what is this PE6 message?

jims

Senior Member
I sometimes get this error message when trying to download code to my 20m2 chips..."Firmware >= C3 'idle high' modes not supported by this firmware version". If I close PE6, and reopen it, I can then download the program to the same chip OK. Chip is (version 114C3Y). I've seen this with 2 different 20m2 chips over the past few months. Am running PE6 Version 6.0.8.11. Is this a known problem?? Anyone know what's happening?? Thank you JimS
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
I recall similar has been reported before so is likely on our list to investigate more fully. I think it was that PE6 seems to sometimes gets confused when it has been used with PICAXE chips or versions which haven't supported whatever was being attempted, produces an error which relates to what was being attempted and had failed

It is likely to only affect people using a number of different PICAXE devices, and then only rarely, so it should not be a regular occurrence. When it does happen, closing and restarting seems the best work round for now.
 

geoff07

Senior Member
Still happening on a 28x2 with B3 firmware, and attempting to use HSPI on one device and spiout on another. Adding the spiout (with MSBFirst_H for an AD9833) causes it. Restarting does not fix it. In my case the message says ' >= B4'. B3 is not >= B4. So I have to do manual includes on PE5 and strip out other directives and hope that works. Grrrr.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Still happening on a 28x2 with B3 firmware
This appears to be a different issue to that identified by the OP.

The issue for the OP was that PE6 was wrongly remembering something which it should have forgotten for subsequent downloads.

In this case I believe it really is that the command option you are attempting to use is not supported by the firmware in your chip.

From http://www.picaxe.com/Hardware/PICAXE-Chips/PICAXE-28X2-microcontroller revision tab -

SHIFTIN/SHIFTOUT IDLE HIGH MODES DO NOT WORK CORRECTLY
The xxxx_H 'idle high' modes of shiftin and shiftout do not operate as expected.
To workaround this issue use the bit-busting routines described in manual part 2.
The error message is that to use MSBFirst_H you will need firmware >= B.4, but as you note you have version B.3 so it won't work. And there is currently no B.4 version released; the workround described has to be used.

You may be able to get things to download in PE5 using MSBFirst_H but when you come to run the code on your 28X2 it won't work as expected. All you will have done is kept the 'what you are doing won't actually work' error message from appearing.
 

geoff07

Senior Member
Thanks hippy! Maybe a mention in manual2?

And another suggestion, maybe someone could revise the explanation of SPI modes in manual 2? You have two different explanations using different terminology and it is very confusing, one for spiout and one for hspiout. The reason I was trying spiout was frustration at getting two different devices using different hspi modes to work (an ILI9340 tft display driver and an AD9833).
 

westaust55

Moderator
The topic of SPI and issues in earlier version was recently covered here:
http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?30602-SPIIN-SHIFTIN-vs-BIT-BANG-EXAMPLE/page2&highlight=Firmware

PICAXE chip firmware revision history is available as part of the “details” user each chip be selection the “Revision Hostory” tab.
In the case of the 28X2 see here:
http://www.picaxe.com/Hardware/PICAXE-Chips/PICAXE-28X2-microcontroller/

Seems that the SPIIN/SPIOUT issue has been fixed for the 20X2 but not the 28X2/40X2
 
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