ViewPort: It's working wonderfully after some handholding ! (new title)

Bob Anderson

I wrote: Is there an alternative Spin code debugger to ViewPort?
·
As promising as the demos for ViewPort are, once I started to use it, I was continually frustrated by the documentation: it almost tells you what you need to know.
·
I could have eventually worked through that, but I expect better documentation for "commercial code".
·
What has caused me to throw my hands up is that it is now locking up (the mouse will move slowly, or not at all).· And this is happening running the 4 bit counter demo!· It's not even my code.· All is well until a connection with the PropStick is made, then mouse control is lost.· Even if you can get to a control, clicks don't register.· It takes the Task Manager to regain control by killing the process.
·
The rub is, it had been working.· And the potential is exciting.· But after several de-install re-install cycles that did nothing to resolve the problem, I'm ready to try something else.
·
Any recommendations?
·
As a tool writer myself, I am hesitant to post a thread like this.· It's too much like a flame.· Maybe the problem is something "simple", but at this point in trying out the code, I should not find myself in this state.

Edit: 10 November 2009...

After working with Hanno (very helpful and patient guy), I am now an enthusiastic user of ViewPort.· The major problem (mouse hang-up) was due to Parallax providing a download of version 4.1.66 (the 30 day demo download).· The major problem was a too long USB cable that caused excessive communication errors.· Hanno pointed me at the current version (4.2.3) and nearly all the problems went away.· The remaining difficulties I had were caused by ignorance of "best practices" in using ViewPort.· In that respect, my comment about the documentation almost telling everything you need to know is accurate.· I think there may be a need for a "Best Practices: How To..." sort of manual aimed at newbies.· I have offered to write one.· It's up to Hanno if he wants that done.

Post Edited (Bob Anderson) : 11/16/2009 6:40:25 AM GMT

Hanno

Hi Bob,
I apologize for the problems you've had and for the documentation issues. So far I've been able to solve all the problems posted here, on my forum, and in my email. Most people have been successful by following Andy's PE Lab and learning from the tutorials that come with ViewPort- but I would obviously like to improve both the software and documentation where it needs it. I haven't heard of any problems that resemble your "slow mouse"- but assuming I can reproduce it or you help me narrow down what could be the problem- I'll fix it right away.
I like criticism- and typically respond very quickly by fixing the issue...
Hanno

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Co-author of the official Propeller Guide- available at Amazon
Developer of ViewPort, the premier visual debugger for the Propeller (read the review here, thread here),
12Blocks, the block-based programming environment (thread here)
and PropScope, the multi-function USB oscilloscope/function generator/logic analyzer

Bob Anderson

Hanno:

I wish I knew how to tell you to reproduce the problem.· But I can't.· And until I can, you won't be able to help me.··The problem just appeared out of the blue.· I'm about to turn my computer off and try to coldstart everything.

Maybe my PropStick USB serial has gone bad.· I'll have to figure out how to test that.· Propeller Tool is not having any trouble with it.

The symptoms have a hardware "flavor" to them.

Bob Anderson

After turning my computer completely off and rebooting, the "mouse hangup" has disappeared.

I'm continuing to try to learn how to use this program because of its enormous potential.

At the moment, I'm trying to single-step through an i2c program that "fiddles" with two output pins.· I was hoping to see the pin states on the nice graphic image that ViewPort provides.· I'm trying to use QuickSample to assist in this.· And that's where the documentation has left me experimenting instead of reading. I don't even know whether QuickSample can update the visual display while I'm single-stepping the Spin code.

Bob Anderson

Please check out new information at the head of this thread.

TX Bob

rhugg

Ran across this post accidently and can confirm Bob's experience - almost independent of communication speed with Viewport. A short USB cable (Monster makes a good but expensive one) seems to solve the problem. Hanno is most helpful, but Hanno i am thinking you could save some grief by getting this stuff posted on your web site. Only so many hours in the day....

As Viewport matures, i think it will be fantastic.

Sapieha

Hi rhugg


I have long cable from computer to litle USB router (standard cables) and ons litle cable from Parallax from Router to PropPlug ... And never had problems in comunication with ViewPort ... Both on standard frequencies and Overkloking (120MHz+)

Regards



Ps. Ferom that Router I drive 4 Propellers and change betwen them in ViewPort without problems



▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Nothing is impossible, there are only different degrees of difficulty.
For every stupid question there is at least one intelligent answer.
Don't guess - ask instead.
If you don't ask you won't know.
If your gonna construct something, make it·as simple as·possible yet as versatile as posible.


Sapieha