Flash-Lab 77
PIC16F877 Development System
FLASH Lab Development System Overview
The FLASH Lab is programmed and verified over a serial connection. This process
does not require the use of a hardware programmer. Instead, the FLASH Lab
programs itself with the included software application by sending your compiled
program via a serial cable connected to your Personal Computer (PC). The
PIC16F877-20/P RISC microcontroller supplied is an incredibly powerful processor
and offers a multitude of onboard hardware features and peripherals, making it the
ideal choice for almost any embedded application.
The PIC16F877 microcontroller installed in each FLASH Lab is pre-programmed with
the bootloader firmware and tested before shipping. The microcontroller is then
installed in the FLASH Lab board, which provides all of the required circuitry to power
the device, interface to application circuitry and provide an RS232 serial port for
programming and general use.
Figure 1. Boot-loader software options
The application software will run on various operating systems including Windows 95,
98, ME, NT, 2000 and XP. The software is simple and intuitive to use, with dropdown menus for selecting various options, as shown in Figure 1 above.
Flash-Lab 77
PIC16F877 Development System
Programming the FLASH Lab System
Programming the FLASH Lab is incredibly easy. The following sequence shows how to
program the FLASH Lab development system.
Connect the FLASH Lab to your PC serial port, and switch the power on. The
green LED power indicator on the FLASH Lab should now be on.
Start the loader software.
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Figure 2. Programming the target microcontroller
Referring to figure 2, you should then:
1. Select the serial port you want to use to communicate with the FLASH Lab
system and your PC.
2. Select the Open Hex File speed button located on the main toolbar, to load the
*.hex file you want to program onto the target microcontroller.
3. Finally, press the Program speed button to program the target microcontroller.
Figure 3. Programming status
The bootloader application will now send your *.hex file over the serial connection
and program the target device, as shown in figure 3. As soon as the programming
operation has completed, your program will start to run on the PIC microcontroller.
Flash-Lab 77
PIC16F877 Development System
FLASH Lab Power Requirements
Power Supply: 9-12 VDC center positive
Power Plug: 2.1mm x 5.5 mm female plug, center positive
Voltage Regulation
Power supply regulation is provided by an LM340MP-5.OCT, SOT-223 surface mount
regulator capable of providing +5V @1A with integrated PCB heat sink.
Dimensions
FLASH Lab Main Board PCB 2 ½ x 3 1/16”
FLASH Lab Prototyping Board PCB 2 ½ x 3 1/16”
Board to board (stacked) 5/8”
Using the FLASH Lab Prototyping Boards
The modular prototyping boards are a unique feature of the FLASH Lab development
system, allowing you to build circuits that can be stored for later use. Embedded
applications will normally grow to require the addition of clock circuits, LED or LCD
displays, additional RAM, EEPROM, keypads, sensors and various other circuits.
Once you have a circuit constructed on the modular plug-in prototyping boards, you
can unplug the complete circuit and store it in a drawer until needed for the next
design. This can really save time by eliminating the need to build circuits over and
over again when working on your application code.
I/O connections on header and
on circuit board solder pads
Main Board
Prototyping
Board
Figure 4. Modular architecture
As shown above in Figure 4, the modular prototyping boards simply plug-in to the
FLASH Lab main board. The gold pass-through headers supplied with each board
connect to the female header on the FLASH Lab main board. This is used to pass all
I/O connections from the main board through to one or more prototyping boards.
These boards can be stacked on top or on the bottom. Circuit connections to I/O-pins
Flash-Lab 77
PIC16F877 Development System
on the prototyping boards are made via the solder pads or header connections, as
shown in Figure 5 below.
I/O connections
available at solder pads
40-pin gold pass-through
header solders in place here
Figure 5. Circuit connections and I/O pin layout
The FLASH Lab prototyping boards have two 40-pin header areas. The lower section
is where the gold pass-through header mounts. The upper section is available as a
second connection point for soldering wires directly to the prototyping area or a
second 40-pin header. Port connections are exactly the same on the upper header
area as those marked on the silk screen around the lower header.
The FLASH Lab makes program development, prototyping new circuits and
debugging application code very quick and easy. Old methods of programming the
PIC with a standard device programmer, then moving the PIC from programmer to
application circuit on a breadboard can be tedious and slow down the development
cycle considerably.
FLASH Lab and MicroCode Studio Plus
The FLASH Lab can be programmed in assembler, C, or with your favorite PIC
compiler. When used with the PicBasic Pro compiler and the MicroCode Studio Plus In
Circuit Debugger (ICD), you can execute your application code line-by-line, insert
single or multiple break points, pause program execution, and much more.
The new MicroCode Studio Plus ICD enables you to execute your PICBasic Pro
programs on the FLASH Lab while viewing (on screen) internal variables, special
function registers (SFR’s), RAM memory and even EEPROM contents as your program
executes. You can run full program animations, or single-step through your PicBasic
Pro program code line-by-line.
MicroCode Studio Plus combined with the FLASH Lab development board forms an
incredibly powerful development combination. For more information on MicroCode
Studio Plus, or to locate an international distributor of the FLASH Lab systems, see
the links shown at the end of this document.
Flash-Lab 77
PIC16F877 Development System
Figure 6. MicroCode Studio Plus ICD
Applications
The PIC16F877-20/P RISC microcontroller used on the FLASH Lab board is a
powerful processor, and offers a number of onboard hardware features making it an
ideal choice for many embedded applications. Combined with the FLASH Lab’s unique
modular design capabilities, efficient size and rapid development features, you’re
only limited by your imagination. A few examples include:
Robotics & Animatronics
Motion Control Systems
Security & Alarm Systems
Industrial Control & Monitoring Systems
Consumer Electronics
Industrial Data-Logging Applications
Home Automation
Wireless Communications Systems Controllers
Educational Development Platform
Flash-Lab 77
PIC16F877 Development System
FLASH Lab Parts Placement Diagram
Flash-Lab 77
PIC16F877 Development System
Purchasing Information
FLASH Lab development systems and MicroCode Studio Plus can be purchased from
the following companies.
United States:
Reynolds Electronics
3101 Eastridge Lane
Canon City, CO. 81212
Sales: (719) 269-3469
Fax: (719) 276-2853
Web site: http://www.rentron.com
Tech Support: tech@rentron.com
Sales: sales@rentron.com
United Kingdom:
Mecanique
85 Marine Parade
Saltburn by the Sea
TS12 1BZ
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)1287 624449
Web site: http://www.mecanique.co.uk
Email Inquiries: enquiries@mecanique.co.uk
Mecanique is the exclusive international distributor for the FLASH Lab 77
development systems.
Copyright  2007
Reynolds Electronics
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