Nothing work really: debugging, delay, simple pin operations

[Richi]

Hi together,
I have a new version of MPLAB and a new version of CCS Compiler PCM- since 2 month. Before, I worked a lot with a older version. I use a 16F877, so I have some experience. I also have a good connection to the PIC, I´m able to debugg but not really good.

I have several problems:

- I want to make a Pin on port E going to high. This does not work when running the program. But when I set a breakpoint before this command and step through it, it works! I loose my hair!!

- When running the programm and pause it, the green Arrow is always in the " #use_delay..." setting. When I want to make the next step it always hangs in this directive. I can hundred times press next step- it does not go out of this directive! The programm also does not run when I press the green "run" button. Only when I remove my one and only "delay_us(1)" order!

- When I set a breakpoint to a order, the programm does not stop at this point, but one order later? But not always... at some orders it stops at the breakpoint!

- I also had the problem that I removed all breakpoints but the programm stops at a point in the middle of the programm? After some trys MPLAB crashed complet

Had somebody also such problems? Is the compiler or MPLAB the reason... and how the hell should I work with this problems! I don´t have the time to repair my tools- I have to write software!

[PCM programmer]

Most of these questions can be answered by reading the Help
file for the ICD2 in MPLAB. For example, your problem with
the ICD2 stopping at the line after the breakpoint is called
"breakpoint skidding" and it is a feature of the ICD2.
To see the Help file, go to:

Help / Topics / Debuggers - MPLAB ICD2

Then click on the Contents tab.

Click on FAQS - Common Questions.
Read all the "Frequently Asked Questions".

Then go back to the Contents and click on Limitations.
Read the limitations for the ICD2 with your PIC. There's a lot of them.

--------------

Also, the ICD2 forum at Microchip discusses many of your questions.
For example, this thread is about the problem of software delay loops:
http://forum.microchip.com/tm.aspx?m=25775&mpage=1
In that thread, they refer to the "Run to Cursor" command.
You can use this command during debugging, by clicking on a line of
C source code to put the cursor on it, and then right-click to see a menu.
The menu will show the "Run to Cursor" command.


Additional ICD topics:
http://www.ccsinfo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22424


If you still have any questions left after reading all of this stuff, then
post your questions.

[Richi]

Thanks a lot! Some of these problems are solved now... now I can begin to work...

The problem with the pins which does only work when I make single steps and the problem with the "blind" Breakpoints was solved after a "reset" of the ICD2 Modul. I disconnected the power- then it works!