Winds of change
The last couple of days, I have been furiously modifying the user interface of MP2.
Why? I hear you ask...
A couple of reasons, really. The first revolves around some of the users who are going to be driving this app - I don't want to start confusing everybody by imposing a new working methodology which suits me, but not necessarily everyone else.
Also, there are probably a large number of current MicroPro users who are quite happy with it as it is, and don't want or need additional features like project support and multiple documents - they just want to burn PICs.
So now, when MP2 is started, it will look and behave like a more friendly (I hope) MicroPro. The new features haven't gone away though - they're just hidden, awaiting a few mouse clicks to unleash full functionality. It's now a customisable application with not one, not two, but THREE operating modes.
To explain, these modes are:
1) MicroPro compatibility mode (default "out of the box" setting). Needs no explanation really, it's exactly what it says on the tin.
2) MP2 native mode with standard document windows. This looks similar to the screenshots on my web site, and all higher functionality is enabled. Windows can be maximized, minimized and resized - the data memory display grows and shrinks accordingly.
3) MP2 native mode with tabbed windows. Similar to 2), but with "folder tab" switching between documents and the restriction that documents cannot be minimized or normalized.
So that's what I've been up to. Next on the hit list for this week: cleaning up the hex file and chipinfo parsers, then on to the real meat: Communications with a K149 running protocol 19 (Bob?)...
It's been over a year now since P18, and the end is now in sight. Bear with me, it won't be too much longer!
posted by LogicSpark @ 11:41 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I just saw a comment on the DIY board asking who would supply the Firmware for the programmers. Hadn't thought about that before, since the Firmware for DonkeyProg came with the software. Is Bob supplying it? Is he as far along as MP2?
Yes, Bob's supplying the firmware. It all ties in with the "saga" I chronicled earlier in this blog.
The trouble was, although Bob has in-depth knowledge of how to write firmware, he got completely lost when it was revealed that he had to develop a Windows app too! A lot of good firmware engineers are quite happy with MS-DOS or Linux command line programs (after all, it's a similar, sequential program architecture) but go into a state of blind panic when confronted by the necessity to develop a message driven GUI. I think Bob falls into that category, and although he went on a training course for Delphi, it will probably still take him 6 to 12 months of using it to get comfortable with the working methods - that's about how long it took me to transition from QuickC/MS-DOS to Visual C++/Windows NT back in 1995.
As to how far along the firmware is, I'm fairly sure it's almost ready. Bob was talking about converting it from his F877 based development system to the F628 based K149, so that's probably what's holding it up now. We'll see in the next week or so.
Hi,
are there any plans to make a Linux version of MP2? Since decent Linux compilers for PIC exist and cheap working ones might be coming the only thing holding me back to move to Linux completely is burning software for my K150.
Thanks for all your work Stu.
Mattias
There is somebody who is developing a command line programmer for P19 under Linux. I don't know about a GUI version - I'm strictly a Win32 man and have no plans to port MP2.
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