Hi Cassie

I don't know whether you got some answers to your TRACE query.

On  7 Oct 97 at 8:17, : Cassie Carstens wrote:

> Hi PIC Listers
>
> Thanx for the advice on the 17C44 and PICSTART upgrage. Got the JW
> version and it went without a hitch.
>
> Now, PICSCOPE :

I don't know which PICSCOPE you are referring to, but here the procedures for
MPLAB. It might not be the best of description, but should guide you towards
the correct direction.

> How do you set MPLAB to create a trace file to
> capture  PORTB data???. Yes, page 73 of manual is quite useless. If I
> enter PORTB in the start windows, MPLAB reports that the symbol is
> not in the table. Well, it is at the bottom of the ABSOLUTE LISTING!!

FIRST - you do not trace a port, but an action/event in your program, this
might be a write to the port latch, read etc, which in its turn will return
the value of the port register. This means TRACE points can be inserted at any
valid line of code that is inserted into your program.

 The TRACE window in the SIMULATOR indicates you
   * the address location,
   * the object code,
   * the program label (if exist),
   * the operand,
   * the time the line was executed (after reset),
   * the cycle number (as indicated by the stopwatch - to start at zero reset
      the stopwatch),
   * the value of the registers affected (values in hex)

SECOND: You might TRACE individual lines with the following method: Position
the mouse over the line where a TRACE has to be inserted and click the right
mouse button. A pop-up window appears and you can select the BREAK or TRACE
point. If selected it changes color.

You can TRACE a whole subroutine by selecting the program address locations
(see absolute listing file - while you have got this window open), a label
(note: do not select direct registers or symbols like PORTB) or a range from
one label to another label. Choose this from >Debug>Trace Settings...

HINT: I found TRACE points quite useful when debugging programs with many
subroutines and errors occurring somewhere at random in the code causing an
interrupt. Place TRACE points at the entry and exit of your (suspected)
subroutines and you will see exactly from, or during, which subroutine the
interrupt was called.

> AAnd, how do you clear a TRACE WINDOW ???
>
TRACE window is cleared every time you issue a >RUN command.

Note 1: I have just found out that when using >ANIMATE MODE< the new TRACE
information is appended to the old information ("Undocumented feature" in
MPLAB ver 3.30?!).

Note 2: Symbols starting with the _ underscore character cannot be entered in
BREAK/TRACE dialogs (see README.LAB).

> ANYBODY - Please !!!
>
> Kind Regards
> Cassie.
> BTW The creater of PICSCOPE must like LONG directory names.
>

By the way - we are distributors for Microchip in South Africa. Please feel
free to contact me on the numbers below.

Regards,
Christof     :-)
>
__________________________________________________

Christof Tolken
FAE, PACE South Africa
Tel:  +27 (011) 974 1211
FAX:  +27 (011) 974 1271
Cell: 083 227 3546
mailto: ctolken@pixie.co.za
__________________________________________________