Post by thread:[OT] Some PIC Humor

Theoretically on-topic, but funny, so I OT'd it. So, I'm trying out SDCC for the first time. I compile a quick test program to spit out "hello world" to the serial port over and over. I'm using a homemade clone of the Olimex PIC-PG1, which is very light on details for what it will support. It will program my 16-series parts reliably enough, but the 18-series it seems to have a lot of problems with (using picprog in Linux, or ic-prog in Windows). I fight and argue with it for hours, trying it in windows, in linux, as root, with patches, etc, etc. Anyway, I finally get it programmed, hook up the serial port, open up my serial console, power up, and the serial console starts assaulting me with: "hehehe he he hehehe he hehehehe" posessed /and/ vindictive... PICs these days. Also, anybody have a favorite 18-series bootloader they love? If I can just get that programmed once, then I can just send the programs over serial, and I'll be a happy camper. -Jesse

Hahahaha. That was pretty funny indeed! -Mario {Quote hidden}> Theoretically on-topic, but funny, so I OT'd it. > > So, I'm trying out SDCC for the first time. I compile a quick test program > to spit out "hello world" to the serial port over and over. I'm using a > homemade clone of the Olimex PIC-PG1, which is very light on details for > what it will support. It will program my 16-series parts reliably enough, > but the 18-series it seems to have a lot of problems with (using picprog > in Linux, or ic-prog in Windows). I fight and argue with it for hours, > trying it in windows, in linux, as root, with patches, etc, etc. > > Anyway, I finally get it programmed, hook up the serial port, open up my > serial console, power up, and the serial console starts assaulting me > with: > > "hehehe he he hehehe he hehehehe" > > posessed /and/ vindictive... PICs these days. > > Also, anybody have a favorite 18-series bootloader they love? If I can > just get that programmed once, then I can just send the programs over > serial, and I'll be a happy camper. > > -Jesse > -

At the danger of turning this into a weird programming stories thread... Many years back, a colleague needed a way to detect whether a chunk of memory had been initialized. He decided to write a magic string in there, and check for it as an indication that the memory contents were valid. The string he chose was "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you". This string was never used programatically. It was just stored in a well known location by the code downloder, and read by some test software in QA. Fast forward about a year. We get a report from the field that a customer's machine crashed, and that just before it died, it printed "Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you". The customer wanted to know what that was supposed to mean. Lesson: never underestimate the power of a wild pointer. Oh, BTW, I have an 18F bootloader. But it's not interactive. It needs to be driven by another program that talks to the serial port. It writes 8 bytes at a time to the flash. If you think it might be useful, send me email and we'll discuss. Neil -- http://www.pixpopuli.com

The first production run of a VERY popular credit card terminal, using a GI-AY 8910 complex sound generator, had a small bug. Under some conditions, the software would jump to a test routine designed to check the sound generator interface, and the user was presented with a "falling bomb and explosion" sound effect. In later versions, they removed those test routines.

David Van Horn wrote: > The first production run of a VERY popular credit card terminal, using a > GI-AY 8910 complex sound generator, had a small bug. > > Under some conditions, the software would jump to a test routine > designed to check the sound generator interface, and the user was > presented with a "falling bomb and explosion" sound effect. > > In later versions, they removed those test routines. > I take it those cards were declined?

In message <.....101720051626.25056.4353D0CE000E5924000061E022007510900E9D0E9B020E0C06KILLspam@spam@comcast.net>> jcantaraKILLspamcomcast.net wrote: > "hehehe he he hehehe he hehehehe" Sounds like the watchdog timer's tripping and resetting the chip. Make sure the WDT config bits are set to "Disable Watchdog Timer". > Also, anybody have a favorite 18-series bootloader they love? If I can just > get that programmed once, then I can just send the programs over serial, > and I'll be a happy camper. I wrote one, if you want to give it a try. It's downloadable from my website at <http://www.philpem.me.uk/>; select Electronics -> Boot18 PIC bootloader. IIRC it only supports the PICs that program in 8-byte blocks. It's possible to mod it to do the PIC18s with larger block sizes, but I don't have much time for personal pursuits (read "stuff I don't get paid for") at the moment. I *do* have the hardware to fix the bootloader; what I don't have is the money to cover the cost of a few PICs. Seriously - I spent my last £47 on a Student Railcard on Monday... Full time education (read: university) does have its advantages in the long run, but in the short term it's beginning to look like a huge mistake :( Later. -- Phil. | Acorn RiscPC600 SA220 64MB+6GB 100baseT .....philpemKILLspam.....philpem.me.uk | Athlon64 3200+ A8VDeluxe R2 512MB+100GB http://www.philpem.me.uk/ | Panasonic CF-25 Mk.2 Toughbook ... Television is so dull that children are doing their homework