Matrix user forums

Hi to you all

I'm a new user of Flowcode V5 in fact Flowcode is new to me.
This may sound like a stupid question but how do I get out of the step into mode?

All the best
Xavier

Hi Xavier,

Welcome to the forums.

Clicking on the Debug menu, will display all the commands, But it looks like Shift+F8 is not functioning as I would expect it to.

I will forward a test flowchart on to one the developers for commenting on as I may be wrong.

meanwhile have you signed up to be a V5 user?
If not then this will help:
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/mmforum ... =46&t=9958

If you have already done so, then will move topic in a few days or when your status has been upgraded.

Martin

Thanks Martin, I'll take a look Monday. All keys should be working as expected though, as the list of key-hints is populated from what it detects is available.

In the meantime Xavier, if you click the blue 'play' button on the toolbar then this will start the simulation at whatever speed you have set up for your project: Menu->Build->Project Settings, select the General Tab and ensure 'Simulation Speed' is as fast as possible.

Cheers,

Jonny

Hi guys

Thanks for the info. I have been so taken in by this awesome bit of software that I forgot to come in and look to see if I had a reply any how I must tell you that I build metal detectors as a hobby (It's a passion) I have a VLF detector as a project and I want to make a digital discriminator for it so what I did was to use the ADC (Read as volts) to look at the amplitude of the frequency (From the op- amp with no metal near the coil) now what I did is to convert this to a string but I don't seem to be able to do a comparison of the three voltages (first voltage is the incoming voltage that is used as a reference voltage second voltage is the non ferrous and third is the ferrous) as these metals affect the amplitude of the frequency It should be very easy to discriminate between ferrous and non ferrous metals if I could get it back from a string to a numerical value I could use the reference voltage and compare the incoming voltage Low or High this would then indicate the type of metal in the ground but the thing is how

All the best to you all
Regards Xavier

Hi Xavier,
All you do is drag a calculation box, then click on the string functions part. See pic:

Just hover over the function to view correct format.
Then you can convert to sting to int.

What I would of done is use int and compare, then convert to string.
But I guess it does not matter which way round its done.

Martin

Thanks for the info I will try it and let you know of the outcome.

All the best
Xavier

Your welcome and yes please we would like you know your progress.

Xavier wrote: I have been so taken in by this awesome bit of software

I totally agree with that.

I have not made a metal detector myself, Although the concept greatly appeals to me.

Hope it works out well for you.

If your not thinking of commercially selling finished metal detector, how about posting all the details (including flowchart) of the finished project in the Programming Tips & Tricks section?

If its thought of by matrix multimedia as a very good articles then you could win £200 of products from matrix multimedia.
Now that is worth going in for!

Martin

Hi Guy's

Firstly I must say that this is a far cry from being complete but hey I still have to learn how to use FlowCode but let me say that so far so good. I do have a question regarding the ADC, on the LCD the LED will only change with a 1 volt difference I need this to be far more sensitive in other words I need to be able to read behind the decimal point How should I go about doing this? also the yellow led for non ferrous metals turns on at the beginning of the program, I have not quite figured out why yet.

All the best
Xavier

Hello Xavier. In a calculation you are using 'Display = ToString$(Amplitude)'. This converts an integer to a string. If you use 'Display = FloatToString$(Amplitude) this shows more accurate.

You can then crop to 3 characters by adding a line below this 'Display = Left$(Display, 3)'. This is assuming your volts are always 0-9, so your 3rd digit will be the first decimal place.

On a separate note, I would advise not putting all your code in an interrupt - you can take your call and put it in the loop if you wish. I have amended your flowchart to do these things here: Cheers,

Jonny

Thanks Jonny

I will make a note of this in fact I will copy and past it in a word document for further reference.
Thank you for correcting my flowchart I will now do a comparison to see where I went wrong.

All the best
Xavier

Hi Guys

Well did all the work then started to compile it into a hex file but then surprise surprise if I want to continue I have to upgrade the licence There are two things that I have found the first is that I did not see anything about the limitation the second is that I bought the home version but it tells me that I have the students version had I seen this limitation I would not have gotten the home version but the pro version. Now I will have to pay extra banking fees (I live in South Africa) to get the upgrade and I'm kind of getting scared will it tell me 6 months down the road that my licence has expired? Or will there be some sort of other limitation that will pop up? I still think that FlowCode is an awesome bit of software but I do need to make a decision One do I go with the FlowCode pro version or two do I scrap the idea and stick to analogue? Or get a third party to write the code for me.

