token catcher/pusher
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Hi Klaus,
I haven't actually used TOKEN-CATCHER and/or TOKEN-PUSHER yet, simply
because I
haven't made a modified cable yet. I do have 2 questions though:
The manual that describes the modified cable speaks of two separate PC's.
Can this also be a single PC with two serial ports?
Secondly, why the modified cableat all? Is it to capture timing parameters
or merely to
catch the sent out tokens? If I remember correctly, there are serial port
monitor
programs that can copy all data sent through (for DOS that is, Windows I am
not sure).
If you followed the discussion about remote reprogramming the Stamp, you
know there
are many options, most of them involve additional hardware. Personally I
will try
the option mentioned by Tracy Allen to use the Stamp BS2P and its STORE
command
and let the Stamp reprogram itself. This way I do not have to bother with
the
stamp's programming algorithm and can use a standerd modem hookup.
I will use your generated TOKENFIL.TXT to send the tokens to the stamp,
packed in some
format that allows me to reprogram a single byte if necessary.
I am currently looking and thinking about a useable bidirectional format,
not only to
reprogram but also for data exchange.
Maybe this is not the place, but wouldn't it be nice to have at least one
extra
function built into the stamp editor: Save Tokens As...
Both the 'file save' and tokens are present inside the stamp editor so this
must
be really simple to add. Maybe someone can pull some strings. If I remember
correctly
the BSAVE and BLOAD directives were once scheduled to be implemented Q3 of
2000.
Has anyone any info on this?
Greeting Peter.
I haven't actually used TOKEN-CATCHER and/or TOKEN-PUSHER yet, simply
because I
haven't made a modified cable yet. I do have 2 questions though:
The manual that describes the modified cable speaks of two separate PC's.
Can this also be a single PC with two serial ports?
Secondly, why the modified cableat all? Is it to capture timing parameters
or merely to
catch the sent out tokens? If I remember correctly, there are serial port
monitor
programs that can copy all data sent through (for DOS that is, Windows I am
not sure).
If you followed the discussion about remote reprogramming the Stamp, you
know there
are many options, most of them involve additional hardware. Personally I
will try
the option mentioned by Tracy Allen to use the Stamp BS2P and its STORE
command
and let the Stamp reprogram itself. This way I do not have to bother with
the
stamp's programming algorithm and can use a standerd modem hookup.
I will use your generated TOKENFIL.TXT to send the tokens to the stamp,
packed in some
format that allows me to reprogram a single byte if necessary.
I am currently looking and thinking about a useable bidirectional format,
not only to
reprogram but also for data exchange.
Maybe this is not the place, but wouldn't it be nice to have at least one
extra
function built into the stamp editor: Save Tokens As...
Both the 'file save' and tokens are present inside the stamp editor so this
must
be really simple to add. Maybe someone can pull some strings. If I remember
correctly
the BSAVE and BLOAD directives were once scheduled to be implemented Q3 of
2000.
Has anyone any info on this?
Greeting Peter.
Comments
>try the option mentioned by Tracy Allen to use the Stamp BS2P and
>its STORE command and let the Stamp reprogram itself. This way I do
>not have to bother with the stamp's programming algorithm and can
>use a standerd modem hookup. I will use your generated TOKENFIL.TXT
>to send the tokens to the stamp, packed in some format that allows
>me to reprogram a single byte if necessary. I am currently looking
>and thinking about a useable bidirectional format, not only to
>reprogram but also for data exchange.
If you are using a BS2P, it is easy also to make a little subroutine
in the stamp itself that dumps all of the tokens out through the
serial port to a file on your PC. That is possible on any stamp, of
course, but especially easy on the 2P.
Remember that each byte you WRITE can take up to 10 milliseconds, so
the data sent back to a Stamp has to be paced.
>Maybe this is not the place, but wouldn't it be nice to have at least one
>extra function built into the stamp editor: Save Tokens As... Both
>the 'file save' and tokens are present inside the stamp editor so
>this must be really simple to add. Maybe someone can pull some
>strings. If I remember correctly the BSAVE and BLOAD directives were
>once scheduled to be implemented Q3 of
>2000. Has anyone any info on this?
No info on that function from Parallax. However, one of the features
of the STACHE is that it can BSAVE all of the tokensback to a PC
serial port for you to capture as ascii HEX in a file (via
hyperterminal or whatever). It is a duplicate of what you see in
STAMPW when you bring up the memory map screen (ctrl-M), which, you
will recall, consists of line after line of 16- byte blocks of hex
codes. Those are in fact the tokens just as they exist in the Stamp
memory map. The Stache BSAVE also contains information that links
BS2e, BS2sx and BS2p projects, and also the checksums that terminate
each line during the programming process.
