DMX and Propeller
![Timothy D. Swieter](https://forums.parallax.com/uploads/userpics/482/n6OIB3WNWVK0M.jpg)
I hope to be getting a Propeller soon and one of the first things I would like to do with it is create a DMX receiver. I have seen the posts in the SX forum with the example Code by Jon and I have read many things on the web about it. The small company I work for (Birket Engineering ) has started a Specialty Lighting Division to support more of the specialty Strobe and LED products we produce for the entertainment and architectural lighting markets. I have thought that the horsepower of the Propeller would be great for some of our product ideas.
I was thinking about using the FullDuplexSerial object to receive the serial stream. I don't really need full duplex, just half-duplex (receiving). Is there an object created for this? For now I may just use the FullDuplex until I feel like I should hack apart that object to make it half duplex. I also created a buffer object. Maybe it is overkill, but I could see it being needed in other projects as well.
On the hardware side I plan to use the MAX487E chip. I have a couple lying around and from what I researched; it looked like it should be capable of the job.
Any other advice? I started the code tonight, again following the example SX code. I will post it here once I am done. I am eager to see what others think of it and how it can be improved. It might be a week or two before I get the hardware up and running because of other items on my to-do list.
Request for feature: In the editor for Propeller it would be nice if the user could specify additional library folders where objects are stored. I like to keep things organized, so I would create a folder for the serial objects and display objects, etc. At the moment I don't think I can do this, the compiler expects the objects to be in the root Propeller folder or the folder where the top file is being compiled.
These forums are great, keep up the good work! I am looking forward to learning a new micro.
EDIT: Misquoted chip number, corrected to right type.
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Timothy D. Swieter
www.tdswieter.com
One little spark is all it takes for an idea to explode
Post Edited (Timothy D. Swieter) : 5/25/2006 1:10:13 AM GMT
I was thinking about using the FullDuplexSerial object to receive the serial stream. I don't really need full duplex, just half-duplex (receiving). Is there an object created for this? For now I may just use the FullDuplex until I feel like I should hack apart that object to make it half duplex. I also created a buffer object. Maybe it is overkill, but I could see it being needed in other projects as well.
On the hardware side I plan to use the MAX487E chip. I have a couple lying around and from what I researched; it looked like it should be capable of the job.
Any other advice? I started the code tonight, again following the example SX code. I will post it here once I am done. I am eager to see what others think of it and how it can be improved. It might be a week or two before I get the hardware up and running because of other items on my to-do list.
Request for feature: In the editor for Propeller it would be nice if the user could specify additional library folders where objects are stored. I like to keep things organized, so I would create a folder for the serial objects and display objects, etc. At the moment I don't think I can do this, the compiler expects the objects to be in the root Propeller folder or the folder where the top file is being compiled.
These forums are great, keep up the good work! I am looking forward to learning a new micro.
EDIT: Misquoted chip number, corrected to right type.
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Timothy D. Swieter
www.tdswieter.com
One little spark is all it takes for an idea to explode
Post Edited (Timothy D. Swieter) : 5/25/2006 1:10:13 AM GMT
Comments
·· Actually, I have all of my objects organized in sub folders within a special folder in My Documents because it is easier to backup everything that way.· The Propeller Tool will actually look in the current work folder for files, as well as the tabs (loaded, not saved files) before expecting something to be in the library folder.· So you should be able to keep things organized in that manner.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
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Timothy D. Swieter
www.tdswieter.com
One little spark is all it takes for an idea to explode
·· You can, but wouldn't be easier to just have them in the same folder as the project?· The only ones that need to be there are ones that aren't in the library are part of the current object.· Basically if I use an object that is not part of the current library I either add it, if it is finalized or I put it in the folder with the object I'm working on.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
Putting objects I create into the Application library is a bad way to go because when I install a new version of the Propeller Tool, all my objects are now in the wrong place.
The best way to go would be if the Propeller Tool allowed the user to specify a folder as the User Library. I could put my Library somewhere other than in the Application folder so that it wouldn't be affected by a program update and I could keep a single version of the objects I create. It also makes it easier to perform backups and to implement Source Control. This is the way OS X works and it works really well. No user data, documents, or preferences are stored in the Application folder. It's all stored under the user's home directory.
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OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows
Back on topic...
Next week I am vacation. Hopefully after I return I will be able to try out the software and hardware together to see how well my code works to capture DMX.
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Timothy D. Swieter
www.tdswieter.com
One little spark is all it takes for an idea to explode
·· I passed on your comments to our Application Engineer, Jeff.· Now, what I wanted to point out was that many of the objects posted are Archives.· In these cases the ZIP file already contains all the objects you need for that project.· So downloading these files will most likely give you a few duplicate files anyway.· They're so smallit hardly matters, and you know that you have a version compatible with your project.
·· As for losing files you put in the Library when you upgrade, I actually create a backup of certain files for restoration here anyway.· With a backup of what you create and put there, you can easily add them to the new folder when upgrading.· Again though, I will pass this on.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
There's a thread that relates to the "open objects" idea that was mentioned... it doesn't really work that way.
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=588738
We'll consider the "User Library" idea.· Thanks for the suggestion.
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--Jeff Martin
· Sr. Software Engineer
· Parallax, Inc.
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OS-X: because making Unix user-friendly was easier than debugging Windows