FREELOADER

[Frizie]

It indeed refuses to install on Windows 7 (that's the laptop I always use to write my Positron programs—offline).
It says "Missing api-ms-win-core-path-l1-1-0.dll".
I need to find a way to fix that first.

[JonW]

Hi Frizie, it won't run on Win7.  I'll look at doing a simple C cmd line version.  I can compile that to run in 95 +



J

[top204]

Many thanks Jon.

If size is the problem, I can place it on my google drive, and put a permanent link to the files on the forum.

I still have approx 10GB spare on the google drive.

Best regards
Les

[John Lawton]

I'm also happy to host files on my Easy-Driver site.

John

[JonW]

Cool beans, chaps, that will save me a load of work.  I am now halfway through building the C command-line version; this should work from Win95 to Win11 and can be built with an open-source compiler for other OS too.  It should be finished in a day or so and tested. 

I am only doing the 18F for now, and it should be easy enough to port to 16F and DSPic.  Also, not sure it's worth it on the 16F enhanced devices.


I will produce HTML help files as these are much easier to host and read.

[RGV250]

Hi Jon,
You have gone above and beyond, I was just looking for a guide to how to be able to do them for myself. Or is that what the HTML files are for?

Regards,
Bob

[JonW]

Hi Bob

I am working on the detailed guide for both the PC and the PIC, but you don't need to for the above devices, as I have them all done for the Amicus and Johns 18F dev board.

[John Lawton]

Hi Jon,

your Amicus boards are being shipped today.

John

[JonW]

Cheers John

Im ready for them 

[JonW]

Guys

Attached is a completely new command-line version that should work from Win95 to Win11. I can supply a Linux one but have not tested it fully yet

The new freeloader application is again a single exe and has an HTML help file with all the commands and how to use it.
It does the same as the above Python Gui but is driven from the command line now to make it work on all Win builds

In addition, I have built and tested the following devices and packaged them in separate files, including all required files and edge-case hex files.
I have built all the K20, K22, Q43 and K40 devices but only included the following as the others have not been tested in devices yet.

K20: P25K20, P26K20
K22: P23K22, P25K22, P26K22
Q43: P25Q43, P27Q43
K40: P27K40, P47K40

Appreciate it if you can test them, and I will hold back on doing more until they are proven by others

Cheers

Jon

[RGV250]

Hi Jon,
Hopefully not a stupid question.
When you say test them, do you want us to just install it and test the test program or try other programs.

Bob

[JonW]

Hi Bob

Yeah, absolutely, you can use your own bas files as long as they have the same config.  There is no need to install it; the freeloader. exe is already built and just needs extensions added and run in a command-line window.  Download the file and place it into a folder.  Every Pic has all the files.  Load the Pxxxx_mwboot.hex into your device with PicKit

Compile your program and either add the hex file to the folder or add freeloader.exe to your working folder.  You can also use the Pxxx_Blink.bas or hex that's included as a test and change the LED to any port. You can delete the config block or leave it; it's there for informational purposes and matches what is in the bootloader hex.

Copy the folder location, open a CMD window, and navigate to the folder.  Type freeloader yourfile.hex -com5  or freeloader --info com5

Obviously, you will change com5 to whatever your com port is; by default, I have used 115200, and the PIC runs at 64MHz internal osc, MCLR as a Pin

There are also edge case hex files built which stress the bootloader (one will fail to upload and this is intentional)

Please read the HTML help file; it has all of the commands in there and how to use them

Jon

[Frizie]

That sounds very promising Jon.
I have a day off tomorrow (Wednesday) and will go busy with it, run the tests and let you know the results.

Many thanks in advance