Best way to learn MPLAB harmony

[ricko_uk]

Hi,
I have been writing C code for years and also have some C++ experience but when I looked into Harmony and the whole framework it is very confusing coming from a simple/straight C background. Looking at some of the videos was not much more clarifying either.

Can anybody:
- make share some basic concepts about it so I can have some overall understanding of where to put my code and interface with the harmony-generated code.
- suggest very good and simple resources to understand how the whole harmony framework works and again how to write my application around it.

Many thanks

[DrG]

Hi,
I have been writing C code for years and also have some C++ experience but when I looked into Harmony and the whole framework it is very confusing coming from a simple/straight C background. Looking at some of the videos was not much more clarifying either.

Can anybody:
- make share some basic concepts about it so I can have some overall understanding of where to put my code and interface with the harmony-generated code.
- suggest very good and simple resources to understand how the whole harmony framework works and again how to write my application around it.

Many thanks

Your post reminded me that I have to get back to that topic - Harmony 3. I was having a hard time understanding how to go about it and for a long time at that. Finally, some of it started to make sense, but I have not returned to the topic.

First off, I was (still am) interested in the pic32 series and especially those that are available as dips. I have been bread boarding an MX270F260B. I decided up front that I would abandon plib. They are not going to support it and I just figured that if I wanted to learn, I would do it their way and if I got really good at it, I could do it my way.

So, this tutorial https://github.com/Microchip-MPLAB-Harmony/Microchip-MPLAB-Harmony.github.io/wiki/Create-your-first-peripheral-library-(PLIB)-project proved to be the best that I could find, for me.

It is NOT for a MX270 and that was an issue, but I worked through that with a little data sheet for the SAM21 that it was written for. After a while, I was able to get a Harmony 3 LED flasher and I then spent a lot of time looking at the generated code.

I should add that I am not interested in writing full blown Harmony projects, just using Harmony within "normal" C projects so as not to rely on plib.

Not sure this will help at all, but again, your post reminded me

[ricko_uk]

Thank you DrG...!

useful link! And also relevant the other things you mention

Couple of questions:

I should add that I am not interested in writing full blown Harmony projects, just using Harmony within "normal" C projects so as not to rely on plib.

1) how do you use Harmony within normal C? That's very interesting! Any pointers?

2) I just posted another post in this room because after installing MPLAB to a new machine it does not find the PLIB. Perhaps you have a suggestion?

Thank you!

[DrG]

Thank you DrG...!

useful link! And also relevant the other things you mention

Couple of questions:

I should add that I am not interested in writing full blown Harmony projects, just using Harmony within "normal" C projects so as not to rely on plib.

1) how do you use Harmony within normal C? That's very interesting! Any pointers?

2) I just posted another post in this room because after installing MPLAB to a new machine it does not find the PLIB. Perhaps you have a suggestion?

Thank you!

1. Yes, follow that tutorial, that's what it is about.

2. Yeah, I remember that I had to futz with plib and downloaded it again or something, I don't really remember, but what I do remember is that I came away even more certain than plib is not a good mix with pic32...maybe others have a different opinion though.

But, if you need the pain a simple search on "pic32 getting plib to work" will get you a whole bunch of folks with varieties of that problem.

[ricko_uk]

Thank you DrG

[nigelwright7557]

i have done a few h3 projects now.
it is a steep learning curve.
if not doing io by hand you have to add the hardware drivers visually using drag and drop.
i actually like h3 as it gets around coding all the config files using pramas.
i prefer visually programming clocks/io etc

for me it was just a matter of getting stuck in and having a go.
if you get stuck microchip forums are there to help.

[ricko_uk]

Thank you,
I have been writing in C quite a bit, a little less in C++. Was that your starting point too or are you an experienced coder?

Out of curiosity and just for time-budgeting purposes, how long did it take you to learn it so you get to a point where you could comfortably understand it and write simple programs using serial comms, interrupts and controlling IOs? I know that's a "how long a piece of string is" kind of question, but at the moment I am looking just a rough idea.

Thank you