Propeller hyperterminal connection

lfreeze

I am on the very lower rungs as far as programming skills go, but am willing to make the effort to learn this astounding new processor.
I got thru all of the hello world type programs in the propeller manual, but can't seem to get to the next level. I have been attempting to
install and run pc_debug_test.spin.. I read Jon's article and then downloaded the archived files.

Briefly described here is my problem.··

I set up a hyperterminal connection (windows xp)·with the following options:
··
· com port 1

·· baud speed· = 460800
·· databits······· = 8
·· parity·········· ·= none
·· stop bits····· ·= 1
·· flow control = none

When I click on the call button on the ·hyperterminal tool bar, I get an error message "unable to connect to com 1"
At this point I verified that ·"com 1 " was the correct port. Then I changed· baud speed to 9600 in hyperterminal and in
pc_debug_test. The result was that now hyperterminal appeared to connect (no error messages), but I got only a blank
hyperterminal screen.· I have only limited skills with hyperterminal, I was able to use it with serial commands from my BS2.
I am not sure if I have a hyperterminal setup problem, or a propeller chip program problem. Or some really dumb problem
that I have created myself.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kevin Wood

Do a Google search for a program called Br@y++ Terminal. It's a lot easier to work with than Hyperterminal.

simonl

Hi lfreeze,
I can't find pc_debug_test.spin (if you attach it here I'll take a look), but have used PropStick Test its_alive.spin (Attached below). This needs hyperterminal to be at 9600,8,N,1 and should give the following in hyperterminal:

Alive... It's alive!..... IT'S ALIVE!!

Give that a try and let us know if it works.

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Cheers,

Simon

David B

I also have had bad experiences with Hyperterminal.

A few weeks ago I set up my Propeller to send characters out the serial port, but Hyperterminal consistently messed up the receive. Even characters that I saw arrive on the Hyperterminal screen failed to get properly captured to the logfile. I tried all the confusing configuration options that Hyperterminal offers but still had no success.

But then I downloaded the free TeraTerm terminal program and had excellent results. It was easy to set up and it did exactly the right thing. It has my recommendation.

David

lfreeze

Thanks Simon, ·I downloaded the file (PropStick Test its_alive.spin).· I pressed f11 and loaded the program into the eeprom. I created a new hyperterminal connection and· loaded the program·.·I pressed the reset button and ·Magic happened, ·it worked like a charm, I am not sure why pc_debug_test.spin· did not work but will not pursue it.
·I can use your program as a· building block to continue the learning process.

Again· Many thanks!

Larry

simonl

Hey, just glad to be able to put something back into this forum

I'd love to claim the code as mine, but alas no. It's not got the author's name, but I found it either on this forum or in the object exchange.

If you want to use a base to build from, I think you're probably better-off using FullDuplex.spin. This will run in it's own cog, but is way more powerful (Should be in your Propeller Library I think).

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Cheers,

Simon

lfreeze

David,

Thanks for the response. I will take a look at Teraterm for use with hyperterminal. Any simplification in the process is welcome.

Did you have problems installing it, and were there any tricks in getting the propeller to talk through it?

Larry

David B

No, the install was easy. I don't actually remember what was involved, except that I was so pleased to have it actually receiving and saving characters to file so fast. As I remember, it's a small, somewhat older utility. But it did what I needed.

In all fairness, I have had success with HyperTerminal in the past. If it is working for you, you might want to continue. But keep these other terminal programs in mind if you ever suspect that Hyperterminal isn't doing the right thing.

TeraTerm is configured pretty much the same as Hyperterminal - you configure it for which port you want, baud, stop bits, parity, etc, and you set it to capture to file if you want. Then you tell it to connect, and from then on, whatever the propeller sends to the port is received by TeraTerm.

I have one of those serial line debugger boxes that you plug into the serial line and LEDs flash red, or green, or blank, depending on the state of the serial activity. That's been a useful help many times for debugging serial just for simple confirmation that characters are being sent.

I used the same serial port that the Spin tool uses. For some tests, I programmed my test into the propeller EEPROM, then shut off the propeller, shut off the Spin tool (which releases the PC port), started the PC terminal prorgam, then powered up the propeller. Then my code sent its data to the terminal program. If I left the Spin tool up, I would sometimes get "COM port in use" problems, which is understandeable in this case. But once everything was set up properly, there were no problems at all. It was easy to use and very reliable.

David