80 replies to this topic

[betoe]

I've waiting for a friend to come to my house today(July 31, he has an AFX too) to try my serial port. I've been using flash100 to upload programs on my AFX,then i disconnect the AFX to check the programs uploaded. Then (about 10 minutes later) i connect the AFX and i can't comunicate my calc. with the PC since these moment.

I check the interface and it seems to be OK (i made it on a "protoboard", a project small board). I try to send and receive data, but nearly instantaneous an error appear on the calculator ;(

I hope that we can define the error.

[betoe]

How can should i damage the AFX serial port?

1)I with a shorcut on the cable interface (i verify it with hyperterminal and its ok)
2)With an elevate voltage on the calculator's input(i check that and its OK)
3)With the PC, calculator and the interface power on, disconnecting the 2.5mm plug of the calculator.

I think that the third option could damage the calc., i dont remember if i the calc. was off when i disconnect it of the interfae. (or give me more posibilities)

[2072]

Well I always connect my calc when it's on so I don't think that's a problem

[betoe]

superna tell me this on a e-mail:
"A video buffer is divided in "pages", each page is a screen, so in this calc you cvan werite on 8pages or 8 screen simultanously and show threw the screen the page you want"

This is the way to make greyscale on TC? By example, if i want to put a black dot on the screen and one in greyscale i need to do:
setPix(1,1,1,1)
setPix(1,1,2,1)
setPix(1,1,3,1) ;for the most black dot
and:
setPix(8,2,1,1) ;for a less black dot
????

[Endi]

Not exactly.
You have to activate the special interruption.
Db-lib bases on 0xdb interruption. You can download this library from Graph100 site.
I asked for some informations in Grayscale topic, so you can check it.

0xdb interruption makes page-flipping between graphics segments (int db-lib they are called SEG1 and SEG3).

And there are only three available colours:

• white (no pixel on the segments)
  
• gray (pixel drown only in one of the segments)
  
• black (drown in both flipping segments)

There is an example on graph100 site, you'll learn how to do it.
It is in french, but I understood it

[betoe]

Thanks by the help Endi, i have serious problems with french but i will do my best.

Thanks Mohamed by the translation, it will help me.

[Mohamed]

The document you offered Endi has been translated into English.
Look at this thread:
http://casiocalc.org...ct=ST&f=1&t=689

[betoe]

Can I put an picture as background on a basic program, and write on it(with text y,x," ") without erase the picture?

I never made a basic program on "graphic mode"(i watch the periodic table III of brazzucko but i dont understand it very well . )

[CrimsonCasio]

thats a good question, yes you can. when you set a picture as the background it is refreshed imediately after each command in the sketch menu (Cls, Text, F-Line, Plot...) this is very handy because you can clear the whole screen (with Cls) and it is instantly reverted to your background (slight flicker) this is the same as doing Cls:RclPict # except that using a background is faster since only one command is executed. When you do it the other way the screen visibly flickers since it takes time for the calc to do RclPict # after it clears the screen.

some notes about graph mode:
within graph mode there are two sub-modes: Plot and Pixel
anything that starts with pxl (and Text) falls under Pixel mode, pixel modes coordinates start at 1,1 in the top right corner of the screen and end at 64,128 (x and y are reversed and must be intergers), therefore you can narrow down your positioning to individual pixels, unlike text mode where you can only position them in the spaces a letter can occupy.

Pxl mode commands:
PxlOn y,x //creates a black dot
PxlOff y,x //turns off that dot
PxlChange y,x //if dot is on, turns it off, if its off, turns it on
PxlTest y,x //a strange one, if you dont know how to use it it seems to do nothing, it checks to see if a pxl at y,x is on or off, if its on the variable Ans becomes 1 else it becomes 0 (this is extreamly usefull)

Sample:
PxlTest 1,1
Ans->A
if A=1
then "Pixel on"
else "Pixel off"
IfEnd

Text y,x "SOMETHING" (or #) //wrights text to the screen.

