18f4550 USB Data Acquisition Card - Labview

[evandrorech]

Hi!

I've searched a lot for the drivers VIs to use this Elektor board, but I found nothing. The closest VI I got in edaboard forums, it access the mpusbapi.dll to send data over the microchip driver.

Last year I developed the VIs using this resource, I updated the drivers and DLL to use in Windows 7 64-bit, also I made a little modification in the Elektor firmware to increase the PWM frequency. I called it "LIPIC" - LabVIEW Interface for PIC - and I published a article in NI page: http://sine.ni.com/cs/app/doc/p/id/cs-15124, but it is in portuguese. The only advantages over the LIFA (for Arduino) are the speed (500Hz) and direct connection to the PIC18F4550, which enables OEM applications. The files are attached, I hope this material will be useful!

I don't know much about programming using USB in PIC C18, but if anyone can help, I have a lot of ideas to improve the firmware and make it more like the LIFA, for example:

- Add direct driver for LCD and stepper motor;
- Add a command to select if a pin will be input or output;
- Create a routine to buffer multiple points from analog inputs and send to PC.

I can help with the VIs.

I also see a great potential in the Texas Instruments Lauchpads (Value line and Tiva), but I don't study how to program they yet.

Best regards!

Evandro Rech