first of all: congratulations !! You did REALLY a great job developing PropTerminal.EXE !!
i have some improvement-Ideas for PropTerminal:
from Terminal V1.9b (a general Terminal-Software) i'm used to AutoConnect/Disconnect by winning/loosing focus of the application
this is even faster then minimizing it. Just make one Alt-Tab
how about one more options AutoConnect/Disconnect by 1.) minimize 2.) loose/win focus
somehow it seems to be if i send really a lot of Text to the terminal that some of data is lost
do you have some kind of a sequence-counter inside the communication
for example something like: send an acknowledge-byte back with a sequencenumber increasing with every datapacket
0-63 or 0-127 if MSBit is set resend last datapackage
this would create only a littlebit overhead and you would win al lot of security in the datatransmission
somehow your application PropTerminal.EXE is cued always as the last if i stroke ALT-TAB to change between PropIDE and ProTerminal
so if there were opened more than these two apps i have to stroke ALT-TAB n-times to change to PropTerminal
could you change it that it keeps his order?
You need only one mouseclick in the taskbar (sys-tray) to minimize PropTerminal, and another at the same place to restore it. For me that is easier then Alt-Tab.
If you don't want to use the mouse, you can switch the COM port on and off with the Pause-key, the new version 0.3 also selects the IDE, when you close the COM. Selection by focus can be a problem, because every time a new Window (also Dialogs) opens, the Focus is lost, and a Propeller Reset occures.
I use no handshaking or datapackage numeration. The lost data was mostely a problem when the display had to scroll up, but this bug is fixed now.
Here is a new version of PropTerminal with many bug-fixes and improvements. I have added the zip to the first posting of this thread.
What is new:
- Loader works now also to EEPROM and is more stable.
- simple Text Cursor
- better key-code compatibelity to keyboard.spin
- Scrolling without missing characters
- Many functions to use PropTerminal as Install/Update Tool like:
-- Search a propeller chip on all COM-ports at start
-- Autoload a binary at start
-- Spin can request actual Date and Time
-- Spin can initiate a new Load of a binary or eeprom file
Thanks to kaio and codemonkey for testing some pre-versions.
You find the newest version always on my propeller-website. Together with some spin-objects for
PropTerminal like a variable-watcher that are not included in the zip. www.insonix.ch/propeller/prop_term.html
The Zip contains also some binary-demos to demonstrate the loader. This binaries works only
on boards with 5 MHz crystals. Choose Upload File in the Menu and start with the Index_Menu.binary.
Because the code was prepared for such extensions, it tooks me only 10 minutes to make a special version of PropTerminal for you. You can now save a transmitted text-file with a command from the Propeller. See the attached Example for the exact command-sequence.
Loading of a Text file with a similar sequence was already possible in version 0.3 (see Readme -> Downloader Functionality).
In this case PropTerminal sends the characters from the choosen file wit 100ms Pause after every Line.
I still wait for this potential business applications, if you have one, I'm not very expensive... [noparse]:)[/noparse]
Cheers
Andy
P.S. this is not a official new version, so no drivers are included in the zip.
FYI, today I tried PropTerminal Version 0.3 for the first, and it hangs up when starting (Windows XP SP2). After about 10 minutes I just killed the process. I had no problems with Version .2, so I copied the ini file from my .2 version into the .3 version directory, and this fixed the problem. I did notice that my serial to Usb adapter is on COM17 which is a bit unusual. Perhaps the Com port is too high for your autodetect?
Autodetect is theoretically done on COM 1 to 63, when you set the ComNumber in the ini file to zero. But I noticed, that I used the old syntax to open a COM port, and Windows can not handle this for higher COM port numbers (I don't know the limit). I will change this in next version.
But I don't suggest to use the autodetect, if not necessary. The scanning can produce a lot of problems, for example with Blutooth devices. To disable the Autodetect just set a number greater then zero as COM-Number in the ini-file.
Here is the new version 0.4 of PropTerminal.
The main new feature is a Normal-Terminal mode. In this mode PropTerminal works more like Hyperterminal - all the special mouse- and keyboard-emulation codes are not sent. And you can also choose the Baudrate.
