Nuts and Volts - May 2010

S01602DTR/M LCD module to keep our new RS-232 interface company. The LCM-S01602DTR/M LCD module is a five-volt device. That won’t present any problems for the PIC24FJ128GA006 as this LCD module’s digital inputs will see the PIC24FJ128GA006’s signals as valid TTL levels.

It appears everything is working as designed. When our newly updated Trainer is powered up, we are immediately presented with a banner message and default IP address in the LCD pixels. In our case, the IP address shown is a DHCP-assigned IP address that was leased to the ZeroG - PIC24FJ128GA006 Trainer by the EDTP shop network. The serial port reported the connection in Screenshot 1. The text displayed by the serial port and LCD can be altered in the application file which is called MainDemo.c:

■ SCREENSHOT 1. This message was sent from our ST3232 RS-232 port which is set by the stack for 19200 bps, eight data bits, no parity, and one stop bit. Both the LED and Tera Term Pro messages are generated by the Stack’s Announce module, whose functionality is contained within the Stack’s Announce.c file.

#if defined(USE_LCD)
// Initialize and display the stack version
// on the LCD
LCDInit();
DelayMs(100);
strcpypgm2ram((char*)LCDText, “NUTS AND VOLTS  “
“““““““““““““““““TCPStack “ VERSION “  “);

LCDUpdate();

#if defined( STACK_USE_UART )
putrsUART((ROM char*)”\r\n\r\n”);
putsUART( (char *)LCDText );
putrsUART((ROM char*)”\r\n”);
#endif
#endif

■ PHOTO 6. Up and operational under the camera.

THE DESIGN CYCLE

■ PHOTO 5. I’ve let the cat out of the bag in this shot.

These Lumex LCDs are inexpensive and easily obtained from Mouser and Digi-Key.

You now possess a commanding knowledge of the TCP/IP Stack and the hardware it supports. You’re ready to pull some of that potential I talked about earlier into your own 16-bit projects. I’m going to share this knowledge that comprises Photo 6 with the folks over at SERVO in their native tongue. So, post the TCP/IP Stack and the PIC24FJ128GA006 in your Design Cycle cache and hop over to SERVO and see how we’re going to modify this technology for robotic control purposes. NV