Going slower
Hi Photolong!
Thanks for your messages. I’m doing the course too but I’m going slowly: I still have to do the second lab and more…At the moment most of the things I knew already, some aspects on Embedded are different and interesting, but I’m looking forward for the practical side to start to get my hands on the real experience 
But how is going the whole experience? Do you find it instructive?
sorry Franciscodr … didnt
sorry Franciscodr … didnt even know you posted as its covered by another post … Im still enjoying the course and finding it very instructive … more so in understanding code than anything else … just completed lab 5 … and starting C6 … to look at the introduction to microcontrollers and ports … now this whole section will be all new to me and probably be difficult to get a understanding of.
but as im way ahead of schedual (lab 5 to be done by the 9th of Feburary) this gives me extra time to go over it again and again till it sinks into my head and i understand it.
dont have many complaints as everything is easy to follow and well explained so far. Really happy with the way the code was explained and i picked up so much from it, and hope it continues this way … niggly complaint is the actual Keil software compiler we use is a bit unstable … easy to use but crashes so often but its not affecting my work as it dosent loose any code i have typed in when it crashes lol …
Great you advanced so far…
Hi Photolong!
It’s great that you advanced so far, however I didn’t do up to that chapters but I saw the course has a good level both on topics, skills and pedagogical way, however there are different tastes about it
I suggest you to go as fast as you can but check things twice so you will gain more confidence on topics treated in the course.
I look forward to test my first lines of codes in the board, I hope I arrive soon.
New events
Hi!
I just finished my Lab2 experience and it was fine and interesting. I posted a little update with picture just for the sake of it
How are you doing?
glad to hear your enjoying
glad to hear your enjoying it … im still on C6 … C1 to C5 were hard going but i got there … C6 wow this section is very tough and i have spent more time trying to understand this section then on all the others together, and still havent figured it out.
But i think im close … posted some questions on the forum and got some great replies that cleared up some of my problems . In this section were dealing with the parell port and how to write to registers. I think i got about a 80% understanding of it all.
the forum is very handy and i read all the posts as you can pick up a lot from other peoples questions and the answers they get.
amazingly im stuck on coding, having to put in a delay loop in the programm for lab 6, but i hope i get it shortly … might have to spend some time looking for sites that can explain loops and delays in loops to clear it up and get a better understanding of them.
Thanks! I’m glad that you enjoy too 
Thank you Photolong,
Yes I’m enjoying a lot also trying hard as there have been some years without low level programming with microcontrollers, so even I remember most, I have to refresh some other things also learn the new platform (IDE) that I found a bit packed out of features…
However I think they did a very good job by teaching by little steps, with clear videos and fine explanations. Let’s keep going!
Well i did it and feeling
Well i did it and feeling pretty pleased with myself … completed lab6 and got the 100marks. Took two attempts made a error in my setup first time … As there is quite a few regestries to set eg Data regestrie Den , Dir . Amsel .Pctl … while practicing i copied and pasted a few of these and forgot i did it and ran the program … so got a error in one regestrie in two locations when i did the test … but managed to figure out why and fix it … ran it again and passed.
Found this section very hard as there was a lot to understand and will still have to reread to take more in even though i passed. Even though the test looks easy … basically all we have to do is have led on pin2 light up on start of program … then put in a delay then check if switch is pressed if it is toggle led 2 on and off while switch is pressed / stop toggle when realeased but led remain on … and the delay effects the rate of the toggle .
Understanding how regestries work and how to change the stae of bits and add masks totally confused me at first but i got it more or less understood after re going over the material again and again and with a few post on the forum clearing things up. Then figured out how to write the code to acomplish the coding of the switch and the toggling …
The Delay code was a killer lol and really only got that sorted out tonight and then it was just a matter of combining them. Had a major headache with checking everything out as you had to adjust the setting in the delay to get the right length of time for the toggle … and they had a logic analyzer running in the debugger so you could check the delay time … but as i never used one before and no instructions this proved extremly difficult. so until i worked out how to use this (kind of anyway) i couldnt get my delay sorted and didnt know if my delay function was right or wrong (you will laugh when i tell u how i worked out if my delay was the right length or not, will wait till Franciscodr finishes lab 6 … i think it was a rather ingenious solution to my problem)
still way ahead of schedual didnt have to be finished this section till the 21st so now have extra time for next section and will probably need it … Oh and im not rushing through this course … im spend most of my day from morning till night doing it so im putting in a lot of hours (well inbetween getting kids sorted for school, school runs collecting them, getting lunches ready and the dinners and the usual house work that has to be done but i still get a lot of time to sit at my laptop and work lol.)