Plot Mode
everything else in the sketch menu uses the Plot positioning, the best thing is that you can change this positioning with ViewWindow the normal setting is ViewWindow -6.3,6.3,1,-3.1,3.1,1 there is more but its optional. on the AFX you dont have to remember these numbers because ClrGraph sets the ViewWindow to its defaults and clears the screen (Cls is faster but does not effect the ViewWindow). anyway heres how it works (ViewWindow xmin,xmax,xscale,ymin,ymax,yscale) xmin is as far left as you can go (#,1 in Pxl mode) xmax is the opposite (#,128), the xscale effects the graphs, grid, and axis, you dont need to worry about it, just keep it as 1; for the y stuff ymin is the bottom of the screen (64,#) and ymax is at the top (#,1). PlotOn 0,0 will place a dot at the exact center of the screen, PlotOn -6.3,3.1 will put it at the top right corner. as you can see Plot commands dont just use intergers.

A note about F-line and Line
F-Line x,y,x2,y2 // draws a line between from x,y to x2,y2

Line is diffrent, heres how you use it:

Plot 0,0
Plot 1,1
Line

Line draws a line between the last two Plots (not PlotOn or Off, Plot), this can be usefull but most times you will use F-Line.

Sample: A use for Line.

in Deg mode:

Plot cos 0,sin 0
For 0->D To 360 Step 10
Plot cos D,sin D
Line
Next

in Rad:

Plot cos 0,sin 0
For 0->D To 2(pi) Step (pi)/36
Plot cos D,sin D
Line
Next

remember, its the last two plots, but they dont have to be next to each other. the above code will draw a circle around the origin.

does that help explain graph mode to you? I'll answer any questions you have.

[betoe]

Thanks by your help crimson, but i have another doubts.

1)I search quickly in the AFX manual but within good results; An argument error appear in this comands:

[code=auto:0]
For 1->X To 128
PxlChg 1,X
Next

I try to do a sweep on the screen but Its like in the Pxl's commands does'nt accept variable, only numbers.

2)When i recall a picture in a program, always will appear the PICT menu (F3)?

[CrimsonCasio]

<!--QuoteEBegin-->For 1->X  To 128<!--QuoteEBegin-->PxlChg 1,X<!--QuoteEBegin-->Next<!--QuoteEBegin-->

I try to do a sweep on the screen but Its like in the Pxl's commands does'nt accept variable, only numbers.

ok, this is an easy mistake to make, the X and Y vars are constantly being changed when using graph mode, so don't ever use them in graph games. just replace them with something else

what do you mean by PICT menu? the pictures are shown in the graph.

[betoe]

Thats right, i change the X letter by the A and problem solved (thats easy and i dont do it alone ).

"what do you mean by PICT menu? the pictures are shown in the graph"
I refer to the "button" thats appear on the low part of the screen when a graphic its displayed, available with the F3 button, but dont have importance.

[Brazzucko]

Betoe, if you want to know more about using graphics on your BASIC games and programs, I can send to you my new game ( I will participate on the UCF competition whit this game ), whit one tutorial in Spanish.

In another words I will send to you the source of the game in one doc file, and I will explain what each command line do in Spanish, please just wait because I didn?t finish yet the game.

If you what I will send do the same for the PERIODIC TABLE III.

Anyway for you create cool graphical BASIC games you must to use some ?techniques?, that you will learn when you start making your on games?

I learn BASIC by my self, studding the source of released games and programs, and making changes on it to see what?s happen.

[CrimsonCasio]

that, combined with asking questions for people who can explain things to you is the best method, tutorials and demos help, but nothing beats human interaction.

[betoe]

I'm glad to receive your help brazzucko, i see your "periodic table III" and the "Race 2" of simprobe; Some of my doubts that I post in this topic arose from these programs.

I will wait by your programs. Besides crimson help me a lot with this topic. I made a lot of programs for the school but I never take into account to use graphic mode, this is new for me.

[casiokingdom]

brazzucko:
Can you make a smaller periodic table, so that i have more mem on my calc for other things, eg. notes, games etc.

Take this as a challenge.

[Brazzucko]

Well you can use the PT 2, ( version 2.7 ) of course the PT 3 is very much better, but for your situation the PT 2 are the best download it at the Crinsom site.

One more thing you have one CFX right?, The PT program will be slow on that model, because I made it exclusively for the AFX.

The PT 2.7 size is 9462 bytes, ( the PT 2.0 has 9600 ) I can?t make a smaller and good PT program.

