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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Remote coding MMBasic on an Android Tab
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| tom_g Newbie  Joined: 21/02/2023 Location: SwitzerlandPosts: 14 |
Hi all, I would like to share my experiences with remote coding MMBasic on a Android Tab. And possibly to know about yours. Situation: nightly late hours 21..23 are at my disposition, the remainders dedicated to work, wife and dogs ... often I want to test some code, although tired and already laying on my bed, switch my tab on and ... code ! (I did this with my laptop, but felt unconfortable with size, weight, battery capacity and dissipation heat) Conditions: no USB OTG connector plugged into the Tab, and coding a standard/clone Pico, not a Pico-W (*) I did tests with two HC-12 433MHz to UART modems, firstly, one of them must be plugged in the OTG adapter, bulky, and worse, xmodem uploading was not successful, maybe a buffer overrun issue during the 115kBd stream ? So I headed for other ways: First possibility: I have found a suitable offline editor app "Code editor" to comfortably build code, pity is missing MMBasic syntax highlighting. Best remote connection experience is with a HC-06/05 Bluetooth modem, connected to COM and console splitting (between both USB and COM) With the app"Serial Bluetooth Terminal" the offline *.bas file can be uploaded using xmodem, this goes really fast ! Second possibility and my preferred way is online coding in the Pico, using the PicoMite integrated editor. For this I prefer using the Terminal app "Another Term" in serial mode, the Galaxy S6 Tab being connected via BT to HC-06 on the pico, the editor set to max. size (240x100), font size 15, good for my aged eyes. Coloured syntax and really fast, even to scroll through the pages. (*)Became curious, I have tested a program upload using a Pico-W, talking Telnet, the app "Serial Wifi Terminal" by Xmodem. Works, but much slower upload speed than through BT (could be due to my Wifi infrastructure), and I have not found how to use "Another Term" talking Telnet although they claim it can. So I will continue to use the BT version and have placed an order for several more HC-05 edit: often I have a need for a trending/logging debugging tool, much better than running table values. Except for the BT app "Bluetooth graphics" which works but is not flawless and incomplete I have not found another suitable, any hints ? All apps referred herein are from Google Playstore. My best regards to the community: HB9TOM Thomas Edited 2024-04-09 07:06 by tom_g |
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| lizby Guru  Joined: 17/05/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 3016 |
Nice. Thanks for sharing. PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed |
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| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 3550 |
Hi Thomas, Thank you for sharing. I love coding on a relatively good keyboard (not too small so my fingers can partially blind type) and have not had good experience with typing on glass. To many key misses. But your experience may come in handy. I do have an HC-06 module, so I can run a test to get the system working. Just have to find a terminal program for "the other, non-android, tablet brand". I wonder if I can find something that works on IpadOS-9. That would make the 12 year old Ipad usefull again. I do have anew one, but it hurts me to see the old one -fully functional, still good battery life- being useless because of software support that stopped. The only thing that still works on it is Google Maps App (Google on Ipad...hihi) Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 303 |
The Android world has it's equivalent of MMBasic. OliBasic, a derivative of RFO-Basic can do amazing things. Like MMBasic, it's an interpreter. BT and WiFi comms are an absolute breeze. Support for USB-serial is a recent addition. Rolling your own logging app should be quite straightforward. Online manual |
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| tom_g Newbie Joined: 21/02/2023 Location: SwitzerlandPosts: 14 |
Good evening gents ! Tnx for your replies. Good luck Volhout in your attempt to reanimate the old apple tab, I am like you in sense of the wish to preserve the values of ancient things that are usually being disposed of. Even at work (I am an analog hardware electronic guy) - I use 3 resurrected old Samsung Notebooks, with exclusive use for some specific IDE, PicoMite, PIC, PSoC1 (a mixed signal configurable system with an 8bit M8C core, including 2k of RAM ... I learnt how to "bit stuff" par excellence with that wonderful unique chip - I still hold a stock of more than 100 pcs of them, a real fortune nowadays. Tnx PhoenixRising for the link to OliBasic, seems powerful indeed. But I can't find it in the PlayStore ? Does this mean it is not supported on my Tab or Android version ? Do you have it in use, which version, APK link ? Best Thomas Edited 2024-04-10 05:22 by tom_g |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 303 |
