Enabling PropForth on the PropBOE-Bot
I had decided to use Mike Green;'s PropBoeBasicXB as the main operating system on my PropBOE-Bot. This would allow me to wireless communicate with the bot, program in basic, or, using the SPIN command, run spin programs stored on the SD card. As a Forther, I was also interested in using the BOE-Bot as a platform for experimenting with PropForth based solutions to robot control. Since the PropForth source is a spin program, it should be accessible, using PropBOEBasic as a boot loader.
The following steps are required to achieve this objective.
1. Reprogram two XBees to operate at 57600 baud. This is the baud rate used by PropForth.
2. Modify PoroDOEBasic to run at 57600 baud. (The default is 9600).
3. Modify PropForthEEpromKernel.spin so that txpin (30) = P12 (XBee DI) and rxpin (31) = P13 (XBee DO).
4. Save the PropForthEEpromKernal as a binary file and store it on the bot SD card. I named the file PFEK to minimize typing.
5. Use TerraTerm (not PST) to commuinicate with the bot.
Apply power to the bot - PropBoeBasic will load. To enable PropForth, execute SPIN "PFEK~1.BIN". The PropForth display will be active. If you wish to terminate the PropForth session, execute reboot to restart PropBoeBasic.
My next step was to download the PropForth extension - servo.f. The process used to program in PropForth is to develop the program using a text editor such as Word, copy the program and paste it in a terminal window
running PropForth. This does not work in PST. ( Note that this approach can also be used to write long programs in PropBOEBasic.) Servo.f is stored in the upper 32kb of the eeprom where it can be accessed
when needed.
NickL
The following steps are required to achieve this objective.
1. Reprogram two XBees to operate at 57600 baud. This is the baud rate used by PropForth.
2. Modify PoroDOEBasic to run at 57600 baud. (The default is 9600).
3. Modify PropForthEEpromKernel.spin so that txpin (30) = P12 (XBee DI) and rxpin (31) = P13 (XBee DO).
4. Save the PropForthEEpromKernal as a binary file and store it on the bot SD card. I named the file PFEK to minimize typing.
5. Use TerraTerm (not PST) to commuinicate with the bot.
Apply power to the bot - PropBoeBasic will load. To enable PropForth, execute SPIN "PFEK~1.BIN". The PropForth display will be active. If you wish to terminate the PropForth session, execute reboot to restart PropBoeBasic.
My next step was to download the PropForth extension - servo.f. The process used to program in PropForth is to develop the program using a text editor such as Word, copy the program and paste it in a terminal window
running PropForth. This does not work in PST. ( Note that this approach can also be used to write long programs in PropBOEBasic.) Servo.f is stored in the upper 32kb of the eeprom where it can be accessed
when needed.
NickL