I decided to include that mode, because many objects are made for such a Terminal, and using Hyperterminal is not as easy as PropTerminal. If you have a .binary that must be loaded in the Propeller before communicating with the Terminal, then you don't have to start the Propeller Tool, just use PropTerminal to download and communicate.
Examples for that are FPForth and the FemtoBasic's with serial In/Output (Dongle-, OLED96-, BoeBot- versions).
The Graphic functions works also in this Normal-Terminal Mode, but not the text positioning. So I made a new Graphic function for Text-Positioning. There are also other new Graphic functions, like Scrolling and Bitmap-Pixel setting. A demo to show this functions is included in the zip.
The new ZIP is attached to the first posting of this Thread.
The spin objects for mouse/keyboard and display emulation have not changed, so you can just replace the old PropTerminal.exe by the new to update.
Included is also a .ini file that setup PropTerminal for FPForth. Load it with 'Load Settings' and then upload FPForth with 'Upload File'. For the FemtoBasics you can also use this .ini, but you have to set the Baudrate to 9600 before you upload the binary.
Choose 'Save Settings' in the File Menu, if not done yet, then you get the file: PROPTERMINAL.INI . You can edit this file with Notepad or another Texteditor. The parameter ROWS and COLS sets the size of the Window (in characters).
You can have several .INI files for different applications. Just copy the propterminal.ini, rename it and edit the desired parameters.
You can load this files with 'Load Settings'.
it is easy to put a custom plug on the end for client projects (stops them plugging in the wrong cable!)
they are much cheaper than the parallax prop clip/plug (at least here in the UK)
they are encapsulated (although·bare pcb's·are also available)·
To get to the point, these converters implement RTS and not DTR -·fortunately the PropTool allows either/both to be used.
Is there any chance of you providing this option in a future release?
Regards,
Paul
What is your problem? The Propterminal needs neither DTR nor RTS. It is a quite transparent 2-wire Terminal Emulator system with a great support of compatible Propeller features...
Or do you want it for auto-booting/loading the Propeller?
Or do you get a "reset" when closing the port, although you stated FT232R = 1?
O.k. I see you use other USB-drivers so this could most likely not avoided....
But I still do not understand: What does not work with your setting???
Day started badly when I left my glasses at home. My problem: I think I left my brain at home aswell!
It is, of course, working. When I first connected it up the first thing I tried was the 'Reset Propeller' menu which of course doesn't work (RTS/DTR issue).
However, my request still remains as it would be quite useful.
Attached is a version that allows switching between DTR and RTS for the Reset line.
With 'Save Settings' you get the .INI file with a new parameter: UseRTS=0. Set this value to 1 in the INI file, save it and load it in PropTerminal with 'Load Settings'.
It's not tested, because I have no hardware with RTS connected to Reset. Can you try it and post some feedback here?
Propeller and PropTerminal make the life worth living Sometimes I make snapshots of terminal and spend a lot of black colour when printing. Is it possible to change the Terminal background to white? (doesn't matter if it takes more to 15 minutes )
It's difficult to change the color system of PropTerminal, but I found a simple solution for that printing problem:
A new parameter called 'InversScreenshot' in the .INI file. Set it to 1 to enable it, and you get a screenshot with inverted colors (so black will be white). Just click a second time on Screenshot to reverse the colors again (after saving the picture in the clipboard).
The versions 0.45 and 0.46 are not official releases and contains only the .exe file. Next Release will be 0.5 and includes this changes and some improvements of the Normal-Terminal mode.
Have just tried setting rows / cols to increase size of PropTerminal window - yay, more characters on 'screen' - however, as my eyesight isn't what it used to be, would it be possible to (say) double the width/height of the characters themselves?
Please don't rush on this one though, I'm sure you have loads else that would be more interesting.
Thanks for such a great application.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Cheers,
Simon
www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-) BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style
I am currently programming with a two transitor version of serial to propeller which I thought came from that page, but mine only has two transistors not the three transistor circuit shown. Did the circuit there change or have I forgotten where I got mine from (it was a while ago)
Anyway with my two transistor circuit I cannot get the propterminal demos to work.