[betoe]

The casiobasic of the AFX its too slow, it seems that one uncle will buy the classpad for me. About the classpad casiobasic, is it still slow?

Who is the processor clock frequency in the classpad?

[CrimsonCasio]

it is slow (grr, why, why, why!) but thankfully the pen makes things much faster so the interface is quicker but the runtime is just as slow

for instance, brazzucko's periodic table would run much faster since you could just click the element you want.

another thing is that the language is vastly improved, you can use local variables so that your variables are not effected by other programs. there are several other good things too.

[casiokingdom]

classpads sound quite useful, is the CFX better than the classpad in terms of game programming?

BTW: why do most of you guys own more than one kind of model? eg. CFX, AFX, Classpad

[CrimsonCasio]

we are casio freaks, thats why...
as for games on the classpad, i'm not sure yet, Iv'e been working on my CasPaint ever since I got my classpad. one I finish I plan to make a very graphical game. there are other good things to, for instance if you have a string called mystring that contains "var" and you but 10->#mystring it assigns 10 to the variable var.

[betoe]

I'm in agreement with Crimson, I always dreamt with buy a graphic calculator but my money wasn't sufficient for that. But now i have the chance to make it, i bought my AFX 14 months ago and the next week one uncle will buy the classpad for me (I probably will sell the AFX).

[CrimsonCasio]

I wouldn't, if you can afford to keep it then do so. its the best of the old calcs and I fully intend to keep mine.

[casiokingdom]

I agree, why sell a calc, when you don't have to. A variety is good, as in my case, i'm already getting bored of my CFX.

[betoe]

Both of you are right, i will see the economic part and will try to don't sell it.

[betoe]

In this topic a days ago i post this:

"In the AFX 2.0 one day i was uploading programs with flash 100 and all was OK. I disconnect the calc from the interface to see the programs uploaded.

Moments later I connect again the calc to data transfer but an error appear. I restart the PC and the error still appear on the calc. when i send or receive data."

CONFIRMED:
My AFX 2.0 serial port its damaged , noooo!!
I try to send basic files with other AFX, and always an error appear on my calc. Whats wrong? i will disarm the calc to see the conector of the serial port.

[betoe]

if i open my AFX, exists some risk of moving the battery? and delete my basic programs?

[CrimsonCasio]

use the fa-123 to take a screenshot off the calc, sometimes when I keep getting errors this clears it.

[betoe]

Well Crimson, i do this:
Conect the calc. to the PC, turn on the calc first and then the PC, open FA-123, choose "screen capture", then on my calc I push CTRL' /> + F6' /> , but notthing occur.

Is that right?

[CrimsonCasio]

check and see if you have the hard copys being stored to memory or being sent.

[2072]

Simply backup your basic programs into flash memory! It doesn't need batteries to keep data...

[betoe]

I didn't know that i can backup my programs on flash memory, thats the backup option thanks guys.

I see batterie electrolyte rests on a PCB "little way"(I dont know the name of the PCB "routes" in english) aside the serial port connector, i will clean it...

[betoe]

One doubt:

I saw in casio website add-ins called CAS2 and Algebra 2, which is the difference between that add-ins with the software installed in the AFX 2.0?

That new versions are really better than the originals or there are only a few differences?

[Endi]

Better check it by yourself. You will see.

[betoe]

Once time i uploaded it, but i dont use it, i only saw the functions and as I see there are the same thing.
I will upload them in a friend calc. and use it to see it.

[Andy.Davies]

Next question:

a while ago i there was a topic, and in it there was some BSIC code for toggleing a variable between two states, but i cant find the topic, can anyone remember the code, or point me toward the topic?

[betoe]

Same thing here, some days ago i search in the forum for that code and i dont found it. This code switch a variable in 1 and 0 values.

[CrimsonCasio]

do you mean: Not A->A

[Andy.Davies]

somthing like that, im sure there was one that would use 2 memories. thanks tho crimson, it has solved my problem, al least untill i do an optimise on speed of the code.

[betoe]

Right, I had never use the NOT sentence, i didnt remembered that the AFX have a NOT instruction . But the code that one thing i saw is:

A(A+1)-> A (something look a like)