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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : GUI using Serial Port
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| Ray B Senior Member  Joined: 16/02/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 219 |
A lot of us wait with baited breath for the formal release of Serial Comms on the MM. Following is a "free for non commercial use" Graphical Interface that would be usable on a MM serial port and has been trialled successfully using PicAxe. 
Product is available from: http://www.weedtech.com/ The ModCom software product from Weeder Technologies comes with a whole range of ready build objects like LEDs, counters, gauges, text boxes, buttons etc which are actioned based upon serial strings from a controller like MM and respond acordingly. Now for an example of interfacing look at this You Tube which related to PixAxe but MM Serial will operate the same I'm sure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFR6rzWjU4U I've had this software running from one PC to another over a serial link and using just the other PC sent strings to make the graphics respond. Enjoy RayB from Perth WA |
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Nick Guru  Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
So what's the GUI meant to run on? The Maximite? This a PC program from what I gather? This doesn't do the Maximite any credit as a microcomputer if it's simply acting as a host for various sensors and passing the data to another computer to do the work. I do think we need to be more inventive. Are we forgetting the Maximite has it's own VGA output? Create a similar program ON THE MAXIMITE and then I'll clap. |
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| rhamer Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
I'll clap, because I get what it is for. When you use the Maximite for what I want it for, i.e. An intelligent micro controller for monitoring and control, it's exactly what is needed. Especially if there is more than 1 remote Maximite reporting back. I understand that is not what you are interested in Nick, but for lots of us it is. And for the record, I couldn't care less for colour or different fonts or any of that fancy junk, as my Maximites are dedicated to a task and run without a screen or keyboard. Regards Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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| Ray B Senior Member Joined: 16/02/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 219 |
Nick we have a few different camps with ideas for the MM, some like yourself enjoy the being able to revive the TRS80 days and that is fine especially if you develop an interest in the young where-as myself I'm a controls freak wanting to display & control real world inputs and outputs like run a building management system for the family home or interfacing MM input values (eg temperature) to a web based application like sending emails conditional on an input or updating data onto something as simple as a twitter page or a fully blown web page, something that is possible with other basic controllers. YES this is software running and displaying on a PC but serially communicating to the MM. Regards RayB from Perth WA |
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| Ray B Senior Member Joined: 16/02/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 219 |
Just to add one more point with serial it is not just RS232 point to point operation Serial can also for example be configured in multdrop mode say using RS422 and talk to a whole network of I/O but then there days I2C maybe a better way to network except for extreme distances. Cheers RayB from Perth WA |
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| Nick Guru Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 512 |
My point exactly. You don't need the Maximite. You could use Don's cut down maximite. Or any controller with programmability. Make the Maximite do the task that the PC is doing THEN I'll clap.  |
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| rhamer Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 174 |
So now I'm not allowed to use the Maximite because it has features that I don't need in my final application? The point your missing is these posts are not made just to meet your approval, I don't care if you clap or not, just stop running down other people's applications for the Maximite just because you have no interest in it. As I have already said, I think colour is a waste of time, but, I don't say so every time you post about how great you think it would be. Just let people do and say whatever turns them on with the Maximite, and be thankful that their adding to to community as a whole. Regards Rohan Rohan Rohan Hamer HAMFIELD Software & Hardware Solutions Makers of the Maximite Expander. http://www.hamfield.com.au |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5078 |
I can see the use for this sort of thing too. There will be applications where the Maximite is doing its thing, and sending data to a PC for display. The fact that the Maximite can have its own screen is not wasted on this sort of thing, its own screen could be used for configuration or monitoring it own sensors. What this ModCom software does is put a remote user friendly face on one or several maximites. I've seen similar setups in production plants, where a single screen is used to monitor several micro controllers over serial. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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Keith @ Senior Member Joined: 19/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 167 |
Hey Guys I think the Maximite can be everything and anything we want! This forum is for everyone and all ideas and their projects. If a feature or use is developed that is not suitable for our individual needs then ignore it. We don't have to agree or disagree. We don't have to be judgmental .... there is no right or wrong way with the use of the Maximite. If it works as desired by the inventor then it is acceptable irrespective of what use the Maximite is put to. As an extreme example ... If I want to use 6 Maximites with 23" LCD monitors to run all my Xmas lights I don't need someone saying that it is overkill for such an application and a picaxe would have been a better choice. If I want to spend my money on 6 Maximites and I'm happy to under utilise the hardware to run 10 lines of code and I wish to share my project on this forum I will do that not for people to negatively criticise the idea but for them to implement or improve or enhance the idea for their own use .... positive criticism is always welcome! For example .... hey Keith I've used your idea for the Xmas lights and I managed to get all my lights and mechanical figures running on 1 Maximite with 16 lines of code by ..... So keep the ideas coming and stop trying to enforce restrictions .. there aren't any! Keith The more we know, the more we know we don't know ! |
