Access Windows CSV files from a Prop

[Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)]

Attached is a project I've been working on for the past week. It's a Propeller object and a companion Windows PC program that allows Propeller programs to read and write CSV files on the PC. The PC program acts as a server for the Propeller program, running as a client via a serial connection (using FullDuplexSerial). With this facility, a Propeller program can create, append to, and read from CSV files on the PC, using strings, integer, fixed-point, and floating-point data. For safety, the files must all be rooted in a named subdirectory of any file device's root directory and not the root directory itself, but the Propeller program can create any number of subdirectories of that directory. (If you happen to choose "c:/Windows/system32" or somesuch, the consequences are your own fault. I bear no responsibility for stupidity. )

Here's a screen capture of the server program in action:

There are only two things to specify: the active directory and the serial port. Once these are specified, the enable button can be pressed and file transfers can begin. Pressing the Enable button will reset the Propeller, so you will need to have your program saved in EEPROM to use this system.

Documentation for the Propeller client object is embedded in the source code and is AutoDoc (Gold Standard) compatible. See this link for access to the AutoDoc facility:

http://www.phipi.com/spin2html/.

The demo program exercises most of the client's features, and you should read over it, run it, and understand what's going on before writing your own programs.

Questions and comments, as always, are welcome!

-Phil

[Duane Degn]

Phil,

This is great!

Several times a day I need to access files from my Prop data logger. Normally I move a SD card from the Prop to the PC. This should free me from the need of stopping data collecting in order to transfer information to the PC.

I'll try it out (probably tomorrow) and let you know what I think.

Thanks,

Daune

[idbruce]

Phil

I have not tested it, but I am sure it works

Anyhow, good job, and I am sure a lot of people will find this useful!

Bruce

[Oldbitcollector (Jeff)]

Really slick Phil! Thanks for this.

OBC

[Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)]

Thanks, guys! I've updated both the client and server to v.0.91. On the server side, I discovered that the four bytes representing negative integers and fixed-point numbers were being unpacked and written to the file as unsigned numbers. There was also an issue with round-off for the fixed-point data. These issues have now been fixed. I've also added a "halt" instruction to the server which is sent when the object's stop method is called. This will close all files, and put the server in the "disabled" state, which eliminates having to do this by hand to free the port for uploading new programs to the Propeller chip. It also provides a nice visual indication of when all file data transfers have been completed.

-Phil

[idbruce]

Sounds like some nice updates.

I will have to set aside some time to check it out.

Bruce

[ElectricAye]

Interesting!

For some data acquisition projects, this might eliminate the SD card altogether.

Thanks, Phil!

[Sariel]

Interesting!

For some data acquisition projects, this might eliminate the SD card altogether.

Maybe send the data with a pair of XBees, and call it a day. Boy, this would be nice to have. Will have to archive this stuff, just in case the need arises.

[RussM]

Attached is a project I've been working on for the past week. It's a Propeller object and a companion Windows PC program that allows Propeller programs to read and write CSV files on the PC. The PC program acts as a server for the Propeller program, running as a client via a serial connection (using FullDuplexSerial). With this facility, a Propeller program can create, append to, and read from CSV files on the PC, using strings, integer, fixed-point, and floating-point data. For safety, the files must all be rooted in a named subdirectory of any file device's root directory and not the root directory itself, but the Propeller program can create any number of subdirectories of that directory. (If you happen to choose "c:/Windows/system32" or somesuch, the consequences are your own fault. I bear no responsibility for stupidity. )

Here's a screen capture of the server program in action:

There are only two things to specify: the active directory and the serial port. Once these are specified, the enable button can be pressed and file transfers can begin. Pressing the Enable button will reset the Propeller, so you will need to have your program saved in EEPROM to use this system.

Documentation for the Propeller client object is embedded in the source code and is AutoDoc (Gold Standard) compatible. See this link for access to the AutoDoc facility:

http://www.phipi.com/spin2html/.

The demo program exercises most of the client's features, and you should read over it, run it, and understand what's going on before writing your own programs.

Questions and comments, as always, are welcome!

-Phil

Hi Phil! I am trying to implement your program to modify CSV files on a windows pc and I am having some issues. I am using a propeller demo board connected to my PC using the serial port on the demo board. I have your server program running and when I try to run the client program I keep getting an error of "unable to acess com3", even though my demo board is on and connected to my pc. Would you know why this is happening? Thank you!

[Duane Degn]

when I try to run the client program I keep getting an error of "unable to acess com3"

You need to make sure the com port setting matches the same port as the one used by the Prop Tool to communicate with your Demo Board.

When you press F7 from the Prop Tool which com port does it use? You'll want to use this same port in Phil's program.

[RussM]

You need to make sure the com port setting matches the same port as the one used by the Prop Tool to communicate with your Demo Board.

When you press F7 from the Prop Tool which com port does it use? You'll want to use this same port in Phil's program.

I am using COM3. What I don't understand is that when Phil's server program is running I am unable to detect COM3 which is keeping me from compiling my client program.

[Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)]

Russ,

Is the server program disabled when you try to compile and load the client? If not, you need to do so first. Two programs cannot claim the serial port at the same time.

-Phil

[RussM]

Phil,

I should have known that you can't have two programs on the serial port at once. I have the whole thing figured out now. Excellent program. Thank you~

Edit: I ran into an issue that maybe you could help me with Phil. I tried a simple example of just creating a file and everything works fine.

