Minicom Connection Over Serial Port To PIC18F452 Device

[Robert L Cochran]

Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:

>Robert L Cochran wrote:
>  
>
>>I'm trying to use minicom on Fedora Core 4 to speak to a PIC18F452 chip
>>which contains a preloaded version of the Microchip TCP/IP stack. I
>>built the device myself from a kit; it is intended to be a small web
>>server. My objective is to assign an IP address to the RTL9019AS
>>ethernet controller. This can be accomplished over a setup menu that
>>appears in the minicom window. I suspect I have incorrect minicom settings.
>>
>>Serial device -- /dev/TTYS0 connected to development board Max232 chip
>>
>>setup for 19200 bps,8N1, software flow control, VT102 emulation
>>
>>iptables service is stopped
>>
>>When I connect, the setup program appears. It is just a menu with 8
>>choices. In fact, the setup menu sometimes displays itself twice.
>>
>>I select an option say 2 to set the IP address. The device very
>>sensibily responds with the default ip address. I type in a new IP
>>address to reflect my actual network.
>>
>>If I try to select 2 to check the default IP address, it again sensibly
>>responds with the new IP address that I just gave it. So far, so good.
>>
>>Then I select the option to save the new IP address. a message is
>>returned which is usually the new IP address itself.
>>
>>Attempts to ping that IP address fail.
>>
>>Then I start the setup menu again in a new minicom window. The original
>>-- default -- IP address appears.
>>
>>So it seems like the option to save the IP address isn't working right.
>>Things are apparently lost when I restart the device.
>>
>>Is this a minicom software issue, or is it bad soldering on my part with
>>the actual device being tested? I'm quite willing to agree it may have
>>soldering issues.
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>Bob Cochran
>>
>>    
>>
>I would suspect a hardware or firmware problem on the device. If it
>were a minicom problem, you would not be able to access the menus on
>the device, or see the changed IP address.
>
>Dumb question - how does the device save the changed settings? Is is
>an EEPROM, battery powered static RAM like the CMOS that saves BIOS
>settings, or what? If it is batter powered RAM, make sure you are
>getting power to the proper pins when you remove power.
>
>Mikkel
>  
>
Thank you -- yes there is an EEPROM, the Microchip 24LC256. I may have 
done a poor soldering job on it. It's hard for me to decide if the pins 
are soldered correctly. I don't know the answer to your question about 
how the device saves the settings, I am very new to this. I know I 
should sit down and read Microchip's Application Note 833 (AN833) which 
discusses its TCP/IP stack. I also need to read the data sheet for the 
24LC256.

I'll reinspect the soldering work. I have a lot to learn with these 
fascinating devices.

Bob