1.1 Console Debug System Service using UART

This example application demonstrates the UART based console and debug system service.

Description

  • The application example first demonstrates the various debug system service macros
  • It then demonstrates the console related APIs
  • The application asks the user to enter a character on the console which is echoed back using the console system service read/write APIs

Downloading and Building the Application

To clone or download this application from Github, go to the main page of this repository and then click Clone button to clone this repository or download as zip file. This content can also be downloaded using content manager by following these instructions.

Path of the application within the repository is apps/system/console_debug/sys_console_debug_uart_read_write/firmware.

To build the application, refer to the following table and open the project using its IDE.

Project NameDescription
pic32mx470_curiosity.XMPLABX project for Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board
pic32mx470_curiosity_freertos.XMPLABX project for Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board
pic32mx_xlp_sk.XMPLABX project for PIC32MX274 XLP Starter Kit

Setting Up the Hardware

The following table shows the target hardware for the application projects.

Project NameDescription
pic32mx470_curiosity.X

pic32mx470_curiosity_freertos.X

Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board
pic32mx_xlp_sk.XPIC32MX274 XLP Starter Kit

Setting Up Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board

  • To run the demo, the following additional hardware are required:
  • Connect mini USB cable to the ‘Debug USB’ connector(J3) on the board to the computer
  • Install the USB UART click board on to the mikroBUS socket J5 of Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development Board
  • Connect mini USB cable to the USB UART click board. This will enumerate the USB to UART port
    Note: Ensure that the series resistors on the mikroBUS headers are of value 0 Ohms.

Setting Up PIC32MX274 XLP Starter Kit

  • To run the demo, the following additional hardware are required:
  • Connect micro USB cable to the ‘Debug USB’ connector(J9) on the board to the computer
  • Install the USB UART click board on to the mikroBUS socket J5 of PIC32MX274 XLP Starter Kit
  • Connect mini USB cable to the USB UART click board. This will enumerate the USB to UART port

Running the Application

  1. Open the Terminal application (Ex.:Tera term) on the computer
  2. Connect to the EDBG Virtual COM port and configure the serial settings as follows:
    • Baud : 115200
    • Data : 8 Bits
    • Parity : None
    • Stop : 1 Bit
    • Flow Control : None
  3. Build and Program the application using its IDE
  4. Observe the following output on the terminal
    • First few prints demonstrate the output from the debug system service APIs
    • It then prints the free space available in the receive buffer
    • It then asks the user to enter 10 characters
  5. After entering 10 characters, observe the following output on the terminal
    • The output first prints the free space available in the receive buffer
    • Since 10 characters are pending to be read out from the receive buffer, the free space in the receive buffer is reduced by 10
    • After this, it prints the received characters on the terminal
    • Application then waits for the transmit buffer to become empty
    • Once empty, the application prints the free space available in the transmit buffer, which should be same as the size of the transmit buffer configured in MHC minus 1
  6. After this, the demonstration asks the user to enter a character, and echoes it back on the terminal.
    • LED toggles every-time the character is printed on the terminal
Refer to the following table for LED name:
BoardLED Name
Curiosity PIC32MX470 Development BoardLED1
PIC32MX274 XLP Starter KitLED1 (RED)