I do not have an EEPROM connected to my prop so I can only program RAM. Is this likely to cause a problem with propterminal as any resetting of my prop when it runs would vapourize everything downloaded?
My crystal is 10MHz and I have adjusted the demos as so:
_clkmode = xtal1 + pll8x
_xinfreq = 10_000_000
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
For me, the past is not over yet.
@heater: Not sure if your circuit will work - does it have DTR connected?
I've used a 10MHz xtal before, and I found I needed to use this: _clkmode = xtal2 + pll8x
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Cheers,
Simon
www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-) BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style
The font of the actual PropTerminal is stored as big Bitmap that contains all characters. So changing the size is difficult. But I know now how to use the Parallax Unicode font directly in PureBasic, and make perhaps a version with scaleable Font in the future.
heater:
I think you use the circuit from the Datasheet. This circuit can only be used to upload the code, but not to communicate then with the propeller. This happens because DTR goes HIGH when you open the COM Port again.
You can try the modification in the attached picture. This does work, if your RS232 port not needs a negativ voltage level on RX to work properly.
Simon
www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-) BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style
Strange, I built my serial port connection before I saw the datasheet. Not sure the datasheet existed at the time. I thought I got the circuit frm the link I gave, but then that must have changed. Anyway your picture loks like what I have.
The only mod seems to be that 4.7K pull down resistor on Rx. I will try it.
Your circuit shows a connection going up to nowhere from serial port Rx (Pin2) Is that supposed to got to 3.3v as well or what ?
I'm not sure how that extra resistor prevents DTR from going up and/or down and resetting my prop as the com port is opened/closed though.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
For me, the past is not over yet.
Comments
first of all: congratulations !! You did REALLY a great job developing PropTerminal.EXE !!
i have some improvement-Ideas for PropTerminal:
from Terminal V1.9b (a general Terminal-Software) i'm used to AutoConnect/Disconnect by winning/loosing focus of the application
this is even faster then minimizing it. Just make one Alt-Tab
how about one more options AutoConnect/Disconnect by 1.) minimize 2.) loose/win focus
somehow it seems to be if i send really a lot of Text to the terminal that some of data is lost
do you have some kind of a sequence-counter inside the communication
for example something like: send an acknowledge-byte back with a sequencenumber increasing with every datapacket
0-63 or 0-127 if MSBit is set resend last datapackage
this would create only a littlebit overhead and you would win al lot of security in the datatransmission
somehow your application PropTerminal.EXE is cued always as the last if i stroke ALT-TAB to change between PropIDE and ProTerminal
so if there were opened more than these two apps i have to stroke ALT-TAB n-times to change to PropTerminal
could you change it that it keeps his order?
lot's of greetings
Stefan
Danke fuer das Lob.
You need only one mouseclick in the taskbar (sys-tray) to minimize PropTerminal, and another at the same place to restore it. For me that is easier then Alt-Tab.
If you don't want to use the mouse, you can switch the COM port on and off with the Pause-key, the new version 0.3 also selects the IDE, when you close the COM. Selection by focus can be a problem, because every time a new Window (also Dialogs) opens, the Focus is lost, and a Propeller Reset occures.
I use no handshaking or datapackage numeration. The lost data was mostely a problem when the display had to scroll up, but this bug is fixed now.
Andy
Here is a new version of PropTerminal with many bug-fixes and improvements.
I have added the zip to the first posting of this thread.
What is new:
- Loader works now also to EEPROM and is more stable.
- simple Text Cursor
- better key-code compatibelity to keyboard.spin
- Scrolling without missing characters
- Many functions to use PropTerminal as Install/Update Tool like:
-- Search a propeller chip on all COM-ports at start
-- Autoload a binary at start
-- Spin can request actual Date and Time
-- Spin can initiate a new Load of a binary or eeprom file
Thanks to kaio and codemonkey for testing some pre-versions.
