Hi, me again. Last time we spoke I told you about an amazing piece of software called Eagle by CADSOFT. This software was free and packed full of features. Today I have another piece of software which if you are into embedded design will be a great time saver. What am I talking about..? mikroBasic PRO for PIC by mikroElektronika.

mikroe logo

What is it?

mikroBasic PRO for PIC is full-featured BASIC compiler for PIC microcontrollers. It is designed for developing, building and debugging PIC-based embedded applications. This being said, it is very easy to learn and quite intuitive to use.

OK, before I continue I must stress that the title of the software has both ‘Basic’ and ‘PIC’ suggesting that this is all that it caters for…, WRONG! mikroElektronika have developed a whole range of development tools for different microcontrollers each with a version for several of the more popular programming languages. So even if you are not in to PICs or you prefer writing in C, this tool will be just the ticket for you.

What does it do?

Simple (sort of), it allows the user to create code which is reasonably easy to read using predefined libraries and/or your own code. It then generates all the files needed to pass the code to the micro-controller in question. If you have the hardware then it will even allow to to program the micro-controller with out leaving the software. It handles your projects, dealing with things such as type of micro-controller chosen by the user and the frequency of operation. There is also a debugging section to help you trace, log and eliminate those little unwanted features. And on top of this there are tools such as RS232 terminals, USB terminals etc.

Did I say simple (sort of)???

Actually it’s not that hard to get into.

Here’s what I do to get started (with minimal detail). First I create a project.

mikroBasic

I then follow the information requests (6 steps in all) which set the programming features you need for your current project. These can also be changed on the fly.

When I have generated the project I will have a template page for my project all layed out and ready or me.

mikroBasic template

I will then start to code using the built in libraries, using the help files or off the top of my head.

Now, I don’t have the correct hardware for this software therefore I can not program my micro-controller from within the software. To get around this I use MPLAB to import my codes hex file and then use my ICD2 clone to program the micro-controller. Now I start to evaluate the performance of my hardware and firmware. Now that wasn’t so hard was it???

All in all, once you get past the apparrent initial learning curve, you will be able to get a project on the way in minutes especially with all of the in-built tools at your disposal. I personally like using mikroBasic PRO for PIC for my projects because it is quick and easy with lots of help files and examples. I’m not really the programming type but this package takes alot of the strain out of writing code and it tells you when you are trying to do something which is (shall we say) a little silly. It’s great for the beginner through to the expert especially with it’s ability to read assembly language as well.

I recommend using a tool like this to help you on your way to becoming an embedded engineer pro or maybe just an extreme hobbyist. You can download it for free (with the only restriction being a 2K max program size) which is normally more than enough for most small projects. Most (if not all of my PIC projects have been develloped using mikroBasic PRO for PIC and I suspect that after you try it, the same will be true for you.

Happy programming and I will see you next time.