#### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

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ARM
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#### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by ARM »

Hello,

before 1 month i bought Flowcode professional with ARM chippack.
The controller where I uses is an AT91SAM7S.

- The first problem was, that i cannot jump in external interrupt. This problem was fixed from Matrix very fast. I had become a new *.fcd file for the AT91SAM7S512_64 controller.

-The second problem was, that I cannot jump in serial interrupt macro. The reason of this problem was a declaration failure of the serial interrupts in the Flowcode software.

- The third problem is still actually. I cannot receive serial data in external interrupt. When I´m receiving serial data without interrupt is it ok. But when i´m receiving serial data in external interrupt i always become value 0xFF back. Now when I want to receive serial data without external interrupt again, the value i received is now also 0xFF. I can fix the problem only when i do reset the controller.
Flowcode HMI-Control 3.fcfx
(25.84 KiB) Downloaded 415 times
The ARM controllers are designed for complex applications. But I think the Flowcode software isn´t useable for these complex applications.

I´m interrested what do you think about complex applications in Flowcode and what does the Matrix company think about these problems. They are selling a product wich doesn´t work correctly in basic essential functions.

greetings

ARM

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by Benj »

Hello ARM,
The ARM controllers are designed for complex applications. But I think the Flowcode software isn´t useable for these complex applications.
I have created multiple complex projects and applications using Flowcode so the problem is not Flowcode.

The problem is that Flowcode for ARM is by far our least popular chip pack. We are aware of this and are taking steps to try and fix this in our next iteration by including more relevant devices.

However because there are less users using the ARM chip pack any bugs that are in there are less likely to be noticed quickly.

I'm not sure what the problem could be regarding your UART receive interrupts. I will try and find some time to investigate for you today or tomorrow.
They are selling a product wich doesn´t work correctly in basic essential functions.
I think this line is a bit unfair, receiving a byte from the UART in an interrupt is certainly useful but not as you say a "basic essential function". I would say a basic essential function is doing something like switching an output pin high.

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by Mathy »

Hello,

I don't have Flowcode for ARM but I bought many Flowcode licence for PIC and PIC24/dsPIC.

Yes, there are some bugs that made me angry too. But generally, they are quickly corrected when they are reported on the forum.
I bought other software too, sometimes more expensive than Flowcode and there are bugs too.
But I really think that the Matrix Multimedia Forum is one of the manufacture's forum the most reactive.
I think it is not a easy task to purpose Flowcode for guys like us !

The best way to have the coolest software in the world is to report all bugs to the Matrix Multimedia team and give some time with example program who don't work as you done with your topic :)

By the way, I don't know what do you mean about "complex" application.
But I made some function that I could not imagine without flowcode.

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by QMESAR »

ARM wrote: The ARM controllers are designed for complex applications. But I think the Flowcode software isn´t useable for these complex applications.
I do not know what you really want to say here, any case so are PIC32 and PIC24/33 also designed for complex applications and we are using flowcode for complex application on PIC18/24 and dspIC33
I do not think the problem is Flowcode and if there is a problem with FC and you report it it will be fixed by MATRIX
Last edited by QMESAR on Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by Rudi »

hi guys
hi arm..

..you ask:
"is flowcode useable for complex applications"

let me say before:

i will append :)

i bought FC pro and all chip packs without ARM, without testing - you know about me how i have post allways this and this and here a bug, i have

I had always scolded from the outset. and again it did not go with me. I have very often and much written on some days several times.

Matrix stuff but was always helpful. it was very often to try to solve my train of thought the matter.
If the bug was not gone - then workaround was helpfull sugest from matrix stuff. and next release, the bug was gone.

the lack of offline help made me so angry that I started to understand fc itself. i forget, that matrix write at wiki online all fine -

today bother me nor individual cosmetic bugs. most things were resolved but, even expanded (version control) and ENC28J60 (benj my hero) integrated for free.

@ARM
I do not speak for Matrix, I speak for myself. follow out my posts, I was sometimes really angry ( aks jac, ask benj , i was very angry ) every time I was looking for the guilty in FC or matrix stuff.
PIC24 USB Serial is the best example.
Benj has no good night with my "postings"
But he has got it right - without having to blame - it can sometimes hardware failure

Today I see it differently. I have thus learned much so I was able to create a custom chip pack.

ok - added - my expectations were initially very big - "so it must go in fc"
... It goes even much much more, nru not even know the matrix stuff.

