Error - Invalid 18f8520 header file! Vex Robotics Kit

Technical Technical Discussion
1

First of all I’m a newbie at the Vex Robotics Kit here are the things I’ve already done

I’ve successfully installed Mplab v8.10 and C18 compiler v3.35 , I went through the user guides and successfully build the first program, the “Hello World!!” program,so I think my C compiler is working

I downloaded the Vex Starter Code and extracted to a file called “VexCode” I placed it under the directory C:\mcc18\VexCode I opened VexUserCode.mcw (work space) and imported VexUserCode.mcp (project)

I set the Project–> Build options —> Project and set the Include search path to C:\mcc18\h and C:\mcc18\VexCode
and the Library search path to C:\mcc18\lib and C:\mcc18\VexCode
and Linker script search path to C:\mcc18\VexCode the Linker script is in the VexCode folder 18f8520user.lkr

Then Build all in the output window it shows

Debug build of project C:\mcc18\VexCode\VexUserCode.mcp' started. Preprocessor symbol__DEBUG’ is defined.
Tue Aug 03 03:19:32 2010

Clean: Deleting intermediary and output files.
Clean: Deleted file “C:\mcc18\VexCode\VexUserCode.mcs”.
Clean: Done.
Executing: “C:\mcc18\bin\mcc18.exe” -p=18F8520 /i"C:\mcc18\VexCode" -I"C:\mcc18\h" “user_routines_fast.c” -fo=“user_routines_fast.o” -D__DEBUG -Ou- -Ot- -Ob- -Op- -Or- -Od- -Opa-
C:\mcc18\VexCode\ifi_picdefs.h:1289:Error [1099] *** Error - Invalid 18f8520 header file!
Halting build on first failure as requested.

Debug build of project C:\mcc18\VexCode\VexUserCode.mcp' failed. Preprocessor symbol__DEBUG’ is defined.
Tue Aug 03 03:19:32 2010

Can anyone solve this? Thank you for you time!!

2

Did you install MPLAB/C18 from the VEX CD or did you also download any updates from online?

That error seems to indicate that the ifi_picdefs.h file is being inserted twice. It has a check at the beginning to prevent that though…

3

Thanks for your reply I downloaded my Mplab and C18 from

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en023073&part=

I also saw a forum

It seems that we have similar problems in the forum it mentioned something about the macro setting and I also tried adding “_FRC_BOARD” to the macro definitions and it still didn’t work

Thanks for reading.

4

Thank for your reply I downloaded my Mplab v8.10 and C18 v3.35 from

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en023073&part=

and i saw the thread that mentioned the macro defintions so i ADDED “_FRC_BOARD” to my macro definitions and it didn’t work as well :frowning:

thanks for replying it means a lot to me!!

5

#define _VEX_BOARD

is what you want for the VEX board.

Let me recommend that you visit the: WPI Lib for VEX/FRC site and grab that library. It will make your programming about 1000 times easier. There are full instructions on how to make it work with MPLabs.

The Microchip compiler / linker is very fussy when it comes to path names, etc. in the setup.

Keep us posted on how you make out.

6

Shouldn’t it turn out as pictures?

7

Thanks for all you guys’ help!! I got it to work I try downloading older versions of Mplab v7.60 and C18 v2.40 and I downloaded Elevation - Appendix D (Programming Guide) from http://www.vexforum.com/wiki/index.php/Elevation

when you extract the file it willgive you the VexCode file and deleting the old library files and adding a new one Vex_2008_library.lib from the MPLAB-Autonomous-Code Rev2 - Vex Code

now when I build the mpw file it gives me

Clean: Done.
Executing: “C:\mcc18\bin\mcc18.exe” -p=18F8520 /i"C:\mcc18\h" “user_routines_fast.c” -fo=“user_routines_fast.o” -Ou- -Ot- -Ob- -Op- -Or- -Od- -Opa-
Executing: “C:\mcc18\bin\mcc18.exe” -p=18F8520 /i"C:\mcc18\h" “ifi_startup.c” -fo=“ifi_startup.o” -Ou- -Ot- -Ob- -Op- -Or- -Od- -Opa-
Executing: “C:\mcc18\bin\mcc18.exe” -p=18F8520 /i"C:\mcc18\h" “printf_lib.c” -fo=“printf_lib.o” -Ou- -Ot- -Ob- -Op- -Or- -Od- -Opa-
Executing: “C:\mcc18\bin\mcc18.exe” -p=18F8520 /i"C:\mcc18\h" “user_routines.c” -fo=“user_routines.o” -Ou- -Ot- -Ob- -Op- -Or- -Od- -Opa-
Executing: “C:\mcc18\bin\mcc18.exe” -p=18F8520 /i"C:\mcc18\h" “ifi_utilities.c” -fo=“ifi_utilities.o” -Ou- -Ot- -Ob- -Op- -Or- -Od- -Opa-
Executing: “C:\mcc18\bin\mcc18.exe” -p=18F8520 /i"C:\mcc18\h" “main.c” -fo=“main.o” -Ou- -Ot- -Ob- -Op- -Or- -Od- -Opa-
Executing: “C:\mcc18\bin\mplink.exe” /l"C:\mcc18\lib" “C:\VexCode\18f8520user.lkr” “C:\VexCode\user_routines_fast.o” “C:\VexCode\ifi_startup.o” “C:\VexCode\printf_lib.o” “C:\VexCode\user_routines.o” “C:\VexCode\ifi_utilities.o” “C:\VexCode\main.o” “C:\VexCode\Vex_2008_library.lib” /o"VexUserCode.cof"
MPLINK 3.90, Linker
Copyright © 2004 Microchip Technology Inc.
Errors : 0

MP2COD 3.90, COFF to COD File Converter
Copyright © 2004 Microchip Technology Inc.
Errors : 0

MP2HEX 3.90, COFF to HEX File Converter
Copyright © 2004 Microchip Technology Inc.
Errors : 0

Loaded C:\VexCode\VexUserCode.cof.
BUILD SUCCEEDED: Wed Aug 04 00:08:48 2010

once again thanks for all your help!! Happy programming!

8

Great!

This error usually seems to be a mismatch between the versions of the C18 software, the Vex libraries, and the program.