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crackerjack Senior Member Joined: 11/07/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 164 |
That MoDCom software looks great and pretty useful - I think the diversity of the MaxiMite may just cloud the vision sometimes - it can really be anything you want it to be... I see great value in using it as a multitude of things depending on what program is running and what hardware I connect it too - it is a portable multi-tool/process controller/space-invader replica machine all in one. Another similar application to ModCom is something usually associated with the old Basic Stamp, but once Serial comes on board for the MaxiMite, this may be useful too http://www.selmaware.com/stampplot/index.htm - again - free to use non-commercially. |
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morrie Newbie  Joined: 16/09/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2 |
I was quite excited to find the Maximite, particularly with the SD card functionality. It seems like it might fit with a concept that I have had for a while. That concept is to load up an SD card using a GUI on my PC and then take that card down and plug it into the Maximite, which would be located remotely, down in the paddock, controlling my irrigation (or anything else for that matter), running from a solar panel and battery. I am so sick of programmable irrigation devices with a keypad interface that I have to struggle with every time I want to change anything. Does this sort of application sound feasible? Can one of the available GUI programs be used to write data files (set points) to an SD card so that they can be picked up by a BASIC program on the same card to run the Maximite as a controller? Or would I need to have two Maximites, one for programming and the other in the field? Or could I have a virtual Maximite on the PC? I grew up writing BASIC, so that part is a given. You can tell that I am struggling with the technology, but the concept is very clear in my mind. I would appreciate any input. |
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vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
A "virtual" Maximite can be done on PC - Geoff said something about that. Until then, you need a second Maximite and, as long as you do it, no virtual Maximite yet  .
Vasi Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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sparkey Senior Member Joined: 15/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 819 |
this wold be a great as a visual display for my inverter which if possable with the help from gerard "no punn in tended here but gereard knows the code and it would seem that you others know thw the graphics ....regards ..sparkey.... ::: ok i would like "voltmeters displayed and in graphical form and all so a graphical form of frequency out put and frequencey repotrted regards sparkey... technicians do it with least resistance |
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donmck Guru Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1313 |
Yesterday I drove passed a string of bus stops that had very bright mini-message boards with trip destinations and time information displayed. I thought how easy it would be to use a Maximite with a Real Time Clock, and very little else, apart from some message board driving circuitry to run this. A periodical update of times or destinations could be done by changing the SD card. Sure you could use a virtual Maximite to do development, or changes in this case, but I see most people would always have one at home base, if they are producing controllers for specific applications. Prices will come down eventually with the Olimex boards entering the market. I see the Maximite in many roles from the simplest micro-controller like a stamp product, right up to fully blown industrial applications. When newbies ask me how to get started in micro-controllers, I now say "Maximite", as I don't see it any other way today. Cheers Don... https://www.dontronics.com |
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| donmck Guru Joined: 09/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1313 |
Actually, the multi-drop RS-232 device on that site was interesting: http://www.weedtech.com/wtmpi-m.html I had a system like this back in 98? http://www.dontronics.com/picex.html Used pic57 and pic84 boards on an RS-232 network. Thought if I log it here, I will be able to refer to it later. 
Cheers Don... https://www.dontronics.com |
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Geoffg Guru Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3194 |
This would be so easy. Assuming your app on the PC is something like Excel. You could edit the irrigation patterns, times, etc in a spreadsheet and save it as a CSV (comma separated variables) file. MMBasic can easily read that type of file using the INPUT command. You don't need a virtual Maximite or a second one or anything else. MMBasic has the ability to check for the existence of a file so it could be sitting in a loop looking for the file and when the card was inserted the MMBasic program would then load the new data for use as the the irrigation parameters. This gives you exactly what you want. Save the data to the SD card, walk down to the paddock, plug the card into the Maximite and automatically it would start using the new parameters. Geoff Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net |
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| vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
A twin card I guess... same size and format? Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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| Geoffg Guru Joined: 06/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 3194 |
No, a single card. Why would you want to have two cards?? Once MMBasic has read the parameters (1 to 2 seconds) you could take the card out. Probably you would leave the card in so that you could restart the Maximite if you needed to but you would still only need one card. Geoff Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net |
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Xiongmao Regular Member  Joined: 25/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 48 |
Actually, there are a bit more to them than that. The buses radio back GPS position and speed info to a central computer ( that takes in account the time of day, traffic patterns, known accidents, etc) and computes an estimated arrival time which is radio-linked to the signs. |
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| morrie Newbie Joined: 16/09/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2 |
Thanks Geoff. That gives me exactly what I have had in my mind's eye. I can't wait to get my Maximite! |
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