a microcontroller to solve all my problems...
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turn around pastor, cuz you're preachin' to the choir...:) that seems to be the main problem with the universities these days. (At least the scant bits that I've seen lately.) Oh, looks like your java app blew up with an exception. Where did it occur? Uhhhh, i don't know, let me step through the debugger. You don't know?? The address and reason is right there in the error message! Oh, that hex stuff? I don't know what that hex stuff means... Whaaaaaaaaat ??? And you're one year from a BS degree ???
Does java provide a good way to go from 0xABCD1234 to a specific line of code? I've never been aware of a way to do that in any language unless the error reporting provided a human readable stack trace.
Today's lesson is brought to you by the word "niggardly". Remember kids, don't attribute to racism what can be explained by Scandinavian language roots. -- Robert Royall
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Does java provide a good way to go from 0xABCD1234 to a specific line of code? I've never been aware of a way to do that in any language unless the error reporting provided a human readable stack trace.
Today's lesson is brought to you by the word "niggardly". Remember kids, don't attribute to racism what can be explained by Scandinavian language roots. -- Robert Royall
oh i don't know. just venting :) but at least in c++, .map files are your friend.
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Well, I think I've finally landed on a GOOD microcontroller kit. xgamestation.com just came out with an AVR microcontroller variant of it's kit. http://www.xgamestation.com/view_product.php?id=46[^] It has an ATMega644P (4K of SRAM). And it's got a bunch of pre-written aaaalmost games that it comes with. The best thing is that it has a SERIOUS manual. Spiral bound even!! And THICK and MEATY...:) Hardware docs, API docs, app notes written up pretty dang well in my opinion. It leads ya along pretty gently and doesn't skip OVER stuff like some of the uC kits I've seen. The kit has everything ya need, except for ONE more joystick ya may want. It's really wonderful to read a good manual again. It really reminds me of that ole C=64 reference manual. Anyways, if you've always wanted to get into microcontrollers, it's a pretty good option. The MAIN thing it solves for me is finding something to get my son into computer programming. And get me back to my programming "roots". ...Steve
It looks pretty cool!
Steve Hazel wrote:
always wanted to get into microcontrollers
I do alot of PIC programming for speciallity hardware things, mainly related to MIDI. I do all my stuff in assembly. I'm using the dsPIC30F series for the latest project and there's virtually no assembly reference stuff for these as everyone uses C. My insistance on continuing to use assembly (because of crucial timing when using multiple USARTs) has taught me so much! When I get bored of 'high' level stuff, this is what I do to keep my brain stimulated - how sad! :-D
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia) -
It looks pretty cool!
Steve Hazel wrote:
always wanted to get into microcontrollers
I do alot of PIC programming for speciallity hardware things, mainly related to MIDI. I do all my stuff in assembly. I'm using the dsPIC30F series for the latest project and there's virtually no assembly reference stuff for these as everyone uses C. My insistance on continuing to use assembly (because of crucial timing when using multiple USARTs) has taught me so much! When I get bored of 'high' level stuff, this is what I do to keep my brain stimulated - how sad! :-D
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia)You do midi stuff??? Awesome, me too! Check out a midi dev email list: http://groups.google.com/group/mididev?pli=1[^] And my little project: http://shazware.com/ditty/[^] I'm workin on a midi sequencer specializing in piano practice functionality. I don't do midi stuff on uC yet, but it had popped into my mind as a possibility :) PICs, eh? There's a PIC variety of that xgamestation thing, too. I've tended to lean towards the AVR side as the C compiler is free and it seeeems slightly nicer programming wise, although maybe not as fast and 16 bit-ish. Another midi guy, eh? I don't run into as many as I THOUGHT there'd be out there...:/ ...Steve
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You do midi stuff??? Awesome, me too! Check out a midi dev email list: http://groups.google.com/group/mididev?pli=1[^] And my little project: http://shazware.com/ditty/[^] I'm workin on a midi sequencer specializing in piano practice functionality. I don't do midi stuff on uC yet, but it had popped into my mind as a possibility :) PICs, eh? There's a PIC variety of that xgamestation thing, too. I've tended to lean towards the AVR side as the C compiler is free and it seeeems slightly nicer programming wise, although maybe not as fast and 16 bit-ish. Another midi guy, eh? I don't run into as many as I THOUGHT there'd be out there...:/ ...Steve
