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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : PicoMite V6.02.00 release candidates - Structured types
| Author | Message | ||||
| matherp Guru  Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 10800 |
MMBasic V6.02.00RC0 PicoMiteV6.02.00RC0.zip 6.02.00 introduces the ability for users to create and use structured types in MMBasic. This is fully covered in the structures manual MMBasic_Structures_Manual.pdf This version contains the changes identifies in the V6.01.00EXP thread as at EXP7. In addition it fixes two new bugs identified on the 6.01.00 release thread: MOUSE SET now sets the wheel position when enabled for a USB mouse PIO RX interrupt now works for RP2040 (was already OK for RP2350) It also includes changes to SYSTEM I2C handling to try and avoid background I2C processes (RTC, WII Classic/Nunchuck, I2C keyboard) interacting with foreground I2C operations Fixes a bug using the SSD1963 buffered drivers when writing to the A: drive Other stuff from the EXP thread Fixes bugs in OPTION RESET for a couple of board types Fixes bug in RAM command usage where a reset would clear the RAM slot Adds validation to FLASH and RAM commands to stop a lockup when the LOAD subcommand was used on an empty slot Fixes incorrect naming of VGA222_640 in LIST OPTIONS Fixes incorrect naming of BLUE_H in LIST PINS Standardises XMODEM and YMODEM S and S,file$ to always terminate lines with cr/lf. In addition xmodem will now pad with NULL rather than &H1A Edited 2026-01-04 21:51 by matherp |
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| mozzie Senior Member  Joined: 15/06/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 189 |
G'day Peter, Many thanks for your work on this new PicoMite version. Also thanks for the changes to Xmodem and Ymodem, a couple of further observations while testing: Tested with fresh PicoMiteRP2040 + PicoMiteRP2350V6.01.00EXP7 on WIN7x32-TT4.100, WIN7x32-TT5.5.1, WIN10x64-TT4.106, WIN10x64-TT5.5.1 After many tests they both appear to working better than before with very few hangs (see below) Ymodem S creates a file "FILE.DAT" on the PC end if file not loaded with name on Picomite, perhaps "File.bas" would be easier to find. X/Ymodem S removes the CR/LF on the last line, X/Ymodem S "File" does not, however it has been this way since at least MMite 050503 so probably best left as is. Also might need to add a note in the manual, in big bold letters, perhaps on a page on there own, as to be printed out and stuck above a monitor: XMODEM R = SEND FILE in Terminal XMODEM S = RECEIVE FILE in Terminal The most common reason for xmodem to fail in my experience, is to type Xmodem S and then "send" a file in TeraTerm, or Xmodem R and then "receive" in TeraTerm. Obviously neither will work but I have done it often enough lately and should know better... Regards, Lyle. |
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Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8424 |
Oddly enough, I've very rarely got them mixed up now. :) As the command is entered on the Pico (not into Tera Term) it is described correctly: XMODEM R is expecting to receive a file. It figures that the terminal is going to have to send it. :) Of course the commands might be upside down over there. ;) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| Peter63 Senior Member Joined: 28/07/2017 Location: SwedenPosts: 113 |
Hello, Peter Installed the new version, time to test a bit more. Did a quick test on the mouse set (wheel). Works OK now. I really appreciate all the work you put into this. > option list PicoMiteHDMI MMBasic USB RP2350A Edition V6.02.00RC0 OPTION SERIAL CONSOLE COM2,GP8,GP9 OPTION FLASH SIZE 4194304 OPTION COLOURCODE ON OPTION MOUSE SENSITIVITY 1.0000 OPTION KEYBOARD US OPTION RESOLUTION 640x480 @ 252000KHz OPTION SDCARD GP5, GP6, GP4, GP3  / Peter63 |
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| cosmic frog Guru Joined: 09/02/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 306 |
This gets me all the time! Dave. |
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| bfwolf Senior Member Joined: 03/01/2025 Location: GermanyPosts: 123 |
Before you completely "cast everything in bronze":  Yesterday I was "playing around" (experimenting) with the EXP7...  If you're interested, take the test program "StructParamTest.bas" from your post: https://www.thebackshed.com/forum/ViewTopic.php?TID=18519&P=6#248986 ...and add this starting at line 26: Dim typeof_people$ = "TPerson" Call typeof_people$+".Print", people(2) End ...and be surprised—or not, because you'll predict what would happen... So, if we had a function 't$=Struct(Typeof, typeVar)' or perhaps even a "generic" 't$=Typeof$(Var)', where Var could also have the type 'integer' or 'string'... Or even shorter 't$=TOF$(Var)' You get the idea? Regards and happy Sunday evening..  |
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| matherp Guru Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 10800 |
No probs |
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| bfwolf Senior Member Joined: 03/01/2025 Location: GermanyPosts: 123 |
I just tried it with RC0 because I thought you'd already included it as a "hidden feature"... No, I meant something else: A function that returns the type as a string, so you can concatenate it with a string constant for the call... The argument would be an instance of a type and possibly a second optional argument, where 0 = BaseType and 1 = FullType (difference if it's an array). For example: Dim people(2) As TPerson Dim counters(4) As integer Dim year As integer And then: T$ = Struct(Typeof people(1)) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Struct(Typeof people(1), 0) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Struct(Typeof people(1), 1) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Struct(Typeof people()) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Struct(Typeof people(), 0) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Struct(Typeof people(), 1) ' -> "TPerson()" and if we had a "generic" Typeof$() function: T$ = Typeof$(people(1)) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Typeof$(people(1), 0) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Typeof$(people(1), 1) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Typeof$(people()) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Typeof$(people(), 0) ' -> "TPerson" T$ = Typeof$(people(), 1) ' -> "TPerson()" ' With an ordinary type T$ = Typeof$(year) ' -> "integer" T$ = Typeof$(counters(1)) ' -> "integer" T$ = Typeof$(counters(1), 0) ' -> "integer" T$ = Typeof$(counters(1), 1) ' -> "integer" T$ = Typeof$(counters()) ' -> "integer" T$ = Typeof$(counters(), 0) ' -> "integer" T$ = Typeof$(counters(), 1) ' -> "integer()" This would allow binding "methods" to types. Clear? But I'm not sure if that's too complex or complicated? |