You find the newest version always on my propeller-website. Together with some spin-objects for
PropTerminal like a variable-watcher that are not included in the zip.
www.insonix.ch/propeller/prop_term.html
The Zip contains also some binary-demos to demonstrate the loader. This binaries works only
on boards with 5 MHz crystals. Choose Upload File in the Menu and start with the Index_Menu.binary.
Have fun
Andy
I haven't had a chance to do anything more than fire it up and run the demo. But gee-golly mister!!! (alle Achtung Menschenskind!!!)
I suspect that you have other projects... equally valuable and that your time might be limited.
1) Is it possible to automate the Propterminal menu(s) so that they can be driven from the Prop?
2) If NOT... AND IF you don't have compelling reasons to add such features... THEN would you consider releasing the source for personal use?
(There might be a host of potential business applications... and that would be free money-- minus the lawyer's fees, of course[noparse]:)[/noparse]
Rich
Because the code was prepared for such extensions, it tooks me only 10 minutes to make a special version of PropTerminal for you. You can now save a transmitted text-file with a command from the Propeller. See the attached Example for the exact command-sequence.
Loading of a Text file with a similar sequence was already possible in version 0.3 (see Readme -> Downloader Functionality).
In this case PropTerminal sends the characters from the choosen file wit 100ms Pause after every Line.
I still wait for this potential business applications, if you have one, I'm not very expensive... [noparse]:)[/noparse]
Cheers
Andy
P.S. this is not a official new version, so no drivers are included in the zip.
Autodetect is theoretically done on COM 1 to 63, when you set the ComNumber in the ini file to zero. But I noticed, that I used the old syntax to open a COM port, and Windows can not handle this for higher COM port numbers (I don't know the limit). I will change this in next version.
But I don't suggest to use the autodetect, if not necessary. The scanning can produce a lot of problems, for example with Blutooth devices. To disable the Autodetect just set a number greater then zero as COM-Number in the ini-file.
Andy
Here is the new version 0.4 of PropTerminal.
The main new feature is a Normal-Terminal mode. In this mode PropTerminal works more like Hyperterminal - all the special mouse- and keyboard-emulation codes are not sent. And you can also choose the Baudrate.
I decided to include that mode, because many objects are made for such a Terminal, and using Hyperterminal is not as easy as PropTerminal. If you have a .binary that must be loaded in the Propeller before communicating with the Terminal, then you don't have to start the Propeller Tool, just use PropTerminal to download and communicate.
Examples for that are FPForth and the FemtoBasic's with serial In/Output (Dongle-, OLED96-, BoeBot- versions).
The Graphic functions works also in this Normal-Terminal Mode, but not the text positioning. So I made a new Graphic function for Text-Positioning. There are also other new Graphic functions, like Scrolling and Bitmap-Pixel setting. A demo to show this functions is included in the zip.
The new ZIP is attached to the first posting of this Thread.
The spin objects for mouse/keyboard and display emulation have not changed, so you can just replace the old PropTerminal.exe by the new to update.
Included is also a .ini file that setup PropTerminal for FPForth. Load it with 'Load Settings' and then upload FPForth with 'Upload File'. For the FemtoBasics you can also use this .ini, but you have to set the Baudrate to 9600 before you upload the binary.
Andy
Thanks a lot, it's gonna be very useful indeed!
Regards,
Coley
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
I am 1010, so be surprised!
Choose 'Save Settings' in the File Menu, if not done yet, then you get the file: PROPTERMINAL.INI . You can edit this file with Notepad or another Texteditor. The parameter ROWS and COLS sets the size of the Window (in characters).
You can have several .INI files for different applications. Just copy the propterminal.ini, rename it and edit the desired parameters.
You can load this files with 'Load Settings'.
Andy
Granted, Propeller users are not used to such kind of support... They like it better when Mike reads it for them...
Your propterminal·sounds really useful but unfortunately I can't use it with my setup.· I don't know if I am the only person doing this but I use FTDI USB-TTL cable assemblies for program dopwnload and serial comms: http://apple.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/ftdichip?productID=68&op=catalogue-product_info-null&prodCategoryID=47
There a several reasons:
- I already have a few
- it is easy to put a custom plug on the end for client projects (stops them plugging in the wrong cable!)
