Propeller Memory Card - SimpleIDE, GCC?

idbruce · 2015-02-24 17:02

I am was very surprised to find very little information about the Propeller Memory Card being used with SimpleIDE and GCC. Are they incompatible?

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/150469-Some-questions-regarding-the-Propeller-memory-card-by-Parallax

Will my Propeller based 3D printer controller be able to use the Propeller Memory Card if I use SimpleIDE and PropGCC?

David Betz · 2015-02-24 17:06

idbruce wrote: »

I am was very surprised to find very little information about the Propeller Memory Card being used with SimpleIDE and GCC. Are they incompatible?

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/150469-Some-questions-regarding-the-Propeller-memory-card-by-Parallax

Will my Propeller based 3D printer controller be able to use the Propeller Memory Card if I use SimpleIDE and PropGCC?

I wrote an XMM driver for the PMC a while back but it wasn't always reliable. My development platform was a QuickStart + HIB + PMC. The driver is still available but it may only be in the default branch of the propgcc repository not in the version of propgcc that gets delivered with SimpleIDE. I can dust it off if you're interested. What did you want to use PMC for? Do you want to use it as expanded C code and data space or do you just want a library that will read/write data from the various memory chips directly?

idbruce · 2015-02-24 17:22

David

Thanks for responding.

What did you want to use PMC for? Do you want to use it as expanded C code and data space or do you just want a library that will read/write data from the various memory chips directly?

I purchased the PMC, with the hope that I would have a wide variety of options. At the moment, I am not exactly certain what my needs are, except that I will definitely need functionality from this board. The only thing that I know for sure, is that the SD card will be holding GCODE data, which I will be parsing, for machine operation.

EDIT: I also know that my Teacup port is a none starter without PMC support.

David Betz · 2015-02-24 17:32

Check SimpleIDE's board menu to see if "pmc" is listed. That's the board configuration for the Propeller Memory Card. However, I think by default it is setup assuming you're using the Human Interface Board or at least the same pin assignments as the HIB uses. I've never understood why Parallax didn't make a memory card that would plug directly into the QuickStart board without requiring the HIB in between.

idbruce · 2015-02-24 17:47

David

I do not see PMC in the board type list. I don't know if you read anything about the controller, but it is constructed from a Propeller Proto Board and has the following pin assignments.

 'Propeller Memory Card Pin Assignments
  DI                  = 8 'IO0 / DI / MOSI / CD Pin
  DO                  = 9 'IO1 / DO / MISO Pin
  WP                  = 10 'IO2 / WP Pin
  HOLD                = 11 'IO3 / HOLD Pin
  SD_CS               = 12 'CS Pin For MicroSD Card Memory
  FLASH_CS            = 13 'CS Pin For Flash Memory
  SRAM_CS             = 14 'CS Pin For SRAM Memory
  CLK                 = 15 'CLK Pin

David Betz · 2015-02-24 17:53

This is the configuration file I created for the PMC:

# pmc.cfg
# for the QuickStart board with a Human Interface Board and a Propeller Memory Card

clkfreq: 80000000
clkmode: XTAL1+PLL16X
baudrate: 115200
rxpin: 31
txpin: 30

sd-driver: sd_driver.dat
sdspi-do: 0
sdspi-clk: 7
sdspi-di: 1
sdspi-cs: 4

# cache geometry - 128 * 64 = 8192 byte cache
index-width: 7      # 2^7 = 128 cache lines
offset-width: 6     # 2^6 = 64 byte cache lines
cache-geometry: ({index-width} << 8) | {offset-width}

xmem-driver: winbond_sqi_flash_sram_xmem.dat
xmem-param1: (0 << 24) | (7 << 16) | (5 << 8) | 6
xmem-param2: (4 << 24) | 1

[flash]
xmem-driver: winbond_sqi_flash_xmem.dat
xmem-param1: (0 << 24) | (7 << 8) | 0x01
xmem-param2: 5 << 24

[sram]
xmem-driver: sqi_sram_xmem.dat
xmem-param1: (0 << 24) | (7 << 8) | 0x01
xmem-param2: 6 << 24

However, this is for the drivers that are part of the default branch of propgcc. It doesn't look like the pin assignments match yours so you would have to edit this file to work with your board.

idbruce · 2015-02-24 18:15

Thanks David

Not really sure what I am looking at, but I think I may be able to figure it out.

However, this is for the drivers that are part of the default branch of propgcc.

When you say "default branch of propgcc", what is it and where can I find it?

idbruce · 2015-02-24 18:35

I did find this informative:

C:\Program Files\SimpleIDE\propeller-gcc\propeller-elf\include\sys\sd.h

David Betz · 2015-02-24 19:11

The "default branch" is what you get by default if you clone this repository:

https://code.google.com/p/propgcc/source/checkout

However, you currently have to build it yourself. :-(

idbruce · 2015-02-24 19:31

David, thanks for all the info.

I see that propgcc supports spin2cpp and I now wonder whether the SPI Memory Driver from the PMC sample can be converted. The SPI Memory Driver contains PASM. Will the PASM also convert?

David Betz · 2015-02-25 05:29

It won't convert the PASM to C. It will just use it as-is but yes, it should work.

idbruce · 2015-02-25 05:59

Once again, thanks for all your responses David.

It won't convert the PASM to C. It will just use it as-is but yes, it should work.

Hmmmm... Hopefully it will.

I must admit that I am surprised, that Parallax has not supplied a c driver for the PMC.

David Betz · 2015-02-25 06:56

If all you're interested in is access to the SD card then you can use the standard SD card driver that is part of propgcc. You just need to create your own .cfg file with the SD pins to set correctly for your board setup. Using the flash and SRAM are a different story unless you want to use my XMM driver.

idbruce · 2015-02-25 07:53

David

If all you're interested in is access to the SD card then you can use the standard SD card driver that is part of propgcc. You just need to create your own .cfg file with the SD pins to set correctly for your board setup. Using the flash and SRAM are a different story unless you want to use my XMM driver.

I purchased the PMC, with the hope that I would have a wide variety of options. At the moment, I am not exactly certain what my needs are, except that I will definitely need functionality from this board.

I meant to say - except that I will definitely need -full- functionality from this board.

David Betz · 2015-02-25 08:38

idbruce wrote: »

David

I meant to say - except that I will definitely need -full- functionality from this board.

Understood. There should be a C library for this in addition to the XMM driver.

dgately · 2015-02-25 08:49

Let us know if spin2cpp can convert SPI Memory Driver to C (well, C and either a dat file or .S file for the PASM section) for you... I got a syntax error at line 120 of this file and am not quite sure why. Something to do with a line of code that contains something like: varName.byte[n]. SPI Memory Driver.spin may need some editing.

dgately

David Betz · 2015-02-25 08:58

If we were to provide a C library for use with the PMC, what functions should it have? Access to the SD card should already be possible with the standard SD driver in propgcc. Should the library just provide simple read/write functions for the SRAM and flash? Anything else needed?

idbruce · 2015-02-25 09:05

@dgately

Not sure how soon I will get to that, but I will let you know.

@David

Yea, I am sure I could get the SD card to work, but as for the SRAM and flash, I would assume that read and write functions would be sufficient. I really don't know what is all possible with the PMC and the different memory types.

Propeller Memory Card - SimpleIDE, GCC?

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