CON


  _clkmode      = xtal1 + pll16x
  _xinfreq      = 5_000_000


  APIN          = 0
  BPIN          = 1


OBJ


  csv   : "csv_file_client"


VAR


  byte read, write[2]
  
PUB  start | i, ltr


  csv.start
  write := csv.open_write(string("Something.csv"))

However, when I try to implement it in my program it does not work. In my program everything after the csv.start command seems to not compile. I tried moving around the csv commands within my code to try and get it to work but to no avail. Am I missing something?

 

CON
  _clkmode = xtal1 + pll16x
  _xinfreq = 5_000_000
  '_xinfreq = 6_250_000
  
  TX_PIN = 0
  BAUD = 19_200
  MS_001 = CLK_FREQ / 1_000
  CLK_FREQ = ((_clkmode-xtal1)>>6)*_xinfreq
  
  LCD_PIN       = 27
  LCD_BAUD      = 19_200                                    
  LCD_LINES     = 4
  LCD_COLS      = 20


  ''Size Encoder A Channel(blue) = 1
  ''Size Encoder B Channel(yellow) = 2
  ''Angle Encoder A Channel(blue) = 4
  ''Angle Encoder B Channel(yellow) = 5
  ENCODER_CHANNELA_SIZE   = 1
  ENCODER_CHANNELA_ANGLE   = 4


OBJ
  quad_size  :       "QuadDecoder"
  quad_angle  :       "QuadDecoder"
  LCD    :       "FullDuplexSerial"
  sio    :        "FullDuplexSerial"
  f32           : "F32"
  f32_orig      : "Float32Full"
  fs            : "FloatString"
  csv   :"csv_file_client"


VAR


  long offset_size                                          ' example variable that will be accumulated to
  long offset_angle
  long distance
  long temp
  long distance_tick
  long f1
  long fA
  long angle
  long angle_tick
  byte cog
  long stack[90]
  byte highs[200]
  byte lows[200]
  long future_size
  long current_size
  long previous_size
  long detecthighpoint
  long detectlowpoint
  long k
  long j
  long index
  long index2
  long float_highs[200]
  long float_lows[200]
  byte read, write[2] 
PUB start | i, ltr


  LCD.start(TX_PIN, TX_PIN, 00, 19_200)    'Initialize FullDuplexSerial.spin
  f32.start
  f32_orig.start
   
  csv.start
  write := csv.open_write(string("Data.csv"))


  quad_size.start(ENCODER_CHANNELA_SIZE, @offset_size)                    ' start the size encoder
  quad_angle.start(ENCODER_CHANNELA_ANGLE, @offset_angle)   


  LCD.tx($0C)
  LCD.tx($11)
 


    LCD.str(string("Size ="))
    LCD.tx($0D)
    LCD.str(string("Angle ="))
    LCD.tx($0D)


    distance_tick := 0.000983
    distance := 0.0
    angle_tick := 0.144
    angle := 0.0
    current_size := 0.0
    previous_size := 0.0
    detecthighpoint := 0
    detectlowpoint := 1
    k := 0
    j := 0
    offset_size := 0.0                                         ' initialize the accumulator
    offset_angle := 0.0
    index := 0
    
    repeat index2 from 0 to 199
      float_highs[index2] := 0.0


   repeat while (offset_angle < 2500)
      current_size := f32_orig.FMul(f32_orig.FFloat(offset_size), distance_tick)
      angle := f32_orig.FMul(f32_orig.FFloat(offset_angle), angle_tick)


      LCD.tx($87)
      LCD.str(fs.FloatToFormat(current_size,13,6))
      LCD.tx($9D)
      LCD.str(fs.FloatToFormat(angle,10,4))
         
      if (current_size < previous_size) AND (detecthighpoint == 1) '(previous size was a high)
        float_highs[i] := previous_size
        k++
        detectlowpoint := 1
        detecthighpoint := 0
      if (current_size > previous_size) AND (detectlowpoint == 1) '(previous size was a low)
        float_lows[i] := previous_size
        j++
        detecthighpoint := 1
        detectlowpoint := 0
           
    previous_size := current_size               
    waitcnt(clkfreq/100 + cnt)


  
  repeat index from 0 to (k-1) 
    csv.write_float(write, float_highs[index])
    {{LCD.tx($94)                           
    LCD.str(fs.FloatToString(float_highs[index]))
    LCD.tx($BC)
    LCD.str(fs.FloatToString(float_highs[index+1]))
    pause(2000)}}


  LCD.str(string("Wrote file"))
  pause(2000)
  LCD.tx($0C)


  csv.close_all 
  LCD.stop
  f32.stop                                             
  f32_orig.stop
  quad_size.stop
  quad_angle.stop
                     
PUB pause(ms) | t 
 t := cnt 
 repeat ms 
  waitcnt(t += MS_001)

[Cluso99]

phil, missed thisbefore. what agreat program, a real gem.

[Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)]

Russ,

The server has to be running and enabled for your program to get past the csv.start.

-Phil

[Cluso99]

Phil,
I was looking at AutoDoc website but could not find the AutoDoc Gold Standard specs. Perhaps you might like to place a link on your webpage for this?

For others, here is the link
http://forums.parallax.com/showthrea...hlight=autodoc

[RussM]

Hi Phil,

I have a quick question. Is there any way to insert a carriage return in a CSV file so two sets of data are printed in two separate rows? Something like the following:

  repeat index3 from 0 to i 
    csv.write_float(write, float_highs[index3])


 'Have next set of data write to next row
  
  repeat index5 from 0 to i
   csv.write_float(write, float_angles[index5])