PropBasic SUBs
Rsadeika
Posts: 3,837
in Propeller 1
This is my first attempt at trying to get a better understanding of how to use PropBasic subroutines. All this program does is, turns on a pin, with an LED attached, for a specified amount of time. I think I put in enough comments to explain things.
In the subroutine itself I used VAR, at this point, I am not sure if some other variable type should have been used, like maybe HUB.
Ray
In the subroutine itself I used VAR, at this point, I am not sure if some other variable type should have been used, like maybe HUB.
Ray
' led3.pbas ' July 18, 2018 DEVICE P8X32A ' Mandatory ''''' SUB defines ''''' OnOffLed SUB PROGRAM Start ' Mandatory Start: OnOffLed 26,2000 END ' End program ''''' Subroutines ''''' ' Use OnOffLed pin,time ' Example OnOffLed 26,1000 - turns on pin(led) 26 for ' one second, then turns the pin off. SUB OnOffLed pinum VAR __PARAM1 time VAR __PARAM2 high pinum pause time low pinum ENDSUB
Comments
You can define variables in a SUB but it will be global anyway.
Note that __PARAMx would be overwritten if your SUB calls another SUB, so it is best to assign the __PARAMx to a variable.
Also when you declare the SUB you should specify how many parameters there are:
HUB variables are for arrays, strings and passing values between TASKs.
Edit:
Using "pinum VAR __PARAM1" just creates an alias for __PARAM1. If __PARAM1 is changed (by calling another SUB) the value would still be lost.
Bean
The code sizes:
Native - prop spin obj - 5KB
LMM - prop spin obj - 10KB
It looks like the spin obj size doubled, but does that really mean that the added LMM code is 5KB, or does it mean that the actual program doubles in size.
The other surprising thing is the actual Native spin obj size - 5KB. I was expecting, for such a small program, that the size would be way under 1KB. So, what is really all the overhead?
Ray
In the folder I now have four files listed:
led3 Propeller binary 1KB
led3 PBAS File 1KB
led3 Propeller Spin obj 6KB
led27 Propeller Spin obj 4KB
Since led27 obj is shown as a separate item, is this a quirk with PropellerIDE, or am I supposed to derive something interesting out of this?
As for the different file sizes that are listed, if I wanted to compare a program size with a PropGCC program of comparable code, which values would I use.
Ray
I am aware that PropBasic has the "include" function, for loading propeller assembly code, would that include a Spin obj file? If so, how would I deal with the ADC0831_DEMO Propeller Spin obj that I downloaded from the OBEX? I guess all this would be simplified if there was a PropBasic ADC driver already available.
Since I have mentioned the "include" component, how would that work for using all the Spin files that are available in the OBEX with PropBasic. Or at least using the Spin stuff that provides drivers for ADC, SD, Badge, …, etc.
Ray
It looks like the ADC0831-8 is an SPI device, so you would use the SHIFTIN function in PropBASIC.
I'll see if I can find some SPIN code that I can convert.
Bean
@Bean, just for some more detail, what does the "include" component do for you? If it loads and provides access to PASM code, then it would be a great benefit if there was PASM drivers for all the little components that are available to use with the Propeller. Not sure if I am on the right tract with this thought. Of course, now the question is, who is going to write all that PASM code.
Ray
If you want to use PASM in PropBASIC simply use ASM...ENDASM tags.
P.S. I looked for 10 minutes on the Parallax website and could not find any mention of what ADC was in the Activity Board
Bean
@Bean, Since you also have a "load" component, what is the difference between the two. What am I missing here?
Ray
As for the Activity Board, I was able to find three schematics, one for each board part number/revision code:
# 32910 - REV A
https://parallax.com/sites/default/files/downloads/32910-Propeller-Activity-Board-RevA-Schematics.pdf
# 32912 - REV A
https://parallax.com/sites/default/files/downloads/32912-Propeller-Activity-Board-WX-Rev-A-Design-Files.pdf
# 32912 - REVs B and C
https://parallax.com/sites/default/files/downloads/32912-Propeller-Activity-Board-WX-Schematic-Rev-B-and-C.pdf
From the above, two of them does have a parts list, wich uses the same part number for the ADC, # 600-10014; that points to a TI part, ADC 124S021.
ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/adc124s021.pdf
Except for the three above, I couldn't find any other part # related to a Propeller Activity Board, thus I hope the one you is talking about fits one of them.
Hope it helps a bit.
Henrique
There was also the following '2014 thread about the PAB ADC
forums.parallax.com/discussion/157723/propeller-activity-board-embedded-adc
I was not able to find the OBEX entry JonnyMac did mentioned at the following post; perhaps he could jump in and provide some help.
forums.parallax.com/discussion/comment/1297684/#Comment_1297684
Henrique
"LOAD" is for libraries. They actually have different sections that get compiled at different times. These are much more complicated to make, but are much more versatile. I haven't made one of these in a long time. I can work on making one for the ADC if you want.
Bean
Some of the downloads in the obex for PropBASIC are libraries.
