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Re: QMX practice mode suggestions

 

Hi Steve, all

Thanks, that was some interesting reading. MicroPython, CircuitPython and MicroLua. All still too big though for what I have in mind. For example, MicroPhython?says it runs on as little as 256K Flash. That would be half the entire program memory of QMX. It would fit, now... but would consume a lot more space than I'd like; and that's even before you consider adding a full screen text editor, file system and other parts of a minimal operating system.?

Consider the U4B, the CPU has 128 Flash only, and there's still load spare; it has a miniature operating system with a file manager, a command line, full screen text editor, BASIC and debugger. As well as the radio and all that's necessary to send WSPR, CW, FSKCW, Hellshreiber etc. The 128K EEPROM "Disk" is formatted in a FAT16-ish file structure and can store really substantial programs and/or data, considering the BASIC commands are tokenized so are very compact, as well?as fast to execute. All the functions such as communicating with I2C devices and reading or writing digital or analog from GPIO pins, controlling the transmitter, allowing the use of external sensors and controlling external things, are all supported in the BASIC, reading and writing data files, as well as all the normal control structures etc.?

When Dave VE3KCL and I started the U4B project it was way back in early 2015 or so, when I was still living in Tokyo. A colleague at work had given me his old Kindle3 ebook reader with its ePaper display and mini QWERTY keyboard; I'd found a jailbreak to unlock it, inside it's Linux with vi editor and I was able to install a C compiler. I used to write code on the 30-minute subway ride to and from the office. It's where I started work on the BASIC and the Virtual Machine, originally running on the ATmega328 but later ported to the much more powerful STM32F103 used in U4B.?

For QMX, if I make it do everything U4B can do and improve it a lot compared to U4B, it will provide loads of fun and functionality. Even non BASIC fans will be happy. Trust me, y'all gonna love it...?

73 Hans G0UPL



On Thu, Sep 12, 2024 at 8:37?PM Stephen Farthing G0XAR JO92ON97 via <squirrox=[email protected]> wrote:

Hi All,?

I¡¯ve experience of both Basic and Python on microntrollers. There are two main dialects of Python for microcontrollers, MicroPython and CircuitPython. Both are available for the STM32 used by QRPLabs . They are widely used and it¡¯s possible to develop sophisticated application with them. For beginners CircuitPython is the way to go mostly because of the huge amount of learning material provided by Adafruit. However because Python is interpreted it¡¯s never going to be as fast, flexible or efficient as a compiled language as C. BASIC is also interpreted but doesn¡¯t suffer from the Object Orientated overhead that Python does.?

Good old MMBASIC is available for many Microcontrollers. One implementation is here:?

Microcontroller Pythons and Basics both use libraries for similar things, for example talking to common sensors.?

Given that Hans has provided a BASIC interpreter tailored for use with one¡¯s radio of choice I would argue that, providing it has functions for everything one would reasonably wish to do, that¡¯s sufficient.?

Years ago I bought a Jupiter Ace z80 based computer which attempted, and failed, to take on the ZX spectrum by using Forth as a programming language. Forth was lightning fast compared with ZXBasic however so different in concept that it failed though implementations are still around.?

There is an interesting scripting language called LUA which is very fast and used in the gaming community. A few years ago I got it to run on a Raspberry Pi. See?

It¡¯s been implemented on various microcontrollers including my personal favourite the RPI Pico. See?

Have fun,?

Steve G0XAR?
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