What's the trick to get a program to run standalone?

Joel777 · Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

I recently received my ICD-U40, PIC16F877A Rev 1 development board, and v. 3.249 CCS PCW IDE. Great stuff! However, although it works fine in debug mode with PC & ICD connected, I cannot get it to work in standalone mode. I've found some good tips in other posts about the NODEBUG fuse, being sure to disconnect dev board from ICD, downloading the COF file from the ICD utility, and also from one gentleman who got an email from CCS saying he had a bad h/w rev. Are any of you aware of any known issues with these versions of hardware & software? Or any suggestions about something I may be overlooking? This doesn't seem like it should be a difficult thing to accomplish.
Thanks in advance,
Joel

PCM programmer · Joined: 06 Sep 2003 Posts: 21708

Two solutions:

1. Use the ICD.EXE program:
http://www.ccsinfo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20686

2. Change a setting in the Options menu within the IDE:
http://www.ccsinfo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27744&start=2

Joel777 · Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

Hmmm, thanks, but neither of those works for me. I did get it working, though. For posterity and future forum readers wandering this same pilgrimage:

1) Been using the ICD application to transfer COF files already. Turns out that is a necessary piece of the puzzle, but there is more to it.

2) There is no such option in my version of the IDE. The previous post even alluded to that: "...there is no different [Options/Debugger-Programmer menu item] setting..."

After trying different things, here is what finally works for me:

a) Keep all settings & includes same as used for debugging. Don't add NODEBUG fuse and don't delete #device ICD=TRUE.

b) Compile from within IDE, then close IDE.

c) Launch the ICD.EXE utility mentioned and download to target the COF file just created or updated by the IDE compiler.

d) Now it works standalone!

This approach works, but seems kind of weird, so I will contact CCS for help and will post any new details.

Thanks again,
Joel

Douglas Kennedy · Joined: 07 Sep 2003 Posts: 755 Location: Florida

You dont have to close the IDE just go to tools and run the ICD from there.
Here's what you might want to try.
For ICDU40
Remove or comment out the ICD=TRUE and close the Debugger. Recompile
then with tools >ICD download to your target. There are a couple of message boxes that are alerts and a final message box saying your target should be running. It will run with the 6 wire telco cable attached.

If you engage the debugger without the ICD=true it will recompile and patch in the debug code for you. You don't need to mess with the DEBUG fuse either.

Joel777 · Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

Joel777 · Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Posts: 4

Okay, for those who may follow this post later, here is what happened:

1) My development board has a +3.3 V regulator on it, not a +5 V regulator (an anomaly, I'm told).
2) That was causing the PIC not to run standalone unless the NOBROWNOUT fuse was set.
3) I was not setting it explicitly.
4) With ICD=TRUE, the compiler was setting that fuse for me, explaining this behavior.

CCS Tech Support was very helpful and offered some great advice. Let me share that with you folks here:

"The [ICD] utility [which can be run from the menu within the IDE] can use the HEX file, COD file or COF file. The results are the same. Removing the ICD=TRUE will get you extra RAM/ROM and is recommended. If your code does not RUN without the ICD=TRUE it might be because of certain fuses forced when ICD=TRUE is used. Compare the bottom of your LST file with and without ICD=TRUE to determine what fuses your program might depend on."

Again, in my case the culprit was the NOBROWNOUT fuse. You will experience this situation if your target board is running +3.3 V and you have not tweaked the brownout threshold parameter.

End of line.