All the best to you all
Xavier

Hi Xavier
If you look at page 12 of data marking sheet:
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/resourc ... klet-2.pdf
That shows the limitations of all the versions: I believe student version is same as home version.
With any version (except Multiuser education)
once a licence is bought, it's for life and there is no annul renew fee.
Also with the profession version there or no restrictions at all.
All components are activated and no limits on code sizes.

since you have got this far, if you would like to try your flowchart out then post it on here
(or PM it, if want to keep it private).
Then I can post the hex file on here (or PM ) for you to send to program target device.

Hope this helps.

Martin

Hi Martin

Thank you so much for your offer and for the info I guess that I did not see it, any way I'm of to the upgrade page. There is just one thing that I would like to know when I use the ADC it will only change the state of my LED in one unit at a time yet the LCD will show 1.1, 1.2 and so on, so if I set the balance on 2volts the led will only change state at 1volt or at three volt but I need it to change state when volts is >< the set voltage in this case 2volts.

All the best to you
Xavier

Hi Xavier,
Your welcome.
I always get the pro version, so worth the money
At least you should only be paying the price of the pro minus the price you paid for the home version.

The reason why you could not compile to hex is because you was using a Float variable which not only took the compiled rom over the 4K limit for non pro version of Flowcode but that also meant the rom (place where program is stored) of chip was also exceeded.

So I have tried to kill two birds with one stone.

I have reduced the code from 4.5K to 1.7K which means you can compile your own Flowchart now, and it will fit on 16F690 target device.

I have also altered Flowchart so if Voltage changes by a little either way of Set Balance, then Ferrous and Non Ferrous are both indicated.
This can be adjusted to make a bit less sensitive if required.

Hope this helps.

Martin

Hi Martin

Thank you so much I really appreciate what you did there for me. I went to the Matrix home page to get the upgrade but all I found were upgrades for version 3 and 4 but not from 5 Home to 5 Pro. I also read some where that you could not download the full version and that you could only get it on CD (I think that it was in the PDF) could you advice me or give me the link so that I can get the Pro version ASAP.

Best regards
Xavier

The funny thing is that I was working on a similar idea but I came unstuck and ended up with a flashing LED every 800ms

Regards Xavier

Hi Xavier

Think this is the link you need
If you put your old licence code in the box it sees you are having an upgrade and calculates the correct price.

http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/flowcode.php

Hi JohnCrow

Thanks for the link I will go there now

All the best
Xavier

Hi Guys

Well did the upgrade, Got the new licence code but I did not re-download a new copy of FlwoCode as I still have the one that I downloaded the last time what I did was to uninstall the home version (As it had the home licence code) then reinstalled it with the new code but now I get an error when I want to compile my flow chart to a hex file do I really have to re-download the program again?

All the best
Xavier

As far as I can remember, the software is is same, but licence key determines what functions are available.

Did you run Flowcode V5 in Admin mode 1st before entering keys?

You will also need to exit and restart Flowcode, after keys are entered.

It may also help if you can post the error message.

you can copy wording from the compiler error message (Build, Compiler Messages)

This may also help you?
http://www.matrixmultimedia.com/support ... f=28&t=673

Martin

Hi Guys

I'm having a more serious issue with FlowCode5 pro. I did the upgrade from Home to Pro I filed in the form for the activation code and I was told that I would get it in a few minutes, but it has now been 14 hours and still nothing.

Regards
Xavier

Hello Xavier,

please PM me your email address that you used an i will check on our system, it should send within 10mins. Please check any spam folders inyour email as well.

Hi DavidA

I went to the link as indicated in the last mail that I received but I have found nowhere to go to that would solve my problem instead I have found that I was going round in circles I am therefore now going to ask you to please look into this issue for me as I do not know what or how to do.

All the best to you
Regards Xavier PS I'd really like to be able to start using my program without the register reminder popping up all the time.

Hello,

With Flowcode v5 you do not fill in the registration form.

Simply click the activate button when Flowcode starts up and Flowcode should take care of the rest.

Hi Benj

I did that. I know that I'm not a boffin but at least I did work that one out, the thing tells me activation failed now all that I want is for some one to sort this problem out for me so that I go go on with this and get it activated.

Thanking you in advance
Xavier