New C18 3.0+ Compatible FRC Code

[jtdowney]

I know MPLAB can generate a makefile for you but those always seem messy so I wrote up a quick one to use for myself with Kevin's new code. Figured I'd share it here in case anyone else finds it useful.

# Makefile for Kevin Watson's (http://kevin.org) C18 3.0 compatible FRC code
CC = C:\\mcc18\\bin\\mcc18.exe
CFLAGS = -p=18F8722 -k -mL -Ou- -Ot- -Ob- -Op- -Or- -Od- -Opa-
LD = C:\\mcc18\\bin\\mplink.exe
LDFLAGS = 18f8722.lkr
LIBS = ifi_frc_8722.lib
LIBPATH = C:\\mcc18\\lib
MAP = ifi_frc.map
RM = del

SOURCES = autonomous.c disabled.c ifi_code.c ifi_frc.c interrupts.c pwm.c \
          serial_ports.c teleop.c timers.c
OBJECTS = $(SOURCES:.c=.o)
EXECUTABLE = ifi_frc

all: $(SOURCES) $(EXECUTABLE)

$(EXECUTABLE): $(OBJECTS)
	$(LD) /l"$(LIBPATH)" $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJECTS) $(LIBS) /m"$(MAP)" /w /o"$(EXECUTABLE).cof"

.c.o:
	$(CC) $< -fo="$@" $(CFLAGS)

clean:
	$(RM) $(OBJECTS) $(EXECUTABLE).cof $(EXECUTABLE).hex $(MAP)

[sparrowkc]

Forgive my noobiness, but is that makefile what I need to develop on ubuntu? Set up c18 in wine, put the file in the directory with the code and do a make? Will that give me a loadable hex file? There was another makefile posted earlier that looked like it was made for Linux, should I use that?

[jtdowney]

Originally Posted by sparrowkc

Forgive my noobiness, but is that makefile what I need to develop on ubuntu? Set up c18 in wine, put the file in the directory with the code and do a make? Will that give me a loadable hex file? There was another makefile posted earlier that looked like it was made for Linux, should I use that?

I personally am not using it on Linux but if you change the path of the CC and LD to be the path to wine + the path to the executable, I would imagine it'd work for you no problem. Then you'd just change the value of RM to actually rm.

[emmell]

Originally Posted by Kevin Watson

Here's a snapshot of the latest build:

http://kevin.org/frc/ifi_frc_beta_3.zip
http://kevin.org/frc/ifi_frc_gyro_beta.zip (with integrated ADC and Gyro code)

-Kevin

Kevin:

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Team 832 (as well as other Georgia teams I help with their programming) will definitely make use of your new version.

All of the FIRST community is in your debt for helping all of the teams.

Mannie Lowe

[JohnC]

Originally Posted by Code Monkey

For those who have not already installed the MCC upgrade, make sure you put it in the same directory with the upgraded MPLAB 8.0. Otherwise the linker can't find the libraries. I know by the trying it the wrong way.

For people having issues with new MPLAB IDE and new C18 playing nice together:

When installing/updating your C18 compiler, (I went with 3.15 and am going to add the #endif that was mentioned earlier) there is a page of options after choosing which components to install that has the following:

[ ] Update MPLAB IDE to use this MPLAB C18
[ ] Update MPLAB IDE to use this MPLINK Linker, MPLIB Librarian, and MPASM Assembler

Check them!

[SuspectZero]

Originally Posted by JohnC

For people having issues with new MPLAB IDE and new C18 playing nice together:

When installing/updating your C18 compiler, (I went with 3.15 and am going to add the #endif that was mentioned earlier) there is a page of options after choosing which components to install that has the following:

[ ] Update MPLAB IDE to use this MPLAB C18
[ ] Update MPLAB IDE to use this MPLINK Linker, MPLIB Librarian, and MPASM Assembler

Check them!

Edit: apparently that doesn't actually do the trick. I still get this:
MPLINK 4.15, Linker
Copyright (c) 2007 Microchip Technology Inc.
Error - could not find file 'clib.lib'.
Errors : 1

Link step failed.

for the clib.lib error go to Project> Build Options> Project> Directories Tab. in the Show Directories menu, select library search path. delete the old one and create a new one where the clib.lib is located (a simple search on your computer should be able to find it). i dont know if you should but you can also do the same with the Linker-Script Search path, in which you should delete the old directory location and create a new one going to the lkr folder in your mcc18 folder. that should fix the problem

can someone point me in the direction of a tutorial in which i can use this code to program our new 2008 bot? also is there a way of reading the printf statements in an executed program without having to upload onto our robot?

[Guy Davidson]

Originally Posted by SuspectZero

can someone point me in the direction of a tutorial in which i can use this code to program our new 2008 bot? also is there a way of reading the printf statements in an executed program without having to upload onto our robot?