The Stache would give you a good way to capture the data from your
programs. (hint! hint!, very quick and easy!) Or use a second PC as
a "sniffer" (setting it up for might get old after a while!), or just
have the Stamp itself send its tokens back to the PC (takes
preparation in the Stamp program).
Steve Parkis' "PUTOKEN" program reads data from the PC file saved in
the format provided by the Stache, including the project linking info
and the checksums. It uses that data to program a Stamp or another
Stache. The nice part is that you can send the ascii hex file via
e-mail to someone on the other side of the world and they can then
program it into a stamp (or indirectly via a Stache) without having
to run Stampw.exe or to have someone on the other end see the actual
stamp source code.
-- regards,
Thomas Tracy Allen Ph.D.
electronically monitored ecosystems
mailto:tracy@e...
http://www.emesystems.com
>Hi Klaus,
>
>I haven't actually used TOKEN-CATCHER and/or TOKEN-PUSHER yet, simply
>because I
>haven't made a modified cable yet. I do have 2 questions though:
>
>The manual that describes the modified cable speaks of two separate PC's.
>Can this also be a single PC with two serial ports?
>
>Secondly, why the modified cableat all? Is it to capture timing parameters
>or merely to
>catch the sent out tokens? If I remember correctly, there are serial port
>monitor
>programs that can copy all data sent through (for DOS that is, Windows I am
>not sure).
>
>If you followed the discussion about remote reprogramming the Stamp, you
>know there
>are many options, most of them involve additional hardware. Personally I
>will try
>the option mentioned by Tracy Allen to use the Stamp BS2P and its STORE
>command
>and let the Stamp reprogram itself. This way I do not have to bother with
>the
>stamp's programming algorithm and can use a standerd modem hookup.
>I will use your generated TOKENFIL.TXT to send the tokens to the stamp,
>packed in some
>format that allows me to reprogram a single byte if necessary.
>I am currently looking and thinking about a useable bidirectional format,
>not only to
>reprogram but also for data exchange.
>
>Maybe this is not the place, but wouldn't it be nice to have at least one
>extra
>function built into the stamp editor: Save Tokens As...
>Both the 'file save' and tokens are present inside the stamp editor so this
>must
>be really simple to add. Maybe someone can pull some strings. If I remember
>correctly
>the BSAVE and BLOAD directives were once scheduled to be implemented Q3 of
>2000.
>Has anyone any info on this?
>
>Greeting Peter.
>
Peter,
your two questions are in common interest.
1. STAMPW and BS_CATCH opened in the same PC, instead of the recommended
second PC/Laptop for catching the tokens, it seems to be a nice idea. Today
I tested it with WIN98 im my Pentium-machine,- without success.
At first once again I tested two opened Terminal-programs (some types of
them), connected the two serial ports with zero-modem-cable (crossed
RX/TX). Yes, it works fine for the slowly finger-keying on keyboard. There
are buffers to regulate the transportfrom one opened program to another,
also without any RS232-handshake.
Keep in mind, there is no real multitasking in working opened programs,
there is a chain of interrupts, making slices of time for each program. So
we have problems in timing to simulate the behavior of a real quick BASIC
Stamp, I think.
2. "Changing the cable" . I use the given "pin to pin"- cable to connect
the BS2SX-IC with a PARALLAX-Carrierboard. To replace the BS2SX-IC
(+Carrierbd.) with a Laptop (or desktop) at first it is a problem of
connector/gender - changing the DSUB9 (or perhaps DSUB25). At second
remember for two "wired" conditions in BS2... types :
Recognice the connected BS2... from inner bridge DSUB9 pin6 to pin 7 and
mixed the RXD-Signal (echo from PC/ TXD + BS2../DATA-output) for STAMPW-PC
with hardware in BS2....types.
The adapter does the same for correct simulation. A little of wire for
bridge, also for RXD/TXD crossing and two diodes with the needed
gender-changing. Yes, perhaps (???) bridge and mix to realise with
software, but... see point 1 above! So my "hands off" for this to get
reliability
with all machines /WIN 9x +++ versions (I hope, wondering for any response)
Your hint for "Save as" the tokenfile instead of saving to disk A only,
ready to do it in enhanced versions. (up to now : copy from disk A to any
place manually, if needed ). So it is possible to use the file for modems
(to phone line) or mondo-mini (to web) directly.
BSAVE/BLOAD also for all BS2..., would be nice to have it next time. Until
then the CATCHER/PUSHER and other good programs/devices will help you. ...
Thanks for your contribution.
Regards Klaus Zahnert