The nice thing about breadboard design is that the circuit can be modified easily and quickly, and ideas can be tested without having to solder the components. Once a circuit has been tested and is working satisfactorily, the components are easily removed and the breadboard can be used for other projects.
5.3 mikroC Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
In this book we are using the mikroC compiler developed by mikroElektronika. Before using this compiler, we need to know how the mikroC integrated development environment (IDE) is organized and how to write, compile, and simulate a program in the mikroC language. In this section we will look at the operation of the mikroC IDE in detail.
A free 2K program size limited version of the mikroC IDE, available on the mikroElektronika web site (www.mikroe.com), is adequate for most small or medium-sized applications. Alternatively, you can purchase a license and turn the limited version into a fully working, unlimited IDE to use for projects of any size and complexity.
After installing the mikroC IDE, a new icon should appear by default on your desktop. Double-click this icon to start the IDE.
5.3.1 mikroC IDE Screen
After the mikroC icon is double-clicked to start the IDE, the screen shown in Figure 5.27 is displayed by default.
Figure 5.27: mikroC IDE screen
The screen is divided into four areas: the top-left section, the bottom-left section, the middle section, and the bottom section.
The top left, the Code Explorer section, displays every declared item in the source code. In the example in Figure 5.28, main is listed under Functions and variables Sum and i are listed under main.
Figure 5.28: Code Explorer form
There are two additional tabs in the Code Explorer. As shown in Figure 5.29, the QHelp tab lists all the available built-in functions and library functions for a quick reference.
Figure 5.29: QHelp form
The Keyboard tab lists all the available keyboard shortcuts in mikroC IDE (see Figure 5.30).
Figure 5.30: Keyboard form
In the bottom-left section, called Project Setup (see Figure 5.31), the microcontroller device type, clock rate, and build type are specified. The build type can be either Release, which is the normal compiler operating mode, or ICD debug, if the program is to be debugged using the in-circuit debugger.
Figure 5.31: Project setup form
The Project Setup section has a tab called Project Summary which lists all the types of files used in the project, as shown in Figure 5.32.
Figure 5.32: Project summary form
The middle section is the Code Editor, an advanced text editor. Programs are written in this section of the screen. The Code Editor supports:
• Code Assistant
• Parameter Assistant
• Code Template
• Auto Correct
• Bookmarks
The Code Assistant is useful when writing a program. Type the first few letters of an identifier and then press the CTRL+SPACE keys to list all valid identifiers beginning with those letters. In Figure 5.33, for example, to locate identifier strlen, the letters str are typed and CTRL+SPACE is pressed. strlen can be selected from the displayed list of matching valid words by using keyboard arrows and pressing ENTER.
Figure 5.33: Using the Code Assistant
The Parameter Assistant is invoked when a parenthesis is opened after a function or a procedure name. The expected parameters are listed in a small window just above the parenthesis. In Figure 5.34, function strlen has been entered, and unsigned char *s appears in a small window when a parenthesis is opened.
Figure 5.34: Using the Parameter Assistant
Code Template is used to generate code in the program. For example, as shown in Figure 5.35, typing switch and pressing CTRL+J automatically generates code for the switch statement. We can add our own templates by selecting Tools→Options→Auto Complete. Some of the available templates are array, switch, for, and if.
Figure 5.35: Using the Code Template
Auto Correct corrects typing mistakes automatically. A new list of recognized words can be added by selecting Tools→Options→Auto Correct Tab.
Bookmarks make the navigation easier in large code. We can set bookmarks by entering CTRL+SHIFT+number, and can then jump to the bookmark by pressing CTRL+number, where number is the bookmark number.
The bottom section of the screen, also called the Message Window, consists of three tabs: Messages, Find, and QConverter. Compilation errors and warnings are reported under the Messages tab. Double-clicking on a message line highlights the line where the error occurred. A HEX file can be generated only if the source file contains no errors. Figure 5.36 shows the results of a successful compilation listed in the Message Window. The QConverter tab can be used to convert decimal numbers into binary or hexadecimal, and vice versa.
Figure 5.36: Display of a successful compilation
5.3.2 Creating and Compiling a New File
mikroC files are organized into projects, and all files for a single project are stored in the same folder. By default, a project file has the extension “.ppc”. A project file contains the project name, the target microcontroller device, device configuration flags, the device clock, and list of source files with their paths. C source files have the extension “.c”.
The following example illustrates step-by-step how to create and compile a program source file.
Write a C program to calculate the sum of the integer numbers 1 to 10 and then send the result to PORTC of a PIC18F452-type microcontroller. Assume that eight LEDs are connected to the microcontroller’s PORTC via current limiting resistors. Draw the circuit diagram and show the steps involved in creating and compiling the program.
Figure 5.37 shows the circuit diagram of the project. The LEDs are connected to PORTC using 390 ohm current limiting resistors. The microcontroller is operated from a 4MHz resonator.
Figure 5.37: Circuit diagram of the project
The program is created and compiled as follows:
Step 1 Double-click the mikroC icon to start the IDE.
Step 2 Create a new project called EXAMPLE. Click Project→New Project and fill in the form, as shown in Figure 5.38, by selecting the device type, the clock, and the configuration fuse.
Figure 5.38: Creating a new project
Step 3 Enter the following program into the Code Editor section of the IDE: