Exercise - Creating a Flowchart

File:Gen Running Flowcode Startup Selection.png

The task is to produce a Flowcode flowchart that lights a lamp for ten seconds when a switch is pressed.
Although it may not be realistic to use a microcontroller in such a straight-forward application, it illustrates the technique of producing a Flowcode program.
The program itself may form part of a bigger program. The flowchart sequence will be:

1. Check if the switch is pressed.

If it isn't, go back to the beginning.

If it is:

Switch on the lamp.

Wait for 10 seconds.

Switch off the lamp.

Go back to the beginning.

It takes such a short time for the microcontroller to carry this out, that we don't need to worry whether the switch latches on or not.

• Open Flowcode.
• On the Startup screen, click on 'New embedded project'. (See Opening Flowcode

File:Project Options Target 16F1937.png

The Project Options dialogue box opens.

(Click on the link for a full explanation of all the options available.)

• Accept the default settings by clicking on 'OK'.

An empty flowchart window opens, which may contain other items such as a System Panel, Dashboard Panel, Properties Panel etc.

These can be revealed or hidden using the View menu.

• Set up the flowchart window so that you can see the System Panel and the Properties Panel.

The flowchart window should resemble the one shown below (depending on the configuration.)

File:Gen exerciseFirstFlowchart startscreen 01.png

The System Panel and Properties Panel can be moved by 'clicking and dragging the title bar at the top of each panel.

• Drag and drop a 'Loop' icon between the Begin and End icons.

The 'Loop' icon makes the microcontroller repeatedly run through the program, (though the icon can be configured to limit the number of times this happens.)

• Inside the loop, drag and drop an 'Input' icon from the Icons toolbar,. (See Tools and Views.)

This will