Positron BASIC Community

All Freeloader files, C source, Positron.bas files, and detailed descriptions are available here.   FREELOADER WEBSITE

Some are untested, and I will be going through them when I can.  The web page was about an hour of work so pretty easy and good for global updates

John, Les, please feel free to use any of the files on your own web pages.  If I need to fix or add anything, then I will post it on the web page above

Cheers

Jon

Blimey Jon, you have been busy. It has certainly given me a lot of reading to do, it also looks like you can print it which is much easier for me to sit with a pint. Nobody is going to steal a load of paper but might be tempted if I leave a tablet while visiting the loo.

I really am grateful for this and cannot thank you enough for all the effort you have put in.

Regards,
Bob

No worries Bob. If you go to the downloads page, all the docs are available as HTML and can be downloaded and opened in your browser.

I have just added an explanation and some drawings on the slot. This is really important and has changed from Tiny Bootloader to prevent the device from being bricked.

JonW,

Thank you for sharing this great work with the community.

I think it would be useful to add an option to reset the microcontroller using a command. Since a serial port is already available, there would be no need for an additional reset line.

For example, we could configure the following reset command: 02 80 81 07 48 30 37 45 03. The bootloader would send this byte sequence, triggering a reset of the microcontroller.

Best Regards,
Gamboa

Hi Gamboa

I did consider this, but it may cause more confusion, as the user is responsible for the reset or branch to the bootloader sector. In addition, the user app and bootloader baud rates may differ, which can cause additional issues.   I will take a look in the next week or so; unfortunately, this has eaten up a few weeks' worth, and I need to get on with some $$ work

I will have a look at the split baud, but will need to change all the bootloaders, as they need to reject glitching during baud changes.  Some of the lower-end CDC devices glitch the TX on a baud change.  Then have the option of either hex or ASCII reset packet.

To make it bulletproof, it should include a split baud. I will need to update all non-K20 bootloaders to add extra glitch rejection, since the clock domain switch caused issues with bootloader sync (this is already fixed).  Some of the lower-end CDC IC's glitch the TX on a baud change too, so I am better off adding this to every bootloader to ensure it can't happen.  It should also have the option to use either a hex or an ASCII reset packet.

I'll leave the existing files on the site, then take them down and reissue them all once it is up and woring working; this is quite a big addition.

John, I added a picture from your webpage and a link.  Hope you don't mind

Jon

Hi Jon,

of course not, thank you for the publicity!

John

Hi Gamboa

I have added the string function to the command line and also built a C GUI; this will be limited to the machine used but should work on Windows 7 and above, and a command-line version. I am just testing it now and doing some examples. Do you have a preferred device?

The new version can pass up to 32 bytes in hex or string format, and at a different baud rate, since your application baud may differ from the BL baud.  In theory, you want the BL to push the data at the fastest rate.


Its not live yet as I am still testing it :-)


(John L)  Boards arrived, thanks, mate.

Hi Jon,

Quotealso built a C GUI; this will be limited to the machine used but should work on Windows 7 and above, and a command-line version. I am just testing it now and doing some examples.

I am a little confused now, I would like to try this on Win 7 as that is what I use for most programming, there seems to be help for it but no download. Also there is a Python download but no help?
Is the actual download coming later.

Oops, missed that.
Its not live yet as I am still testing it :-)

Regards,
Bob

Hi Bob

No, it's new, and I haven't fully tested it yet, so it's not up.  I was going to do this over the weekend.  I need to change all the bootloaders and add a glitch-rejection routine because a baud rate change can cause a TX glitch, and the bootloader will read it as a byte and fail.

You can still try the command-line version on the site and the respective bootloader.  95% of the command line is the same as the above, and it will run on Win 7.  The other GUI on the site was a Python build, and I have decided to ditch it now since it's too version-sensitive.  From now on, it will be C.

Sorry for the confusion; by Mon I will have uploaded all the tested BL, new command line and C GUI to the site. 

Jon,

Thanks again for all the effort you're putting into this. In colloquial Spanish, we say "eres un máquina" when someone really knows their stuff and works hard at it. I'm not sure what the best equivalent would be in English, but something like "you're a legend" or "you're a real pro" would probably come close.

The designs I have so far are based on the PIC18F25K22 and PIC18F45K22. However, the PIC18F25K22 designs use an RS485 port, so I can't use a bootloader with them.

For my latest designs, I've decided to go with the PIC24FJ256GA705, which is more powerful and costs about half as much.

Regards,
Gamboa

Guys

Major update to FREELOADER V1.4.  Both the GUI and the command line are completely re-written in C.  Please see the link at the top of the page.

Devices tested are on the site; 17 families, 103 devices are built with exampes for each device, the uploaded ones are tested with examples of blink and string reset x 3 versions with include files.  I will add the rest as soon as possible.

Added documentation so you can add the GUI or the CMD line, or both, to Proton IDE. 

GUI now has command-line extensions and an extra --close option to automatically shut down a good program.

Enjoy

Hi Jon,
Does this run on Win 7 now, it does not mention it on the site.

Small typo, I think this should be other

Quotelimited compatibility with oler OS

Regards,
Bob

It should... i dont have multiple os, tested in Linux which i work in 99%  (not released) and win 10/11.

Sorry for typo, I rushed the delivery as I need to work ££.  This has eaten 200 hours now.  All good.

Cmd should go to 95.  Gui should work win 7, maybe earlier. Take 1min to test as dont need to install anything.

Both work the same.  Added Proton Ide integration. Super slick

Thanks Jon,
I am amazed you have only spent 200 hours on it, that is incredible.

Regards,
Bob

I use AI and have learnt how to make it work. Its not easy, but worth the effort . It has many faults, but these out weigh gains for repetition.

Im privileged as I love electronics and never get tired of doing it. Includes coding and my true love physics,.math in microwaves and optics, yet Im still amazed, given 10 parts to 10 good engineers, you can get 10 different useful projects.

Im highly efficient, I weigh my time like gold, seriously. As a consultant efficiency is dollar and if you drop the ball, then 0 work. 

Quote from: JonW on Today at 08:35 PMI use AI and have learnt how to make it work. Its not easy, but worth the effort
...
Im highly efficient, I weigh my time like gold, seriously. As a consultant efficiency is dollar and if you drop the ball, then 0 work. 

Interesting thought, maybe a week ago I sent very similar message to Les, here's a part of it, if take the essential part it is 1 to 1 with what you said  :

QuoteThe truth is I have 2 months of vacation and I got access to the latest paid AI models on Anthropic and OpenAI for work purposes and I take maximum advantage of it. I shall say the paid most recent models are something completely different, compared to the free models. Code analysis and generation is extremely good but it takes time to adjust your requests wording and logic to the way the AI is trained, and train it the missing pieces but then it is amazing.

If you know exactly what you want and need, you can synthesize it in the correct sequence and wording, then the AI does what would have taken me years of work in few days, and probably better than most programmers, but again this is the latest AI models, which are paid and burn really fast through my usage ....

The AI is a wonderful tool when used right - what before used to take me days to compute, compare and isolate the actual anomaly now takes 10-15 minutes. The down side is I'm no longer forced to make thorough analysis which prevents building up new knowledge and thinking pathways ... basically, making me dumber, but I guess everything has its price. If the day was 72 hours instead 24, maybe I would have kept the old ways, unfortunately it doesn't and available time for hobby is limited.

Correct.but others think paid AI can do anything.

So far from truth.