Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

Understanding that I am a mechanical guy ... please bear with me ...

HERE is the website to download the program. As I understand it, this is a graphical programming interface that SKIPS the conventional coding and compiler steps and takes you from the graphical interface directly to assembler. I believe when the RC gets it, it is a smaller and more efficient file, and this method eliminates the potential for typos, and syntax and compiling errors.

Paul, if you re-read this thread I think your questions have all been previously answered.

I am sure some of the programmers out there can correct me and elaborate if necessary.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

It's a beautification of assembly. That's all.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

Thats a good description but CoreChartFR does more than that. Subroutines ( including functions from the default C code ) are selectable from a list. Also variables ( default C code and user generated ) are selectable from a list. This means that the programmer does not need to rely on his/her memory ( or constant reference to a printed list ) to program but can concentrate on the process instead.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

You should be doing this anyway.

As far as I can determine, there's nothing C about it. The default variables are hardware registers. All variables fall under one of 2 types: bit and byte. Constants are darn near impossible to make.

Welcome to the wonderful world of kludging. My name is Jamie and I'll be your tour guide.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

There seems to be a lot of people on this thread and the other one ripping on this CoreChart. Some of the comments strike me as rather rude. An organization has created a tool that they think will be useful to FIRST and offered it for free. That's a very nice gesture, whether you like the software or not. If you don't like it, feel free to not use it. What if, as we speak, a company who writes a piece of software that you really would like to have is reading this thread, thinking about offering something for free to FIRST teams? What if they read all the negative comments here and figure "Why would I want to give something away to that ungrateful bunch?"

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

i agree with dave thats definelty not gracious professionalism!!
anyway i just wanted to ask does this mean we have to completely rewrite all the code or do we simply open the current code file in this program and start programming??

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

This forum is not about pleasing sponsors but about people communicating what they think.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

I am with Dave on this one. What I have said earlier should be considered rants against a general direction in the software industry, not specifically against CoreChart itself!

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

This program was written from the looks of it for making the programming part faster I think. But learning it will take more time than just programming the robot the old fashioned way.
I doubt I will use it much, if at all, but thanks for the free offer anyways! This will probably help out many teams but luckily 1571 has many very talented programmers who would probably kill me if I suggested using this program. So we're sticking with the traditional IDEs and C language.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

CoreChartFR contains all the default code provided by IFI for the controller. The programmer simply opens the current code and starts programming. The default structure and subroutines are included and can be used by the programmer.

One good example is the "EventTimer" example program which includes the default subroutine in the main program and has a timer in the autonomous subroutine that allows the user to execute instructions at a certain time and then jump back out of autonomous mode after a user specified time.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

Software is a tool. Select the tool you feel most comfortable with and use it. I have 6 different hammers on my truck. When I need to whack something I pick the best hammer for the task. I could get by with 1 Hammer but that would be difficult. The situation is analogous to First. In the past we only had the MPLAB hammer. This year we may Have 3 different software hammers. The big point is we have a choice. Also note that LEGO is using the company that makes LabView to produce a graphical robot programming system. Maybe next year First will have more software hammers. I also believe that some of the negativism on this forum can be attributed to some programmers feeling threatened by some new software that may allow common mortals to program the robot reducing their stature as a god on the team. The other point I would like to make is "time to market". The build season is short. If a new graphical programming system will get the robot up and running faster this can make a big difference in time to market. Humans are tool users. Keep your tool locker full.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

I, for one think that this will be a very useful tool. We have no programmers on our team, only people who are learning enough to get through the year, so this will help a whole lot! I was about to learn how to program in C from a set of video tutorials I "got", but now I can just assemble it pretty much in the same way I did for years on the Lego team, not to mention saving many many hours of training. That is awesome!


Thank you SO much for the free offer, a lot of us really appreciate it ! :)

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

as a person who doesn't know alot about programming i figured this would be a great help. i was simply goofing a round and trying to see if i could make a joystick control. the easiest way i found was to do exactly what they did and make a text box and write the actual code. a drive we are experimenting with this year uses a potentiometer to measure direction. the way it is programmed is that it will take the joystick value and the potentiometer value and as they get closer and closer to the same the motor moves slower and slower. i tried to figure this out with corechart but i could not.
i have used the lego mindstorms before and loved it. if there was a program more like that it would be alot better.
i think this program will be good for people who don't know anything about programming or are fimiliar with this type of program but for people who know programming it seems to limit what you can do.

Re: FREE CoreChartFR
 

The "LimitMix" example:
pwm01 = pwm03 = Limit_Mix(2000 + PWM_in1 + PWM_in3 - 127) LEFT WHEELS
pwm02 = pwm04 = Limit_Mix(2000 + PWM_in3 - PWM_in1 + 127) RIGHT WHEELS
is included in the examples folder as a similar example and is entirely programmed in CoreChart ( no text boxes or C ) to show how this can be done.
Note too that the "default routine" supplied by IFI is also included and can be included to removed from the "Main" routine.
We will update CoreChartFR with more examples so check for new versions on the site: http://www.elabtronics.com/CoreChartFR.htm