- they are much cheaper than the parallax prop clip/plug (at least here in the UK)
- they are encapsulated (although·bare pcb's·are also available)·
To get to the point, these converters implement RTS and not DTR -·fortunately the PropTool allows either/both to be used.Is there any chance of you providing this option in a future release?
Regards,
Paul
Or do you want it for auto-booting/loading the Propeller?
Or do you get a "reset" when closing the port, although you stated FT232R = 1?
O.k. I see you use other USB-drivers so this could most likely not avoided....
But I still do not understand: What does not work with your setting???
Post Edited (deSilva) : 3/7/2008 1:28:12 PM GMT
It is, of course, working. When I first connected it up the first thing I tried was the 'Reset Propeller' menu which of course doesn't work (RTS/DTR issue).
However, my request still remains as it would be quite useful.
Now to try out all the features
Paul
Attached is a version that allows switching between DTR and RTS for the Reset line.
With 'Save Settings' you get the .INI file with a new parameter: UseRTS=0. Set this value to 1 in the INI file, save it and load it in PropTerminal with 'Load Settings'.
It's not tested, because I have no hardware with RTS connected to Reset. Can you try it and post some feedback here?
Andy
you have to take into account that I have read it 4 hours and 5 minutes after is was posted....
This IS impressive. I myself would not even have been able to retrieve my sources within 10 minutes.....
It's difficult to change the color system of PropTerminal, but I found a simple solution for that printing problem:
A new parameter called 'InversScreenshot' in the .INI file. Set it to 1 to enable it, and you get a screenshot with inverted colors (so black will be white). Just click a second time on Screenshot to reverse the colors again (after saving the picture in the clipboard).
The versions 0.45 and 0.46 are not official releases and contains only the .exe file. Next Release will be 0.5 and includes this changes and some improvements of the Normal-Terminal mode.
Andy
Have just tried setting rows / cols to increase size of PropTerminal window - yay, more characters on 'screen' - however, as my eyesight isn't what it used to be, would it be possible to (say) double the width/height of the characters themselves?
Please don't rush on this one though, I'm sure you have loads else that would be more interesting.
Thanks for such a great application.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Cheers,
Simon
www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-)
BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style
I am currently programming with a two transitor version of serial to propeller which I thought came from that page, but mine only has two transistors not the three transistor circuit shown. Did the circuit there change or have I forgotten where I got mine from (it was a while ago)
Anyway with my two transistor circuit I cannot get the propterminal demos to work.
I do not have an EEPROM connected to my prop so I can only program RAM. Is this likely to cause a problem with propterminal as any resetting of my prop when it runs would vapourize everything downloaded?
My crystal is 10MHz and I have adjusted the demos as so:
_clkmode = xtal1 + pll8x
_xinfreq = 10_000_000
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
For me, the past is not over yet.
I've used a 10MHz xtal before, and I found I needed to use this: _clkmode = xtal2 + pll8x
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Cheers,
Simon
www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-)
BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style
The font of the actual PropTerminal is stored as big Bitmap that contains all characters. So changing the size is difficult. But I know now how to use the Parallax Unicode font directly in PureBasic, and make perhaps a version with scaleable Font in the future.
heater:
I think you use the circuit from the Datasheet. This circuit can only be used to upload the code, but not to communicate then with the propeller. This happens because DTR goes HIGH when you open the COM Port again.
You can try the modification in the attached picture. This does work, if your RS232 port not needs a negativ voltage level on RX to work properly.
Andy
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Cheers,
Simon
www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-)
BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style
The only mod seems to be that 4.7K pull down resistor on Rx. I will try it.
Your circuit shows a connection going up to nowhere from serial port Rx (Pin2) Is that supposed to got to 3.3v as well or what ?
I'm not sure how that extra resistor prevents DTR from going up and/or down and resetting my prop as the com port is opened/closed though.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
For me, the past is not over yet.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
For me, the past is not over yet.
The only modification is the 4.7k Pulldown not to connect to DTR, but to Ground.
Andy