Well finished Lab 7 way
Well finished Lab 7 way ahead of schedual … have to wait now for the second part of the course to be loaded … all went well got the 100 marks simple enough test only dodgy area again was the delay … between me and another person worked out the digital analyzier used in the simulator is pretty inaccurate so trying to get the delay to run to the specified times is pretty impossible eg had one delay of 4seconds a delay of 2seconds and a delay of .5 second all run from the same function delay so if you manipulate the numbers to get the 4 seconds bang on it also effects the others to bring 4,8 down to 4 also changed the 2 seconds below 2 and the .5 down as well … so was rather frustrating but he ran it on his board with a real scope and found the same numbers were accurate .
so while i wait for the next section to be put up ill work on learning more C code plus spending time on the forum helping others with there problems … Amazing to think i can now go through other peoples problems and help them to understand where there going wrong and how to fix them … and only a couple of weeks ago knew practically no C code and hadnt a clue about embedded systms and woking wih binary and hex and bits and registries.
Running fast!
Hi Photolong,
I see you are running very fast! Also good enough, congratulations!
I just finished Lab 5, which I found easy to do, however there are many different students in this course and I understand lecturers are trying to make everybody can cope with the course’s path.
This week there were some basic topics from programming in C language, to learning algorithms that are basic for any robotic project as we expect to do.
Now I’m looking forward for 6th part, let’s see if I have enough time this week for it See you around and keep going!
nice going franciscodr …
nice going franciscodr … your getting to the fun part now … will be really intrested to see how you get on over the next few labs and the learning of actual manipulation of the microcontroller.
i have had some very frustrating times trying to get to grips with understanding it but im still progressing … and finally completed lab8 last night even though there is a bug affecting it …
had massive trouble in lab8 in a seemingly simple lab … turn led on at start of programm then press switch and have led go off and on with a delay of 100ms between the off and on until switch released and then have it back to its stay on state.found the led came on allright as soon as the delay finished but fails as its ment to come on as soon as switch pressed, as i debugged i decided it was not possible as the delay will always have to run till its finished before the led stays on.
then after a lot of debugging changed tactics and thought of what if … what if i stopped the delay … and looked at the problem this way.And realised my lack of C code knowledge had struck again … i figured out i could stop the delay when i wanted if i adjusted the conditions of the delay and BINGO got it sorted …
looking forward to seeing your solutions to these labs
keep updating
nice you too Photolong
Congratulations Photolong!
As you can imagine all the troubles you get with that lab 8 is normal as it’s intended to tech you new skills and techniques, so good job just for trying!
I’m a bit far way from that lab, still to do the lab 6 as I have little time at the end of the day or weekend for it. However I expect to do it this weekend…
I’ll keep updating with my advancements and my impressions, as I enjoy also your comments
Have a nice weekend!
your catching up
your catching up Franciscodor … and your right lot of steps required when setting up the regestries and can be confusing and even though i got through the levels i still have to work on understanding them better.
i just finished Lab9 last night and found this lab handy enough so getting ready to move on to lab10.
and you’re going fast!
He he thanks Photolong!
Well as I see you’re going quite fast with this course! I’m looking forward for more interactive and profitable labs for robotics. However I only have little time every week, so it also force me to take each step slowly.
