Is There a Way to Retrieve an Existing Program?

I have an older 08M project from which I'd like to retrieve the code. The original code file has been lost through several crashes over the past few years, and the hardcopy has been eaten by Dr. Who or gremlins or little green men. Is there any way to retrieve the code from the 08M without having to do a complete rewrite?

There is no way at all

Afriad not. It's been asked many times and the answer has always been to remember to back it up in the future

Theoretically, I imagine that, with the right equipent (£££) and a lot of time (x years) it would be possible to break open the chip and examine the memory. This may however prove impractical.

Sorry.

Even with a backup...

DTB:

This question comes up occasionally, for all the reasons you specify.
I too have wished for an electronic syringe.

The idea below pre-supposes retrievable backups.
Gmail’s storage is free up to 1M I believe.

If one has several versions of code and several changes to the wiring of a project, knowing which version you used can be a problem.

Even etching the project title and design version into the PCB may not be good enough. While you can usually reverse engineer wires that you see, code changes may come about later as the project is being finished.

For projects to be encased in epoxy with no display, I add this safety net. Before my last programming download, I add a short Morse Code sequence to the beginning of the program. A LED will flash the Morse Code sequence once on power-up, before the program goes in to the “main” execution area.

Just the file name – “APOHv5” for example.

The links below tell much more as to how. It is the concept I wished to share.

All the best.

Terry

http://www.picaxeforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9636&highlight=morse+code

http://picaxe.orconhosting.net.nz/morse.bas

Guessing it would be easier to retrieve the 'lost' data from the hard drive than it would the Picaxe. Have you tried any data recovery programs? I got a few of my earlier progs back using the recovery software from Easeus.

For permanent projects which are boxed I usually include a small print paper listing and a circuit diagram in the box or on a mini or credit-card CD/DVD. Inserting a circuit or wiring diagram also applies to non-PICAXE gear I've reverse engineered or had to modify. Not always possible but saves a lot of time and you then know where the data is.

As well as traditional backup, there's also web space, so doing a small project write-up and publishing it not only gives instant access but others may also benefit from what's been done.

This is fairly basic, but one approach I've used in the "lost code" situation is to google the picaxe part and the type of project, e.g., "08M night light." I often find code written by others and posted on the web (on the Forum and elsewhere) that resembles what I wrote and gives me a quick start to recreating the original program. You can also use a more generic phrase, like "picaxe night light," to reacquaint yourself with the logic of the code if you cannot find something more specific to an particular picaxe.

I was pretty sure that there was no way to retrieve it. Rewriting the code isn't a HUGE hassle, just annoying. I did have it backed up in two other locations, but apparently I deleted them without realizing it. Oh, well....