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| matherp Guru Joined: 11/12/2012 Location: United KingdomPosts: 10800 |
I think that's a step to far |
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| bfwolf Senior Member Joined: 03/01/2025 Location: GermanyPosts: 123 |
Yes, you're probably right, and that would be more suitable for a future version, 6.03.00? Binding 'Methods' in this way might be a "hasty" solution and hardly understandable for most people. It's not very elegant either.  In the meantime, we can let our thoughts wander a bit more until a more mature concept emerges. I'm already extremely happy that struct types are finally being introduced – that alone opens up some fantastic new possibilities! --- Addendum: One "side effect" of my experiments was that I understood how the 'Call()' function can be used, and later even that 'Call' also exists as a command – I had initially overlooked that in the index, being the blind person I am.  Edited 2026-01-05 06:13 by bfwolf |
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| damos Regular Member  Joined: 15/04/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 79 |
Thanks Peter, This has been a long awaited feature for me and greatly expands the projects that I can implement with this platform. If you get bored and are looking for things to do (no pressure): - JSON import and export of arrays of structures (unless I missed that one) - SQLite (maybe C function). Even a basic implementation would be great, but reading tables into structure arrays would be brilliant as entity framework does it that way. I am currently doing a .Net MAUI project and am forced to use SQLite to get Android and iOS compatibility. It is much better than I thought and the main limitation is it only supports String datatypes for queries (eg int column sorting). regards Dan |
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Grogster Admin Group  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9812 |
"Right then, I just hook up this RS232 line, and it's TXD.......with respect to what end of the link again?" I adopted the TXO and RXI type notation on my silkscreens to help clarify. You're talking about XMODEM, but the confusion is the same! I find myself always triple-checking any serial links I design onto a PCB, cos it is SO EASY to get them round the wrong way, then the PCB won't work(without hacking it). If you are breadboarding, simply swapping the serial lines around fixes it easy enough, but the whole TXD and RXD serial line confusion has been around for decades now, since RS232 was a thing in the first place. That's why I like the SPI line naming, and even I2C. Both are pretty hard to get wrong. But I digress...... Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8424 |
RS-232 has been confusing people to hell and back since it was first invented. Nothing new there. :) It starts with the D connectors. Now is it the male one or the female one that has the pins? Do I need to link these two pins to make it work? Should it be a null-modem cable? lol I2C is so incredibly elegant but it's only intended for PCB comms, which is a pity. Works ok on the WII controllers though. :) Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| bfwolf Senior Member Joined: 03/01/2025 Location: GermanyPosts: 123 |
I2C and SPI are master-slave protocols, so the roles are clearly defined. Therefore, the lines can be named accordingly. RS232, on the other hand, is based on bidirectional full-duplex communication, where each side can assume all roles. Therefore, the pins can only be meaningfully named from the perspective of an endpoint. The same applies to XMODEM: It also originates from a time when files were easily exchanged between computers via serial (RS232) lines — possibly via modem, hence the name — and each side can send and receive files. Therefore, the commands are also from the perspective of the device initiating a transfer. Edited 2026-01-05 18:45 by bfwolf |
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| bfwolf Senior Member Joined: 03/01/2025 Location: GermanyPosts: 123 |
JSON import and export can already be done with MMBasic's built-in features, I think. The files are simply sequential character streams. However, what the new version makes possible is the ability to store and use this data neatly within MMBasic's structs. SQLite is great, but probably too complex and big to integrate into MMBasic via commands. Especially with the RP2040 and its mere 2MB of flash memory, it would consume too much memory and leave too little free space. And I doubt it's even possible to integrate it via a C function. The library binary is around 300KB in size. What would work, though, is running an SQLite server on a second Pico, to which you send queries via a serial connection or TCP/IP. In the latter case, you'd need to use Pico-Ws. |
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| Mixtel90 Guru Joined: 05/10/2019 Location: United KingdomPosts: 8424 |
If you want a database server you'd be far better putting it on a Pi rather than a Pico. It's not just the storage expansion, it's the speed of processing queries. You have space for multiple buffers etc. Mick Zilog Inside! nascom.info for Nascom & Gemini Preliminary MMBasic docs & my PCB designs |
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| bfwolf Senior Member Joined: 03/01/2025 Location: GermanyPosts: 123 |
You're absolutely right about performance and flexibility. But a "full-fledged Raspberry Pi" also requires significantly more power – several watts. So, if you don't have high demands for query processing speed, SQLite on a Pico could certainly handle the tasks. It always depends on the requirements and the environment, or rather, the application. |
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