Flowcode is for me an important tool become - on which I will not do without, so I had the other day also the missing chip pack purchased arm. I now have no use for it, but I wanted to have it complete.

Today i am more as a big Fan of the system - and see nice Future in it for doings more as Matrix have plan :) :) :)
but think this are helpfull things ( ESP8266, "ESP32" )

all here are very helpfull team - says more like they must supported and allways tips and tricks is given -
and if no answere come - you are at the right way that is a bug
why? matrix stuff always - i know - test all before response - and if come no response long long time -
most there is a bug - and they try to reproduce - but here - benj was response fast, so i am sure, you will get the things right in short time and there is "cosmetic" or missing hw character.

return to your question:
..you ask:
"is flowcode useable for complex applications"

honest:

at begin i bought: ups - i wanted this bring back - honest read my postíngs :)

today i know: yes - FC is useable for complex applications and much more ARM.
FC has a world claas potential - Matrix Stuff not know yet sure - but feel it.

hope the translater has translate well - my mother language is german.

best wishes
rudi ;-)

ps

if i can i would help you - but i have just in time no arm controller on the hand.
hope - you can go on short time in your flowchart.

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by ARM »

Hello,

it can be that Flowcode for pic or other chippacks works well. But i had reported my problems. When i want to receive serial Data from external interrupt Flowcode crashes.
I missed many things in Flowcode for efficent ARM design. For example chip configuration as in pic chippack or Interrupt priority control.

However, I also think that Flowcode is very trendsetting. And after about 25 years of textual programming I hate it to program textual. But when Matrix sells ARM chippack and I cannot use external interrupt and serial Interrupt together I find it very questionable. This are for me basic functions.

I want to use the controller for serial communication with a touch display. Further I want to use a parallelbus with 3 HCTL2022 quadrature encoder for reading positions of 3 axis. Then I want to use SPI or I2C communication for Input/Output port expander. And finally the controller must generate 3 PWM Signals for driving Stepper Motor.

OK maybe thats all too much for the Flowcode software. But a distributed system where 1 controller generates 1 PWM signal and reading data of 1 quadrature decoder and communicates over serial port with the HMI controller is also not possible. For the HMI controller I need at least 2 serial communication ports, and 1 external interrupt at the same time. At this moment flowcode ARM is not useable for this project. Thats are 500 EUR for a software where only can flashing LED´s?!

I think Matrix have a basic problem to handel the hardware of the ARM controllers.

Since about 10 years I use KEIL MDK ARM and I think about it to buy the home edition of Labview. I have tested it already and it works very well.
I think Labview embedded Module for ARM microprocessor is the better oppoturnity for complex ARM applications. A little bit more expensive but very functional and extensive.

I hope Matrix can solve the problems because in my view arm controllers are the future in complex machine and electronic design.

Sorry but my english is a little bit frozen.

greetings

ARM

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by Benj »

Hello ARM,

I have dug out some hardware so going to have a go at replicating the problem now.

Thanks for comparing us to NI, they are a massive multi-billion dollar company with literally thousands of employees and so the fact we are even competing with our small friendly little UK company is quite amazing :D .
I hope Matrix can solve the problems because in my view arm controllers are the future in complex machine and electronic design.
As I say we have big plans for Arm in v7 but for now I will try and solve any issues you bring to our attention.

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by Mathy »

As I say we have big plans for Arm in v7 but for now I will try and solve any issues you bring to our attention.
STM32 STM32 STM32 ????? 8)

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by Benj »

Hello,

ARM: I have replied to your question here: http://www.matrixtsl.com/mmforums/viewt ... 59&t=16977

I couldn't seem to replicate the bug you were having but maybe it was down to the UART buffer not holding a lot of data. I know these devices can be a bit unpredictable using the UART as there is virtually no hardware buffer. Anyway using the receive interrupt as I have in the example is working very reliably for me.

Mathy: STM32 is looking good.

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Re: #### Is Flowcode useable for complex applicatios ####

Post by Nico595 »

Hello

Flowcode for ARM is a very nice project, but I am agree with you ARM.

With the Flowcode 5 ARM version, you could fix and customise all component with the C code. When the component is defect you could debug, even if this work can be long. If I understand, since the V6 version of Flowcode you can't debug or customise the integrated components yourself. I bought Flowcode V6 for ARM but I not use for this reasons. I wait also new list ARM CPU or the possibility for make your CPU def file.

Flowcode ARM could be a great tools for designer. Even if the Flowcode team are perfect, marketing choices of Matrix for this vesion are bad and limit the power for many applications.

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