If you take Kevin's simple code and just read it, there's a fair chance you'll be able to do the simple stuff (i.e. left joystick forward = left motor forward) by yourself pretty easily. Reading the aliases in ifi_frc and seeing that the joysticks are referred do as p1_y for the y-axis, for example, and that pwm channels are simply pwm01 through 16 also helps. Where you want to start writing code is the Teleop() function in teleop.c, as that is the function that is called upon receiving data in the teleoperated mode.

As far as prtinf goes, if you place your robot on blocks (so that the wheels are spinning freely and not touching anything) and you keep the programming cable connected to the computer, you will see the results of all printf's in the terminal window that pops up after you're done downloading code usinng IFI Loader.

Hope this helps.

[1jbinder]

Hi,
I'm a freshman in my team, but i have a lot of C experience and was able to decrypt lasts years code. First of all I really like this layout much better. Is there bugs in the code to the point where i should not use part of it for the code this year. Also i know this requires a 3.0+ complier and i was wondering what complier the FIRST FRC controller is meant to work with. I might have this all totally wrong with complier versions because I am new to the complier and also to FIRST.
Thanks
1jbinder
Team 852

[jtdowney]

Originally Posted by 1jbinder

Hi,
I'm a freshman in my team, but i have a lot of C experience and was able to decrypt lasts years code. First of all I really like this layout much better. Is there bugs in the code to the point where i should not use part of it for the code this year. Also i know this requires a 3.0+ complier and i was wondering what complier the FIRST FRC controller is meant to work with. I might have this all totally wrong with complier versions because I am new to the complier and also to FIRST.
Thanks
1jbinder
Team 852

There certainly may be bugs but the chances of them not being found before ship is low (Remember with enough eyes, all bugs are shallow). I would think it is perfectly safe to use Kevin's new code on this years RC. The default code from IFI is years past is meant to compile with C18 2.4. I haven't seen this years default code but I suspect that is still the case.

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by 1jbinder

...i know this requires a 3.0+ complier and i was wondering what complier the FIRST FRC controller is meant to work with.

The officially supplied version is 2.4, but a free upgrade to 3.10 (don't use 3.15) is available on Microchip's website. I haven't tested it yet, but the freebie student version will probably work just fine. For those who want to stick with 2.4, I just built a version that will work with the older compiler. After I do a bit of testing, I'll post a link to it.

-Kevin

[Kevin Watson]

Here's my first cut at C18 2.4 compatible code:

http://kevin.org/frc/ifi_frc_24_beta.zip
http://kevin.org/frc/ifi_frc_gyro_24_beta.zip (with ADC and gyro code)

Remember this is experimental code, so please do me (and everyone else who might use this code) a favor and let me know if you run into any bugs. Thanks.

-Kevin

[EHaskins]

Originally Posted by Kevin Watson

Here's my first cut at C18 2.4 compatible code:

http://kevin.org/frc/ifi_frc_24_beta.zip
http://kevin.org/frc/ifi_frc_gyro_24_beta.zip (with ADC and gyro code)

Remember this is experimental code, so please do me (and everyone else who might use this code) a favor and let me know if you run into any bugs. Thanks.

-Kevin

Can I expect ADC and Gyro code for 3+ to be released soon(within the next week), or should I use the 2.4 version if I need that functionallity?

Thanks,
Eric

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by EHaskins

Can I expect ADC and Gyro code for 3+ to be released soon(within the next week), or should I use the 2.4 version if I need that functionallity?

Thanks,
Eric

A link to it was added to the first message of this thread.

-Kevin

[jtdowney]

Originally Posted by Kevin Watson

The officially supplied version is 2.4, but a free upgrade to 3.10 (don't use 3.15) is available on Microchip's website. I haven't tested it yet, but the freebie student version will probably work just fine. For those who want to stick with 2.4, I just built a version that will work with the older compiler. After I do a bit of testing, I'll post a link to it.

-Kevin

I can confirm that as long as you make the change Mark McLeod described in this post. The C18 3.15 Student Edition compiler works just fine.

[paulcd2000]

Hey, i really like the look! I'm having this problem when i try to compile:

MPLINK 4.1, Linker
Copyright (c) 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.
Error - could not find file 'C:\2008 FRC\frc_library_24\ifi_frc_8722_24.lib'.
Errors    : 1

how to fix?

EDIT: Fixed it (for anyone else, add the library file again (project menu) wherever you installed it)

now i'm getting:

MPLINK 4.1, Linker
Copyright (c) 2006 Microchip Technology Inc.
Error - Coff file format for 'ifi_frc_library.o' is out of date.
Error - Could not build member 'ifi_frc_library.o' in library file 'Z:\My Documents\robotics\ifi_frc_24\ifi_frc_8722_24.lib'. 
Errors    : 2