Programming Port

[Steven Carmain]

Has any of you teams figured out how the programming port can help your robot performance?

The only thing I can think of is using DEBUG statements in the code, and then you custom circuit board can use the input. The problems with this is that you slow down your code greatly, and you have to make a circuit that can decode your DEBUGS and make it in less than 4 weeks. Then you would have to feed your outputs to the switches in the RC or feed it back through the programming port, and then download your code again. I think it would be faster just to do everything in the code and don't fool with a circuit.:

So is it even worth all this hassle?

[Raven_Writer]

I think this belongs in the Programming board.

[Steven Carmain]

I put it here because it also has to do with electical.

[Raven_Writer]

Originally posted by Steven Carmain
I put it here because it also has to do with electical.

Out of topic: I hope someone replies here soon..or else it'll be breaking the rules.

Back in topic: True, and I'm glad you didn't do what most do...add it in both boards. As for your DEBUG deal, it's mainly used to test certain values. Like you put:

DEBUG ? p1_y

It'll output the value of p1_y

[Jnadke]

The Programming port is a standard RS232 port used for serial communications. It directly connects to the Stamp chip's serial port, unlike the digital inputs. It's not just for programming, it also allows one to communicate. With this, a external circuit can communicate directly with the Stamp.

With the information provided, you can just use the Basic stamp manual for the serin and serout commands.

[Steven Carmain]

How would you do this? Could anyone find any documentation?

[Raven_Writer]

Originally posted by Steven Carmain
How would you do this? Could anyone find any documentation?

For putting in the serin/serout commands, it's in the default code.

[Aidan F. Browne]

Check the PBasic manual. DEBUG is basically just an alias for "Serout" to a specific pin on the port.

[Steven Carmain]

I see what you guys are talking about, but how is this better than just programming your robot to just do what its told?

[Jnadke]

You don't NEED to use it at all...


Using the serial input is only if you have EXTERNAL microchips that need to feed input to the robot controller. Some teams have shaft encoders and magnetic compasses that feed data to faster microprocessors. Then, the processors evaluate the data and send correction information to the Robot controller. The robot controller uses this info to correct its course.


If you don't know what it does, or what you're doing... the general rule is DON'T TOUCH IT. Messing with it will void your warranty, as stated in the manual. If you break it, you won't get a new one....
Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to trying new things. However, asking just enough questions so that you can tinker with it will only get it broken. I strongly suggest you read some manuals to [try] to fully understand how it works.


You can start at the Stamp Documentation V2.0. Believe it or not, but I've looked over much of this stuff front-to-back.

[Rickertsen2]

it would take a true idiot to break the thing. These pins are no more sensitive than the others. warranties. I void then on everthing i own. warranties are made to be broken

[rbayer]

Originally posted by Rickertsen2
it would take a true idiot to break the thing. These pins are no more sensitive than the others. warranties. I void then on everthing i own. warranties are made to be broken

Agreed. While writing RoboCon, I had NO idea what the pinout of the programming port was, so I just plugged it into my computer. It worked just fine. If you want an example PBASIC program that sends and receives data through this port, grab RoboCon from my website, http://www.robbayer.com, and look at the BSX file that comes with it.

--Rob

[Steven Carmain]

I see you would have had a hard time making that. I still don't see the point of doing this, especially this late in build season

[Dave Flowerday]

Originally posted by rbayer
While writing RoboCon, I had NO idea what the pinout of the programming port was, so I just plugged it into my computer. It worked just fine.

Rob, I'm surprised to hear this from you. This is terrible advice to pass on to other teams. Encouraging this kind of "experimenting" will only cause lots of damaged $1500 control systems and $1000+ laptops.

You essentially got lucky because the programming port happens to be a standard RS232 port.

Please everyone, never just hook up to a port when you don't know what the pins on it do.

[rbayer]

Originally posted by Dave Flowerday
Rob, I'm surprised to hear this from you. This is terrible advice to pass on to other teams. Encouraging this kind of "experimenting" will only cause lots of damaged $1500 control systems and $1000+ laptops.

You essentially got lucky because the programming port happens to be a standard RS232 port.

Please everyone, never just hook up to a port when you don't know what the pins on it do.

Sorry, I guess I shouldn't have said "no idea". Based on how I saw everything working, I took an educated guess. Probably wasn't the best idea, but since you're supposed to plug computers into the programming port, I just guessed that plugging a computer in would be OK...

Dave's point is definately important: don't go plugging random things in to other random things. Especially if you haven't at least asked people here first.

Again, my apologies. Please note that I do NOT do this kind of thing on a regular basis--the programming port just happened to be a special case. I haven't TOUCHED the tether, or anything else undocumented and never plan on it either. $1145 is a little more than I'm willing to shell out in the name of science.