The ID directive

John Couture

In many programs (and the docs) there is a directive called ID.

I understand how to SET it but how do you display it?· Using the example from the docs:

ID··· "GPXv2.1"

and put it directly under the FREQ statement and limit it to 8 chars or less.

When I try to use Jon's TX_OUT subroutine (for example):

TX_OUT·· ID

it says the ID is a reserved word.·

TX_OUT allows a string or byte to be sent to your output device (in my case an LCD panel).


'

---

TX_Out:
' Use: TX_OUT [noparse][[/noparse] byte | string | label ]
' -- "aByte" is variable or constant byte value
' -- "string" is an embedded literal string
' -- "label" is DATA statement label for stored z-String
' --· Written by Jon Williams (Parallax)
· TX_temp3 = __PARAM1····················· ' get byte or string offset
· IF __PARAMCNT = 2 THEN
··· TX_temp4 = __PARAM2··················· ' get string base
··· DO
····· READ TX_temp4 + TX_temp3, TX_temp5·· ' read a character
····· IF TX_temp5 = 0 THEN EXIT··········· ' if 0, string complete
····· TX_BYTE TX_temp5···················· ' send the byte
····· INC TX_temp3························ ' point to next character
····· TX_temp4 = TX_temp4 + Z············· ' update base on overflow
··· LOOP
· ELSE
··· TX_BYTE TX_temp3······················ 'transmit the byte value
· ENDIF
· RETURN

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John J. Couture

San Diego Miramar College

JonnyMac

The device ID is not available to our programs at run time; you'll have to create a duplicate z-string in a DATA statement for use in TX_OUT as above (by the way, that's an outdated subroutine -- see below).

The ID is included in the assembled code and can be read by using the IDE's Run\Device menu. This allows us to create a hex file of a program (to protect the source from others) and still have it be identified (once the hex file is loaded into the that dialog).

To keep things trimmer and less complicated I use TX_BYTE and TX_STR in my programs; here are the latest:

' Use: TX_BYTE byteVal 
' -- transmit "byteVal" at "BaudMode" on pin "TX"

SUB TX_BYTE
  SEROUT TX, BaudMode, __PARAM1
  ENDSUB

' -------------------------------------------------------------------------

' Use: TX_STR [noparse][[/noparse]string | label]
' -- "string" is an embedded string constant
' -- "label" is DATA statement label for stored z-String

SUB TX_STR
  tmpW1 = __WPARAM12                            ' get address of string
  DO
    READINC tmpW1, tmpB1                        ' read a character
    IF tmpB1 = 0 THEN EXIT                      ' if 0, string complete
    TX_BYTE tmpB1                               ' send character
  LOOP
  ENDSUB

And in the event you really like the TX_OUT subroutine here's a better version of it:

' Use: TX_OUT [noparse][[/noparse]byte | string | label]
' -- "byte" is a byte variable or constant value
' -- "string" is an embedded string constant
' -- "label" is DATA statement label for stored z-String

SUB TX_OUT
  IF __PARAMCNT = 1 THEN
    TX_BYTE __PARAM1
  ELSE
    tmpW1 = __WPARAM12                          ' get address of string
    DO
      READINC tmpW1, tmpB1                      ' read a character
      IF tmpB1 = 0 THEN EXIT                    ' if 0, string complete
      TX_BYTE tmpB1                             ' send character
    LOOP
  ENDIF
  ENDSUB

Post Edited (JonnyMac) : 6/21/2007 11:56:05 PM GMT

Bean

John,
· The ID is useful when you protect your code in the SX. Everything read back from the SX will be scrambled EXCEPT the ID string.

· In the IDE if you use Run->Device then click the "Read" button, the ID will be displayed in the ID box (just below the options check boxes).

· This way you can see what version of your code a device has, even it is has code protection turned on.
· But there is no way for your SX code to read the ID string. (That I know of)

Bean.

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djmullen

Can I ask what a couple of these instructions do?

First of all, what is the advantage of putting sub before the name of a subroutine, as in "SUB TX_STR"?

Second what does this instruction, "READINC" do?

Is there an SX/B manual I haven't read?

Thanks,
Dave

JonnyMac

By using the SUB - ENDSUB (FUNC - ENDFUNC) form your code is future-compatible with the proposed design of SX/B 2.0.

READINC READs from an address and then INCrements the address pointer variable -- this is in the SX/B help file (also available as a PDF) that you apparently haven't read....

djmullen

Thanks! READINC is especially handy for the program I'm reading right now. It will replace several instructions.

I've read the original help file, version 1.50.01 -- 05 JUL 2006 , many times, but I can't get the latest version to run. It errors out on three different computers when I either click on it or try to run it from the IDE. I'll look for that .pdf file.

djmullen

Found "sxb.pdf". Reading.