Google keeps moving the darned goal-posts; apps must target a certain level of API and restrictions keep creeping-in such as not being able to create an app that can send text messages, etc. There should be links to all the varieties in the online manual with an explanation of the various limitations. Some users want their apps to end-up on the Playstore and so they have to follow those rules. I just load my apps directly on the tablets and don't care about the Playstore so I use the latest OliBasic. "aFox" is a member of this group and he is the Pete Mather of OliBasic. If he checks-in, he can probably provide more of the nitty-gritty details. |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 303 |
I just noticed a new BASIC compiler on the playstore. Says it uses the FreeBasic compiler. Basic Compiler for Android Edit: First impression: Not great and it's non-graphical. Will test more tomorrow. Edited 2024-04-10 07:03 by PhenixRising |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 303 |
@tom_g Checked a couple of the other Android BASICs but OliBasic is king. Question: I downloaded/installed Another Term but from what I can see, a bluetooth dongle is required? It doesn't support the device's internal BT? |
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| tom_g Newbie Joined: 21/02/2023 Location: SwitzerlandPosts: 14 |
@PhenixRising thank you for consolidating OliBasic, I will install it. Another Term: no, it definitely can use the internal BT (Samsung Galaxy S6 in my case): If I had to plug something into the USB connector of my Tab, it would have been a no go, You have to setup the connection to UART. I have overridden the settings "do not change" with 115200,8,n,1 but you can try to leave all on unchanged, maybe it works. Then save your connection setup. When you are due to connect, you'll find your waiting BT partners in a list exposing their MAC and device name. Click on the HC-06 or which ever you intend to pair. The connection is then established, so opens the terminal screen. Hope you succeed ! I can further assist if needed. Best: Thomas |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 303 |
Oh wow...This is exactly what I did (guessing). Wasn't able to test with another device but I'll plug my HC05 in again, in the next few days. Gregor (aFox) is usually a bit ahead of the guys who handle the online and PDF manuals and I just found his latest version on the forum, together with the latest appendix to the original RFO-Basic manual. Both attached. OliBasic3_00PreviewV30x_x.zip OliBasic 3_00 Appendix 2024-02-04.zip |
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| tom_g Newbie Joined: 21/02/2023 Location: SwitzerlandPosts: 14 |
Good evening PhenixRising, oh man, Oli Basic seems to be very powerful indeed, installed the APK, Reference and manual. Now must getting familiar with the dialect. On RFOs WebWiki I have found these sentences, pointing towards solving the knot for BT linking ... "Before communication can occur, Bluetooth must be enabled on two devices and the devices have to be paired — that is, made aware of one another. Typically, one of the devices provides a passcode that the user of the other device enters through the keyboard. The way to do this is usually in the Android settings. That is, you must pair your Android device with its Bluetooth partner outside RFO-BASIC! before the BASIC program can open a connection to the partner." As I used the same unique HC-06 long time ago for another task, I have then done the pairing and now it simply worked because the HC's MAC remains stored in Android and as such is immediately available in Another Term. Best Thomas |
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| PhenixRising Guru Joined: 07/11/2023 Location: United KingdomPosts: 303 |
Some cool utilities, etc. I prefer to edit in NP++ and have set-up a server. I edit the code on the PC and it saves directly to the device. Thankfully, it's not an event driven language (detest them) and so, despite the fact that it's an interpreter, my UIs feel much more responsive than when I used the B4A (anywheresoftware.com) compiler. Friends regard me as a programming wizard (absolutely not) because I can throw Android apps together in a heartbeat  |
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