Well done with your Lab9 and I’m looking forward for your feedback on Lab10
thought id give my first
thought id give my first impressiongs on lab10 … im just going through the material on it at the moment but i did have a look to see what were expected to do.
and hard to find the right words to describe this monumental task that lies ahead LOL LOL …
we have such a lot of material to learn and get familiar with … and all new to me … and not easy to take in and understand … and then the test itself is not one where there is only one way of doing it … we have to decide how to do it and how it works but fit it around the specification that they lay down … so this is going to make it very challangeling … i predict i wont be ready to attempt it for at least two weeks (if im lucky)
on the positive side if i get the 100 marks on this lab ill feel like this course has being more than well worth doing … as it is i have being really enjoying the challange and really wasnt expecting to be going as well as i am or getting so far …
anyway lots of study and work to do so till then keep working hard
I’m still following the
I’m still following the course, but as Francisco, I don’t have enough time. But I’m still fighting
No major issue till now (lab5 to finish) but sure it will come.
Good to know you also follow this course!
Hi TitiMoby!
It’s great to know that you also do this course, how are things going? As I read you also have not plenty of time to do it, what makes it even more real to a ussual job where you have many things to cope right
Well just to tell you that I have updated my main article (above) about the last Lab I have just finished: Lab 7. If you want to know you have to read my update above How do you find the course up to now?
See you around!
I’m still stuck at the gate
I’m still stuck at the gate of Lab5.
No issue at all, just not enough time and I have to start a specific little laptop I have just to have Windows.
It doesn’t help me, I can’t just sit on my Ubuntu box or my iMac and give the 10 needed minutes for this lab 
The good part is that my daughter has a nice new piece of furniture, with shelves, on the right dimension.
Lot of wood stuff this week end
well done Franciscodr on
well done Franciscodr on finishing lab7 … looking forward to your lab8 as i have a question on that one (a pretty easy lab but i hit a problem with the delay ) and lab9 was porbably the easiest so far so that shouldnt give you any problems.
im still on lab10 a lot to take in in this lab … and it helps if you had previous experience which i dont so made it tougher … but had a major breakthrough last night … visualising the FSM and understanding clearly how it works took me a while but it came to me and have to say if implemented properly has a lot of potential and hopefully i can use this on Arduino … But last night i managed to get the jigsaw puzzle that is lab10 put to-gether … the stsTick the PLL and the FSM and get it to compile and run. now i just have to get my FSM to run the way i visualised it and then to run so it fits the way the grader expects it lol lol
my tip for lab10 is add the sysTick and the PLL to the programm first (i should have done it that way) because the FSM is allready there and you can run and see it in action which will help you understand and visualise it better … and then work on your version of the FSM that we have to create for the lab test.
anyway still have a lot to do in this lab and hopefully its only to get my FSM working and that i have all the rest done properly … dont want a big list of errors when i go to grade it …
LAB10 complete … 100
LAB10 complete … 100 marks … have to say loved this lab even though it had me pulling my hair out at times … so much to take in and get to grips with and even though the sysTick and PLL are still a bit confusing good part is they pretty much reamin the same whenever you use them so can just refer back to them when needed again … and as the teacher states PLL is generally in a library which is called probably wont use it like we did in lab 10 (just had it in the programm like it was to show us how it operates)
now the FSM amazing loved it … and id love to programm using this again … maybe if i ever make a robot that drives around i can make a FSM to program the forward turn left turn right stop reverse movements (thats if i can get it to work on Arduino board). and think about what else could i get done using it … Big part was visualizing how it worked as i didnt visualize it straight away from the way they taught it and that slowed me down big time …
but once i had it visualized i had no problem creating the FSM … even though i did make a couple of silly errors i realised from watching it run where i had gone wrong and fixed it easily. biggest silly mistake i discovered was when i ran lab10 and failed … i had connected the switch for West to lights for the South and switch for South to light to the West … loll lol silly me but easily fixed and passed lab next attempt.
when you are finished lab10 we should do a write up on it as i beleive a lot of people would be interested in seeing how the FSM worked and how it was created and what it was capable of doing.
anyway off to have a look at lab11 and see what lies ahead of me …
Congratulations Photolong for those 100 marks on Lab10!
Hi Photolong!
Congratulations for your sucess!
I remember Finite State Machines (FSM as you say) from my studies on Enginnering, and they are very useful indeed. I hope to arrive soon to the Lab 10, however it will take probably the necessary 2 weeks for Lab 8 and 9…
It’s nice to see how this course is inspiring you and I happy for it. So let’s keep going!