Steve Hazel wrote:
I don't run into as many as I THOUGHT there'd be out there
Yeah, it's sort of a dying thing, but sometimes there's nothing else! Your project looks cool! What language are you using - C++? I'm more of a C# guy when it comes to PCs. I keep meaning to write my own MIDI wrapper for the managed world. There's a couple out there but I've never found them quite as intuitive as they could be. My current thing is basically a MIDI piano pedal unit, Sustain - Sostenuto and Soft. That's the easy bit! I managed to get that working fine on an old 16F84. The latest one incorporates a software patchbay so cable switching between standalone performance or PC recording is handled purely in software (this means two Ins [instument and PC], four Outs [Pedals, Intrument merged with Pedals, processed PC In - sort of a Thru, and a seperate software switchable Out]). Dynamic channel assignment or fixed to a particular channel for pedals and intelligent running status control independant of what's at any of the inputs. Plus the obligatory Thrus of course. Finished of with a LCD display and controllable via only three front panel buttons to KISS for the end user. I've got the schematic sorted and just finishing the assembly coding. It needs two seperate uCs so I just need to get them talking to each other so I synchrise some stuff. How do you find the AVRs when working with C? I've found with the PICs that if I'm pushing them as hard as in the current project they sometimes miss a bit/byte here or there. That's why I use assembly so I can make sure it's as lean as possible, especially when doing the ISRs.
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia) -
Steve Hazel wrote:
I don't run into as many as I THOUGHT there'd be out there
Yeah, it's sort of a dying thing, but sometimes there's nothing else! Your project looks cool! What language are you using - C++? I'm more of a C# guy when it comes to PCs. I keep meaning to write my own MIDI wrapper for the managed world. There's a couple out there but I've never found them quite as intuitive as they could be. My current thing is basically a MIDI piano pedal unit, Sustain - Sostenuto and Soft. That's the easy bit! I managed to get that working fine on an old 16F84. The latest one incorporates a software patchbay so cable switching between standalone performance or PC recording is handled purely in software (this means two Ins [instument and PC], four Outs [Pedals, Intrument merged with Pedals, processed PC In - sort of a Thru, and a seperate software switchable Out]). Dynamic channel assignment or fixed to a particular channel for pedals and intelligent running status control independant of what's at any of the inputs. Plus the obligatory Thrus of course. Finished of with a LCD display and controllable via only three front panel buttons to KISS for the end user. I've got the schematic sorted and just finishing the assembly coding. It needs two seperate uCs so I just need to get them talking to each other so I synchrise some stuff. How do you find the AVRs when working with C? I've found with the PICs that if I'm pushing them as hard as in the current project they sometimes miss a bit/byte here or there. That's why I use assembly so I can make sure it's as lean as possible, especially when doing the ISRs.
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia)DaveyM69 wrote:
Yeah, it's sort of a dying thing, but sometimes there's nothing else!
I just don't see regular piano players even USING midi that often. (based on browsing the MONSTER forum on pianoworld.com) Which just amazes me - are they crazy dumb or somethin ?? ditty is c++ and win32, no mfc, just some classes I've built up looking at relisoft.com and mfc source. It's only me on this, so I can do that :) Your project sounds pretty cool, too! I've been meaning to get a set of pedals. I've got one pedal, but 1+3 would be awesome-er :) I've only STARTED dabbling in uC. Picking avr over pic boils down to what i've scanned on avrfreaks.net, and my nephew's Elec Engineering student job at Cypress - they make PsOC uC. So, really, not based on much... Just jumpin' in with what i can scrape up. Ain't nothin wrong with assembly on THOSE things. avr asm even ports pretty well across the ATMega* chips. It'd be cool if ya could join that mididev email list :) There are a couple c# guys on there and they could tell you what they're up to and what they're usin' ...Steve
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DaveyM69 wrote:
Yeah, it's sort of a dying thing, but sometimes there's nothing else!
