Recent content by ArnieW

A question for technical - is it possible to download PE 5.2.3 to test a possible bug in 5.2.4? I just upgraded my main machine and primary laptop to 5.2.4. I downloaded some new code on my 28X1 chip and it seems to go into a reset loop. I downloaded some known good code and the reset still...

I've been experimenting with some LCDs for picaxe from www.shopeio.com I have some 16x1 displays and some 40x2 displays. Both appear to work ok with both the axe033 driver kit and the Peter Anderson driver kit, except that the contrast makes the displays virtually unreadable. I have a couple...

I'm working on a project that needs to display a lot of information and I've just received my 40x2 LCDs in the mail. I'm still trying to figure out the best way of driving one, and although the purist in me wants to invent my own system (inspired by Hippy for example) the pragmatist in me wants...

One of my projects requires a simple time display, so I've been experimenting with an X1 chip and the settimer function. I noticed there is no code for this on the forum yet, so here is a starter using an LCD to display elapsed time in the format mm:ss (maximum of 99:59). It would be a simple...

I came across a great educational tool just now that originates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They have a variety of small pic based boards and a system of connectors so you can plug boards together into a tower configuration depending on your needs. They use it as a rapid...

I've been looking at the 14M specs and interested in the hpwm command. There is a reference in the manual to a motor driver datasheet but it doesn't seem to be listed on the website. Am I looking in the wrong places or is this still being written? thanks, Arnie

I'm deeply indebted to countless people on this forum - either directly for picaxe help, or through other pointers like PID algorithms. I've finally written a basic PI (proportional and integral) code for my own project where I am using a heater to regulate water temperatures in a continuous...

A long time ago now, I did a basic test with PWMout connected to a solid state relay. The test failed, and I suspect the problem was due to frequency of the PWM signal coupled with the fact I was using zero-crossing switches. If I understand them correctly, once triggered they will wait until...

I know that the thermoplastic compound polymorph is available from various places in the UK, but does anyone know if it is available in Australia (other than on ebay via the UK)? This is picaxe related, as I want to couple a picaxe controlled motor to a gate valve, and polymorph seems like an...

I'm sure it has been done many ways before, but I'm just thinking through the logistics of building a custom sensor to use with the picaxe. The sensor itself will be a capacitive fluid level sensor that varies the frequency of a 555 timer. A picaxe (08M?) will use the count command to read the...

I've been designing and now testing a network of picaxes connected to a serial bus that is common to all of them. The bus is a 16-wire ribbon cable that has parallel connections on each picaxe module. The bus carries +12VDC, +5Vregulated and +3.3VDC on it as well, and a reset line that is...

I'm working on a project that requires a picaxe 'scan' inputs on a regular loop. I want it to respond quickly to buttons being pressed, and for it to read a couple of temperatures. I'm aware that the DS18B20s take 750mS to complete a read, but was wondering what happens during that time. Does...

I am wondering if someone has a nice simple solution for a battery backup picaxe. What I'm after is a picaxe controller that runs of a mains power supply (ie. not running batteries flat), but if mains fails the controller will retain a set point and just simply resume as normal if the mains...

I am working out ways to network picaxes together. I'm currently exploring what might be needed to use hardware handshaking, ie. a 'clear to send' line. This line would be set high by any picaxe on the network to prevent others from using serout. This means that each picaxe would need to have an...

I am currently designing a networked picaxe system that uses a common bus to allow simple expansion of modules. for simplicity, it seems that a 16-way IDC connector on a ribbon cable will provide this. I want this 'bus' to supply DC power as well as serial transmit/receive lines and a picaxe...