Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Need Help with programming Spin! Help! — Parallax Forums

Need Help with programming Spin! Help!

mklrobomklrobo Posts: 420
edited 2014-12-01 09:27 in General Discussion
Hello!
I have used Simpleide, and I love it; but most programs with assembly and in OBEX, are
written in Spin. I need the capabilities of Spin, but can not find any info on the writing of
it. Found the quick reference, and have downloaded MANY programs, but they do not
offer a structure of programming the internals. Are there any programming manuals at all?!
Did find a programming manual on Amazon, but I do not have high hopes for it. :)

Comments

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-11-23 03:20
    mklrobo wrote: »
    Hello!
    I have used Simpleide, and I love it; but most programs with assembly and in OBEX, are
    written in Spin. I need the capabilities of Spin, but can not find any info on the writing of
    it. Found the quick reference, and have downloaded MANY programs, but they do not
    offer a structure of programming the internals. Are there any programming manuals at all?!
    Did find a programming manual on Amazon, but I do not have high hopes for it. :)

    Start with the Propeller Sticky. Many resources:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/111166-Propeller-Resource-Index

    Then check out the Education Labs:

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/89958-Propeller-Education-Kit-Labs-Tools-and-Applications
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,105
    edited 2014-11-23 09:29
    Move from SimpleIDE (intended for C) to PropellerIDE which uses the same framework, but is simplified for Spin.

    Step 1) Assume programming in Spin is easy -- because it is! :)
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2014-11-23 09:53
    I have a list of Propeller tutorials in post #3 of my index.

    The Propeller Education Kit included in the Prop Tool's help menu is a great starting place as is version 1.0 of the Prop Manual (I couldn't find version 1.0 on Parallax's site so I added it to my DropBox). The Prop 1.0 manual is the way I first learned Spin.

    There's a link to JonnyMac's Spin Zone articles there (in post #3 of my index). IMO, these articles are also a great resource. PASM finally made sense to me as I followed Jon's example of blinking a LED with PASM.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-11-23 11:52
    I was about to say RTFM. All be it more politely.

    Just shows how much attention I pay. Everything anyone ever needed to know about programming in Spin used to be in the Propeller manual. Now I find the old chapter three on Spin programming is missing from the new manual. So is the almost redundant chapter on using the Prop Tool but no one would miss that.

    Where did all that good stuff go?

    I would have thought, given the unique nature of Spin and how it is tied to the Propeller, that the old chapter 3 was essential. Perhaps available from the same download links as the manual. Part II as it were.
  • mklrobomklrobo Posts: 420
    edited 2014-11-23 11:56
    Thanks! I will check out the websites. The simpleIDE is great, but Spin seems to have more
    power. Spin programming seems to be C, centered on the architecture of the prop. Obvious,
    of course. Thanks again.
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,105
    edited 2014-11-23 11:58
    Spin borrows from several modern languages. That said, you're right: it is designed to simplify programming the unique architecture of the Propeller.
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2014-11-23 12:34
    Heater. wrote: »
    Where did all that good stuff go?

    I think Parallax decided to make the Prop Manual a reference rather than a tutorial. The PEK covers the material the old manual did. I still like version 1.0 manual better than the PEK but I think I'm biased since it's the way I originally learned Spin.

    As I mentioned in post #4, I couldn't find the version 1.0 manual on the Parallax site so I've made it available through my Dropbox.
  • GenetixGenetix Posts: 1,754
    edited 2014-11-23 20:11
    I learned Spin mostly from this:
    http://www.parallax.com/sites/default/files/downloads/122-32305-PE-Kit-Labs-Fundamentals-Text-v1.2.pdf

    The Propeller Manual has a whole section of Spin.
    http://www.parallax.com/sites/default/files/downloads/P8X32A-Web-PropellerManual-v1.2.pdf
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-11-24 10:48
    Heater. wrote: »
    I was about to say RTFM. All be it more politely.

    Just shows how much attention I pay. Everything anyone ever needed to know about programming in Spin used to be in the Propeller manual. Now I find the old chapter three on Spin programming is missing from the new manual. So is the almost redundant chapter on using the Prop Tool but no one would miss that.

    Where did all that good stuff go?

    I would have thought, given the unique nature of Spin and how it is tied to the Propeller, that the old chapter 3 was essential. Perhaps available from the same download links as the manual. Part II as it were.

    Darn! Can't attach Manual Ver 1.01. Will try later.

    Attachment not found.
  • JonnyMacJonnyMac Posts: 9,105
    edited 2014-11-24 14:15
    Duane did in post #8.

    -- https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/59112285/WebPM-v1.0.pdf
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-11-24 16:36
    JonnyMac wrote: »
    Duane did in post #8.

    -- https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/59112285/WebPM-v1.0.pdf

    Yup, That's the one.

    Thanks Jon and Duane.!
  • No Static At AllNo Static At All Posts: 9
    edited 2014-12-01 05:55
    Run the Parallax Propeller Tool.

    Select the first item in the Help menu Propeller Help... F1.
    (or simply hit the F1 function key)

    A window (Propeller Help) opens and displays a help browser program.

    "Using the Propeller Tool" is the third item in the left column.
    "Spin Programming Tutorial" is the fourth item.

    Essential good stuff for someone new to the Propeller.

    These two items are the former chapters 2 and 3 from Propeller Manual v1.0.

    Page 11 of Propeller Manual v1.1 explains that these chapters were enhanced and moved
    to the Propeller Tool Help system.

    The Propeller Help browser program looks at HTML documents on the local hard drive,
    no internet connection required.

    If I use Windows Explorer to navigate to
    C:\Program Files\Parallax Inc\Propeller Tool v1.3.2\Help\Content\SpinTutorTopics,
    clicking on SpinTutorial.htm opens the Spin Programming Tutorial in my Firefox browser.

    Supposedly these files could be copied to a non-Windows computer and any browser could be used
    to view the Help documents.

    Hope this helps.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    edited 2014-12-01 06:10
    @ No Static At All

    Welcome to the forums!

    Thanks for taking the time to write out that precise answer. It should help others.

    (FM...Steely Dan fan? ) :)
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2014-12-01 09:27
    No Static At All,

    Welcome to the forum.

    Problem is the Propeller Tool does not run on anything but Windows. That leaves a lot of would be Propeller users in the dark.

    This issue has been popping up a lot, That "Essential good stuff for someone new to the Propeller." needs to be prominently on display wherever the Prop chip gets a mention on the Parallax web site.

    And that's another thing. When a visitor arrives at parallax.com amazingly the Propeller is not in any star position. If the visitor happens to scroll down and hit the Propeller link at the bottom of the page he gets to a page that does not exactly push the Propeller in his face. It's kind of hard work to find out what a Prop chip is or why anyone would want one from the Parallax pages.

    I have never understood why the Prop is hidden away so.
Sign In or Register to comment.