I just don't see regular piano players even USING midi that often. (based on browsing the MONSTER forum on pianoworld.com) Which just amazes me - are they crazy dumb or somethin ?? ditty is c++ and win32, no mfc, just some classes I've built up looking at relisoft.com and mfc source. It's only me on this, so I can do that :) Your project sounds pretty cool, too! I've been meaning to get a set of pedals. I've got one pedal, but 1+3 would be awesome-er :) I've only STARTED dabbling in uC. Picking avr over pic boils down to what i've scanned on avrfreaks.net, and my nephew's Elec Engineering student job at Cypress - they make PsOC uC. So, really, not based on much... Just jumpin' in with what i can scrape up. Ain't nothin wrong with assembly on THOSE things. avr asm even ports pretty well across the ATMega* chips. It'd be cool if ya could join that mididev email list :) There are a couple c# guys on there and they could tell you what they're up to and what they're usin' ...Steve
Most purist piano players don't think they have a need for it, but those that discover it benefit hugely. My current project started out because I do quite a bit of work with a wonderful vocalist - very jazz and blues! When we first started it was working on ships playing real grand pianos. Nowadys I don't wanna go away from home (family etc) so we do high class gigs but using my digital stage piano. Like all of them, it has a sustain jack socket only, but it responds to the others via MIDI and I just had to have the extra dynamic provided by soft, and the versatility of sostenuto! When it's comlpleted I plan on selling it. There's only one other vaguely inferior similar device out there, but it crashes all the time and is nowhere near as flexible. The pedals themselves are just the standard Fatar VFP3. I didn't know that group existed, I'll have a nosey round it and will most likely join - pick on other peoples brains instead of going it alone like I pretty much have so far, although there's a German (I think) guy call Thorsten Klosse who's a MIDI and PIC expert. I've been cheeky and emailed him a couple of times when I've been totally stuck and he's always responded helpfully and quickly. What a guy! Nice to meet a kindred spirit! Have you heard about the possible MIDI 2.0 by the way?
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia) -
true :) I should mention the programming is in C with a LITTLE bit of assembly language for the video "driver". C compiler is free based on GCC. Make files are generated by the free "avr studio" - a building/debugging/programming env similar to a "mini visual studio" (made by ATMel - the microcontroller manufacturer) Same "studio" for a LARGE variety of their microcontrollers. Programming hardware comes in the package (usb->ISP box->6 pin jumper on board) But, again, the best part is the manual. It'll really take you back to the C=64 daze (if you experienced em). Sprites, raster interrupts, joystick i/o. There's an expansion bus that you could hang some servos off and such. Anyways, it takes me back. And my son is actually SOMEWHAT interested in it due to the games/demos approach it takes. ...Steve http://shazware.com
Steve Hazel wrote:
It'll really take you back to the C=64 daze (if you experienced em). Sprites, raster interrupts, joystick i/o.
Yeah brings back fond memories. I created a sprite editor in Assembler back in when I first got one. The only thing I hated about the C64 was the Cassette tape storage, had 3 of em they wouldn't work, i took it back they replaced it and I finally gave up on it.
Steve Hazel wrote:
Anyways, it takes me back. And my son is actually SOMEWHAT interested in it due to the games/demos approach it takes.
