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Debug Uart on Pins P30, P31 — Parallax Forums

Debug Uart on Pins P30, P31

GavinGavin Posts: 134
edited 2007-01-11 04:18 in Propeller 1
The Propellor Editor/Development software uses the boot uart on port pins P30, P31.

It would be nice if the next version on the software could have a popup serial terminal window on these pins.
This would make a useful debug serial port without using up more pins or adding extra hardware.

Gavin


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Comments

  • Martin HebelMartin Hebel Posts: 1,239
    edited 2007-01-07 09:32
    You can use these pins for debugging, either using FullDuplexSerial, or the BS2_functions.DEBUG methods or others. You simply need to open a terminal window on the PC (I use the Stamp Editor's DEBUG window frequently). But yes, it is irritating swapping the COM ports bewteen the applications, and Jeff Martin has mentioned a terminal window will appear in an upcoming release of the Propeller Tool (yay, since we've been asking for it since Beta!).

    -Martin

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    Martin Hebel
    StampPlot - Graphical Data Acquisition and Control
    AppBee -·2.4GHz Wireless Adapters & transceivers·for the BASIC Stamp & Other controllers·
  • GavinGavin Posts: 134
    edited 2007-01-07 09:36
    Jeff,

    Any time frame for the"upcoming" new Propeller tool?

    Gavin
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-01-08 18:17
    Its in the works, and your request is the primary new feature. It should be done this month.

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • LitefireLitefire Posts: 108
    edited 2007-01-08 18:40
    will the update include a debug command like the one in pBasic? or will we continue to have to use an object for debug? either way it's very useful.

    ~~Brian
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-01-08 20:10
    Embedding a debug command would require a change in hardware, instead there will be an example object written to use the new feature. It will be more versatile than PBASIC's debug window, it will be (internally) extensible to provide a "forms"-like display (ie, place text bar here, place bitmap there,enter text A into text bar B, place bitmap data D into bitmap window C,...)

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • acantostegaacantostega Posts: 105
    edited 2007-01-08 22:42
    Cool, something like curses?
  • LitefireLitefire Posts: 108
    edited 2007-01-08 22:43
    what is curses?

    ~~Brian
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-01-08 23:20
    No, curses is text only screen manipulation, it will be closer to Tk/Motif and have some way of communicating key and mouse events back to the Propeller, IOW it will be a debug terminal on steroids. But the first version to be released will be a basic text-only debug terminal, with a plug-in interface·inside to expand it's functionality at a later time.

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • GavinGavin Posts: 134
    edited 2007-01-09 12:18
    New IDE this month?
    Bonzer mate.

    Next question, when is the Spin compiler coming?

    Gavin
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-01-09 19:17
    Spin compiler? I dont understand.

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • GavinGavin Posts: 134
    edited 2007-01-10 10:20
    Well you guys have the the SX/B basic compiler.

    Just wondering if Spin can be compiled to Prop assembly so it does not run 250 times slower.
    Not sure how the ROM Spin intepreter works, token based?

    I should be getting the Hydra book and prop manual tomorrow, I find it hard to learn from the pdf manual.
    Have lots to learn yet on coding this beast. Most questions are from near total ignorance.

    Gavin
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2007-01-10 18:51
    Considering the interpretor consumes an entire cog memory, no. You would only be able to compile a small program, the reason spin is so slow is that it has the program in hub memory. A direct compiler would limit any program to a handful of commands, and writing an extended model compiler would operate from hub memory and be slow as well.

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    Paul Baker
    Propeller Applications Engineer

    Parallax, Inc.
  • rokickirokicki Posts: 1,000
    edited 2007-01-10 18:59
    I'm working on a large-memory basic compiler. I'm making good progress. It uses cog memory as a cache, and as long
    as the "current loop" fits in the cog, it runs at (near) assembly speeds. (I say (near) only because the compiler is not
    very smart right now and doesn't do a good job optimizing expressions, so there are too many move instructions.)

    I will probably have something ready to share by February.

    It's really only a prototype, but it should be possible to use the same ideas and target other languages like C and
    even Spin.
  • Oliver H. BaileyOliver H. Bailey Posts: 107
    edited 2007-01-11 04:18
    Hello Everyone,
    I ocassionally scan the forums when I'm not writing. It just so happens that very first project in my upcoming Propeller book will show you how to alternate between the IDE and HyperTerminal. In fact between Chapters 1 & 2, I cover several debug methods that also include multiple displays and communications devices.

    After working in-depth with the Propeller for almost a year, my personal observation is that the is so much flexibility already built into the Propeller, that implementing a debugger to a single output can be done in under 10 lines. Outputting to multiple devices can be accomplished in about 15 lines and without any loss of format capability. I think adding a debug Window would run the risk of imposing restrictions that aren't really necessary.

    In any case, with a little luck you can look for this book to be available early summer from Parallax directly.

    Regards,
    Oliver
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