able to produce HEX (standard) files will work.

What’s important is not the language used to write the program, but the final product of the compiler, namely, the HEX file, which is used to “burn” the PIC.

of course - the hex file is generated by the language, then you use progpic2 to squirt down to the PIC

thanks for your help guys!

Mike

You can easy learn PIC programming with MikroBASIC. These compiler can be downloaded at mikroe.com/.
After compiling can the HEX file be programmed with our PICprog2006 software with our K8048 or K8076.