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| Component macros are sections of code that have been written to support the components included with Flowcode 6.<br />
| | For an excellent introduction guide, we recommend [https://www.flowcode.co.uk/education/ Introduction to microcontroller programming] |
| They take all the effort out of using these components.<br />
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| This exercise uses them to control a particularly complicated, but very common device, the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).<br />
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| In this case, it uses a LCD to display elapsed time.
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| __TOC__
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| ==The core sequence==
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| The flowchart sequence for the elapsed time will be:
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| :::: Initialize the LCD.
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| :::: Display the text "Elapsed time".
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| :::: Set the time to zero.
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| :::: Display the time.
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| :::: Wait one second.
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| :::: Increment the time.
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| :::: Display the new time.
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| :::: Loop back and repeat the process from the delay again.
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| ==Set up the flowchart==
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| * Open Flowcode, and set up the new flowchart as described in [[Exercise - Creating Your First Flowchart|Creating Your First Flowchart]].
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| ==Create the core sequence==
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| * Locate the 'LCD' inside the 'Outputs' toolbox in the [[Tools and Views#1) Icons Toolbar|Icons toolbar]].
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| :* Hover over the image to the left of the 'LCD' label, and click on the down-arrow that appears.
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| :* Click on the 'Add to system panel' option to select it.
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| :* Zoom in until the LCD image is big enough to read.(See [[System Panel]] for information on how to zoom.)
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| * Click and drag an infinite loop between the 'BEGIN' and 'END' icons.
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| [[File:gen_exerciseUsingCompMacros_compmacprops_01.png|250px|right]]
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| ===Initialise the LCD===
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| * Inside the loop:
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| :* Click and drag a 'Component macro' icon.[[File:Btn_Component_Macro.gif|30px]]
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| ::* Double click on it to open the dialogue box, so that you can configure it.
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| ::: The program 'knows' which components you have added to the System or Dashboard panel, and modifies the list of available commands accordingly.
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| ::: Under 'Components', the LCD will be listed, and underneath it the list of commands.
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| ::* Scroll down to the bottom of the list and click on the 'Start' command.
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| ::* Rename the 'Display name' as "Start the LCD".
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| ::* Click on 'OK'.
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| ::* The dialogue box resembles that shown opposite.
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| [[File:gen_exerciseUsingCompMacros_compmacprops2_01.png|250px|right]] | |
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| ===Set up the display===
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| :* Click and drag a second 'Component macro' icon just below the first.
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| ::* Double click on it to open the dialogue box.
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| ::* Scroll down to the 'PrintString' command and click on it.
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| ::* Rename the 'Display name' as "Elapsed time".
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| ::* In the 'Expression' box, type "Elapsed time" (making sure you include the quotation marks "".)
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| ::* Click on 'OK'.
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| ::* The dialogue box is shown opposite.
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| [[File:gen_exerciseUsingCompMacros_timevarprops_01.png|250px|right]]
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| ===Display elapsed time===
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| :* In the 'Edit' menu, on the main toolbar, click on 'Variables...' to open the [[Variable Manager]] dialogue box.
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| ::* Hover just to the left of the 'Variables' label, and click on the down arrow that appears.
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| ::* Select 'Add new' and the 'Create a New Variable' dialogue box opens.
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| ::* Name the new variable "time", and give it an initial value of zero.
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| ::* Leave the variable type as 'Byte'.
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| ::* Click on 'OK'.
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| ::* The dialogue box should resemble that opposite.
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| [[File:gen_exerciseUsingCompMacros_compmacroprops3_01.png|250px|right]]
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| :* Click and drag a third 'Component Macro' to follow the second one.
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| ::* Double click on it to open the dialogue box.
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| ::* Scroll down to the 'PrintNumber' command and click on it.
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| ::* Rename the 'Display name' as "Display elapsed time".
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| ::* In the 'Expression' box, type the variable name "time".
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| ::* Click on 'OK'.
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| ::* The third 'Component Macro' dialogue box is shown opposite.
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| :* Click and drag a 'Delay' icon to follow the third 'Component Macro'.
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| ::* Double click on it to open the dialogue box.
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| ::* Rename it "Wait one second."
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| ::* Configure it to give a delay of one second.
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| ::: For help with 'Delay' icons, see ...
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| ::* Click on 'OK'.
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| :* Click and drag a 'Calculation' icon to follow the 'Delay'.
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| ::* Double click on it to open the dialogue box.
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| ::* Rename it "Add one second."
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| ::* In the 'Calculations:' section, type "time=time+1".
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| ::: The effect of this is to increase the number stored in the 'time' variable by one, (also called incrementing the 'time' variable.)
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| ::: For help with 'Calculation' icons, see [[Icon Properties]]
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| ::* Click on 'OK'.
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| ==Test the Core==
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| : The diagram below shows the flowchart at this stage.
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| [[File:gen_exerciseUsingCompMacros_coreprog1_01.png|500px|center]]
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| : At this point, the flowchart should be saved as 'Stopwatch', and can be simulated.
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| : For help with 'Calculation' icons, see [[Icon Properties]]
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