logicator 3.4.1 Help files.

[jands]

Am I the only person to have a set of help files that do not correspond to the software?

Commands that are in the software are not in the help file and vice versa. eg PWMout

The arrangement of the commands in the various menus is different. eg Sleep

When the program cannot find the hardware, the instructions to reset do not relate to the commands - Run is a Simulate command in Logicator - Program PIC is the command.

I just tried to use PWM. PWMout is in the list of commands but is not covered in the help file. The Logicator manual also does not refer to PWMout. I look up PWM in the main manual but I am told this is obsolete, use PWMout. When I try to use PWMout I find the only pin I can use is 3 but the wizard in the programming software offers 3 or 6. I want to run 2 motors, what do I do. If the logicator software is only for simple programs then I can accept that but why does the manual notclarify this otherwise I ned to check eack logicator command in the main manual to see if the rules are different somehow.
I am sure that this will all become much easier with practice and I am certainly a beginner but I do feel that as this is public software it should be a lot tighter than this.

It is a great piece of software but when you are a newbie accessing the help file every 2 minutes it is very frustrating. Or am I missing something?

J

 

[Technical]

The Logicator manual is currently being updated as it is indeed a bit out of date.

The pins in the pwmout command depend on the type of PICAXE chip selected. Which chip are you using? If a command is not supported in Logicator you can always use the 'BASIC' cell to type in soime BASIC code to do the task required.

 

[paul.webster]

Logicator "Bugs'

Logicator is a great environment for those who have no picaxe programming knowledge. With a little support beginners can be quickly programming, however there are some pitfalls.

Picaxe28X1: PortC i/o not bit selectable - 8 inputs only- can modify in the code window but then this defeats the purpose of "flowchart" implementation.

Picaxe08M: when using ADC (8bit mode only in Logicator) input on Port4. If you wish to read the ADC and send the data to the serial port using the "sertxd" command the sertxd command fails to operate - has a problem with Port 4 being allocated to the ADC.

Sertxd and serout commands - syntax errors if mixing text and data. Need to look at the command string.

As this is the "first" level of programming it would be great if the "bugs" could be removed.

Paul

 

[hippy]

Thanks for the feedback.

PICAXE-28X1 Port C

Logicator is primarily designed for educational use and for those not familiar with programming languages so it offers a simplified view of the PICAXE suited towards such use which usually matches the same level with regards to circuit requirements of students.

To take full advantage of the more advanced PICAXE variants Programming Editor / AXEpad Basic Language programming is recommended.

PICAXE-08M SERTXD

There should not be a problem with using Pin 4 ADC and SERTXD as the later operates via Pin 0. This seems to be an issue with an erroneous error condition being detected which we will investigate.

A workround is to use SEROUT on Pin 0 rather than SERTXD.

SERTXD Syntax Issues

We will investigate these.

 

[hippy]

The PICAXE-08M SERTXD is a strange case which we are investigating but we have other workrounds -

Add a WAIT between the READADC and SERTXD ( as attached ) or a redundant expression, "A = A". In fact, any command which does not use a "pin" or I/O reference may work.

It seems the SERTXD is inadvertently checking information from a previous flowchart block which only occurs in certain situations and wasn't caught during our testing. Thanks for bringing this to our attention and apologies for the inconvenience caused.