Yeah I'm tempted to get one for the same reason my son is a big gamer and maybe this would interest him. He's always got a logic design going for a game he would like to develop. Father-son project....hmmm! Thanks for the link and the idea, Mike
"It doesn't matter how big a ranch ya' own, or how many cows ya' brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather." -Harry Truman.
Semper Fi http://www.hq4thmarinescomm.com[^] My Site
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Most purist piano players don't think they have a need for it, but those that discover it benefit hugely. My current project started out because I do quite a bit of work with a wonderful vocalist - very jazz and blues! When we first started it was working on ships playing real grand pianos. Nowadys I don't wanna go away from home (family etc) so we do high class gigs but using my digital stage piano. Like all of them, it has a sustain jack socket only, but it responds to the others via MIDI and I just had to have the extra dynamic provided by soft, and the versatility of sostenuto! When it's comlpleted I plan on selling it. There's only one other vaguely inferior similar device out there, but it crashes all the time and is nowhere near as flexible. The pedals themselves are just the standard Fatar VFP3. I didn't know that group existed, I'll have a nosey round it and will most likely join - pick on other peoples brains instead of going it alone like I pretty much have so far, although there's a German (I think) guy call Thorsten Klosse who's a MIDI and PIC expert. I've been cheeky and emailed him a couple of times when I've been totally stuck and he's always responded helpfully and quickly. What a guy! Nice to meet a kindred spirit! Have you heard about the possible MIDI 2.0 by the way?
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia)DaveyM69 wrote:
Most purist piano players don't think they have a need for it
Which is insaaaaane. It's like a factory worker sayin' he has no need for industrial robots... Sheeesh :) Ah, so you're putting the pedals through midiin instead of the nonexistent pedal jacks - cool indeed! Buuut, I've got a Roland PCR800 and a Yamaha CP33 so I've got 2 variable + 2 switched pedals. I'm good :) The group didn't exist till I decided to MAKE it - best bit of midi dev I've ever done :) Ask the German dude if he'd like to join, too. The more brains the better. MidiDev: midi development: mac, pc, pic, avr, java, c#, c++, whatEVer. We chat bout good specs for a midi app in addition to the APIs n such. Likewise-ly nice to meet a kindred spirit! By midi2.0, do you mean GeneralMidi2? Or somethin else? So, umm, probably not. GenMidi2 has been out for a while. Oh yeah, Tom White (guy who wrote n maintains the midi standards is on there, too). At least shoot me an email so's I can keep tracka ya :) stephen.hazel@gmail.com ...Steve
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DaveyM69 wrote:
Most purist piano players don't think they have a need for it
Which is insaaaaane. It's like a factory worker sayin' he has no need for industrial robots... Sheeesh :) Ah, so you're putting the pedals through midiin instead of the nonexistent pedal jacks - cool indeed! Buuut, I've got a Roland PCR800 and a Yamaha CP33 so I've got 2 variable + 2 switched pedals. I'm good :) The group didn't exist till I decided to MAKE it - best bit of midi dev I've ever done :) Ask the German dude if he'd like to join, too. The more brains the better. MidiDev: midi development: mac, pc, pic, avr, java, c#, c++, whatEVer. We chat bout good specs for a midi app in addition to the APIs n such. Likewise-ly nice to meet a kindred spirit! By midi2.0, do you mean GeneralMidi2? Or somethin else? So, umm, probably not. GenMidi2 has been out for a while. Oh yeah, Tom White (guy who wrote n maintains the midi standards is on there, too). At least shoot me an email so's I can keep tracka ya :) stephen.hazel@gmail.com ...Steve
The group sounds cool - will definately check it out. [Edit] removed link -wrong one, will try to find the proper one I came across the other week! [/Edit] [Edit2] Correct link[^] [/Edit2]
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia) -
Steve Hazel wrote:
It'll really take you back to the C=64 daze (if you experienced em). Sprites, raster interrupts, joystick i/o.