VGA2 VGA4, TV, TV40.
Basically you have all the defines (CON PIN VAR "name SUB", "name TASK"), then you put a '{$CODE} directive, then all the code for the SUBs, then a '{$TASKS} directive, then any TASK code.
Bean
Ouch, my bad. I'm sorry for being so distracted!
The more I read, the more escapes from my sight.
Henrique
That part also has faster siblings, up to 1 MSPS - not used by default, but someone might upgrade to them.
If Bean is doing a support for this ADC, you might like to scan this thread
https://forums.parallax.com/discussion/168694/help-wanted-oscilloscope#latest
where Matt is doing the PC-side tests for Web-hosted scope etc displays.
A useful code-example variant, would be a 1-COG SPI-UART ADC bridge, that simultaneously reads ADC124S021 and writes serial, as fast as P1 can manage, perhaps with a simple DJNZ sample counter ? (512~1M?)
I did some pencil-paper work on that, and fastest looks to be a paced-bit-copy, that copies the 12 ADC bits into 2 UART bytes, with packers and pauses in the SPI CLK, to align the UART timing.
PC does the buffering, and P1 side is a quite simple bridge, with a very precise sample rate. (becomes a bit like i2s, but over UARTs)
Matt reports 921600 looks to work in that Browser-Hosted environment as a continual Baud speed.
Continual Rx tests I've done on UARTS show FT231X/CP2102N can manage 3MBd continual, and
EXAR (XR21B1420) can manage 8MBd and a FT2232H (HS-USB) can manage 12 MBd
A 12b to 2 byte serial send at 3MBd, would give 150k sps for quite good scope work. 921k Baud gives a still useful 46080 sps.
Basically I want to set up sort of command respond scenario. As a starting point, maybe when I type in "quit", at the terminal screen, the program stops. The problem, so far is, when I do ' IF inBuff = "quit" THEN EXIT', an error pops up stating there is something wrong with, I guess "quit" not being a 'val'. That is my interpretation, probably all wet on that one.
This again pertains to the PropGCC program that I would like to convert too PropBasic. There are three critical parts to the PropGCC program, 1. use of the ADC; 2. use of a com link; 3. TASKing, in this case turning on/off of specific device as a separate activity. I guess I could add a fourth item, access and usage of the WX WiFi module. Yes, The WiFi module has also been working with out a fault.
The Activity Board that I have been using has been running, without a fault, for more than a year now, but I would like to switch over to a FLiP module configuration, with the appropriate components. The Activity Board should be used more like an experimentation device.
' uart1.pbas ' July 19, 2018 ' ' DEVICE P8X32A, XTAL1, PLL16X ' Mandatory FREQ 80_000_000 BAUD CON "T115200" SOut PIN 30 SIn PIN 31 inBuff VAR LONG SendChar SUB 1 SendStr SUB 1 ReadStr SUB 1 write SUB 1 PROGRAM Start ' Mandatory ' Main UI loop Start: SendStr "A\r" write "Does this work?\n" DO write "\n> " SERIN SIn,BAUD,inBuff IF inBuff = 0 THEN EXIT write inBuff LOOP END 'Use: SendChar "A" SUB SendChar SEROUT SOut, BAUD, __PARAM1 ENDSUB 'USE: SendStr "String", can also embed a CR - SendStr "string\n" SUB SendStr __PARAM2 = __PARAM1 DO RDBYTE __PARAM2,__PARAM1 INC __PARAM2 IF __PARAM1 = 0 THEN EXIT SendChar __PARAM1 LOOP ENDSUB SUB write printStr VAR LONG(40) printStr = __PARAM1 SendStr printStr ENDSUB 'SUB ReadStr ' SERIN SIn,BAUD,__PARAM1 'ENDSUBFor the "file" component - "Loads a binary data file." A brief explanation "file contains the text HELLO". So, do I covert the text "HELLO" to binary and place it in a txt file? Just curious, what is the binary form of HELLO.
Ray
A text string is usually placed in a binary file as an array of the 8 bit ascii codes for the desired characters, usually followed by a null byte (hex 00, binary 00000000) as the end of string indicator. IOW no conversion is usually needed.
The biggest sore point is the lack of drivers and some instruction as to how the drivers would be implemented within a SUB/FUNC/TASK. Having said that I have not really explored a specific tool called spin2c.
If I remember correctly, with spin2c, you can have a spin program converted to PASM. So theoretically you could convert a spin program that uses a specific component to PASM, and then use the PASM code, using asm … endasm within a SUB/FUNC/TASK to get the driver aspect that is needed. Then you would really have to know something about PASM, in order to figure out how to use the specific parts of the PASM code. Sounds very tedious, but that is better, I guess, than waiting for some drivers to magically appear on the forum, for PropBasic anyway.
I will probably have look into this, just to see how tedious and involved that approach would be.
Ray
Something I keep meaning to look at; how big of a deal would it be to make existing PASM objects work with PropBasic, using the asm directive?