Yeah brings back fond memories. I created a sprite editor in Assembler back in when I first got one. The only thing I hated about the C64 was the Cassette tape storage, had 3 of em they wouldn't work, i took it back they replaced it and I finally gave up on it.
Steve Hazel wrote:
Anyways, it takes me back. And my son is actually SOMEWHAT interested in it due to the games/demos approach it takes.
Yeah I'm tempted to get one for the same reason my son is a big gamer and maybe this would interest him. He's always got a logic design going for a game he would like to develop. Father-son project....hmmm! Thanks for the link and the idea, Mike
"It doesn't matter how big a ranch ya' own, or how many cows ya' brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather." -Harry Truman.
Semper Fi http://www.hq4thmarinescomm.com[^] My Site
Mike Hankey wrote:
Yeah brings back fond memories. I created a sprite editor in Assembler back in when I first got one
load"*",8,1 forever baby !! Oh wait, that's disk :) Good ole 6510 asm... .start org $C000 Yeah those cassettes were a crapshoot. Sometimes they saved, sometimes they DIDN'T. That's why you always saved at LEAST twice. Ah, good times. People are probably gettin sick of this link by now: http://shazware.com/me/pcPast.html[^] Only warning is that the joystick is 4 button only, not really a joystick joystick, per se. Don't get your son's hopes in the clouds, these are simpler demo type games. Still miiiighty cool tho :)
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Mike Hankey wrote:
Yeah brings back fond memories. I created a sprite editor in Assembler back in when I first got one
load"*",8,1 forever baby !! Oh wait, that's disk :) Good ole 6510 asm... .start org $C000 Yeah those cassettes were a crapshoot. Sometimes they saved, sometimes they DIDN'T. That's why you always saved at LEAST twice. Ah, good times. People are probably gettin sick of this link by now: http://shazware.com/me/pcPast.html[^] Only warning is that the joystick is 4 button only, not really a joystick joystick, per se. Don't get your son's hopes in the clouds, these are simpler demo type games. Still miiiighty cool tho :)
Awesome, Boy did that bring back memories. Looks like we both have similar backgrounds, I started in electronics and picked up computers in college and realized I like programming more and was better at it. Cool link, Mike
"It doesn't matter how big a ranch ya' own, or how many cows ya' brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather." -Harry Truman.
Semper Fi http://www.hq4thmarinescomm.com[^] My Site
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The group sounds cool - will definately check it out. [Edit] removed link -wrong one, will try to find the proper one I came across the other week! [/Edit] [Edit2] Correct link[^] [/Edit2]
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia)A clearer midi standard WOULD be nice. It better be backward compatible, though :/ I'm sure it would be...
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You do midi stuff??? Awesome, me too! Check out a midi dev email list: http://groups.google.com/group/mididev?pli=1[^] And my little project: http://shazware.com/ditty/[^] I'm workin on a midi sequencer specializing in piano practice functionality. I don't do midi stuff on uC yet, but it had popped into my mind as a possibility :) PICs, eh? There's a PIC variety of that xgamestation thing, too. I've tended to lean towards the AVR side as the C compiler is free and it seeeems slightly nicer programming wise, although maybe not as fast and 16 bit-ish. Another midi guy, eh? I don't run into as many as I THOUGHT there'd be out there...:/ ...Steve
Hi Steve, Taken me three months but finally got around to joining the group tonight! I'm currently ironing out some bugs in a managed MIDI wrapper I'm doing, so you may be hearing rather a lot from me on there :-D
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia)
Why are you using VB6? Do you hate yourself? (Christian Graus) -
Hi Steve, Taken me three months but finally got around to joining the group tonight! I'm currently ironing out some bugs in a managed MIDI wrapper I'm doing, so you may be hearing rather a lot from me on there :-D
Dave
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)
Visual Basic is not used by normal people so we're not covering it here. (Uncyclopedia)
Why are you using VB6? Do you hate yourself? (Christian Graus)Whoa man. Blast from the past :)
