Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

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QMESAR
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Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

Post by QMESAR »

Hi Ben/ Leigh.
I am once back again with this question and concern regarding Flowkit 2,

I have done a complex project with the EB006V9 and Ghost on a 16F1937 this project involved DSP Control and many Floating point calculations
however when I run the debugger on EB006 with the Simulation speed set at Normal then
(1) the green Square will place it on the to of the flowchart and the application will run very close to real time execution
(2) verified this with the loop time of the Timers / the main loop task time 10mSec it would measure +/-11,5mSec
(3) then I can slow down the debugging with the simulation speed slider and it will slow down and I can see this also in the execution time of the code

Now when I use my Flowkit 2 on a simple Led blink program(only 1 Led ) then the
(1) green square follows through the Flowchart at a Rate of 1 too 2 Hz as if I had slowed the Simulation speed down
(2) The Simulation speed is set at normal.

I am much more familair with the Ghost functionality now and I am 100% sure the Flowkit is not working correctly there is a big difference debugging with EB006 and flowkit ,

Can you please help me out here to understand why is this in my opinion now Flowkit 2 is not usable as it is now ans I must be honest we are discussion the Flowkit since the release of FC V6 just before the release of FC 7 you guys pointer and said Ghost will be improved in V7 we are almost at V8 and fklowkit is still not working.

I apologize I am not knocking you down I am concerned about this as for me the Flowkit is ideal for updating and field testing of Proto-type controllers and there the EB006 is of no use then also on PIC32 there is no EB to develop and debug code the only variant is Flowkit 2 and I started to complain about the Flowkit operation since I used it on PIC32 just after I received it on that topic no one has ever answered the post in the Forum.

I hope you guys can help me to understand why the Flowkit2 is so slow (may be it because you use a STM-ARM in there :D put a dsPIC in :D )
Attached the flowchart and the simulation speed setting.
If you have normal speed of execution with you then I have a faulty Flowkit I would appreciate if you guys will rig up a 1937 on a EB006 test the speed and then use the Flowkit and see if I am the only one having this issue
112.jpg
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110.jpg
110.jpg (20.47 KiB) Viewed 9102 times

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed

Post by LeighM »

Hi,
Thanks for the concise information.
We'll get on the case.
Leigh

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed

Post by QMESAR »

Hi.

Thanks team,I would really like to solve this that I can use my Flowkit 2 :D

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed

Post by QMESAR »

Hi All,

A big Thank you and a big thumbs up for fixing the Flowkit 2 debug speed now it runs as the EB006 ,Great stuff I really appreciate this what you have done,This made my year :D :D I am so happy and excited as I can now work with my Designs at the customer location on the real HW and not always trying to find issues replicating them on the EB006 :D :D :D :D :D

You Guys are great Thank again

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

Post by Lagoda »

Hi QMESAR,

Would you be so kind to tell me, What was the solution to the problem?
I also have a FlowKit2 board since a year.
So far it was in the desk drawer, I haven't used it.
Now I want to debug with it , but the ICD module don't working.
Every information interesting for me in this topic, because I don't know what I doing wrong.

Best Regards,

Lagoda

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

Post by LeighM »

Hi Lagoda,

What problems are you having?
What version of Flowcode do you have?

The latest fix mentioned in this thread was just to fix the problem of the ICD not running in full speed, but fast stepping instead.
The fix involves a firmware upgrade to the Flowkit.

Leigh

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

Post by Lagoda »

Hi Leigh,

Thank you for quick responding to the problem.

I tried to use FlowKit 2 on several machines,

1. on a laptop under WINDOWS 7 with Flowcode 7.3.0.6 + Patch
2. on a gamer machine under WINDOWS 10 under a newly installed Flowcode 7.3.0.6 + Patch
3. and a medium-sized desktop on WINDOWS 7 operating system Flowcode 7.2.1.4 + Patch version.

In all three cases, I found differences between ICD and ICT default settings.
In the ICT module, analog inputs could not be activated.
The ICD is on the machine with Flowcode 7.2.1.4. it almost works, it will start but after a few steps the debugging is stopped.
This weekend I sort things up and I'll write down this topic.
I hope we can find out why it does not work.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Best Regards,

Lagoda

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

Post by Lagoda »

Hello, Ben and Leigh,

I tested my FlowKit2 on the weekend.
Depending on the version of the Flowcode I found the differences.
No matter what kind of operating system or hardware configuration I tried it on.

The DIGITAL part of ICT functionality works well in Flowcode version 7.2.1.4. (Although I did not try every inputs.)
I selected one of the analog inputs (A0) and set it as the input channel for the Flowcode oscilloscope. If I touched the input A0 with my finger on the Flowkit2 board, I did not notice any change. (Is this a good procedure for check?) On the oscilloscope screen, 20mV amplitude random pulses are displayed on channel A0. The frequency of the pulses depends on the sampling frequency.

In the 7.3.0.6 Flowcode version, in the ANALOG section of the ICT function, the inputs can not be activated.
Can not assign inputs for analog channels.
Is connected_ANA.jpg
(1.9 MiB) Downloaded 4610 times
In the DIGITAL part, you can assign ports from a reduced list to the FlowKit2 Dx inputs. (They are working.)
Is connected_DIG.jpg
(1.94 MiB) Downloaded 4610 times
In ICD mode, I experienced the following in both Flowcode versions:

First I did the following
1. I have set the ICD mode.
2. I have set 2 Breakpoints.
3. I started Compile to Chip.


Then I started debugging with Default Settings.

The debugging session is wrong in my test environment and I did not find a system in the repeat errors. It seems like the debugger could works randomly.
Usually this happens:

1. When I press the RUN button, the Simulation Debugger window will open for 200ms and then disappear, the program execution is interrupted. (Position Marker and Simulation Debugger window are invisible, STOP Button is inactive).

2. If I press the RUN button again, happens as in the first point but the program continues the running and then stops. (I see it on the display of the Target Circuit.) (Position Marker and Simulation Debugger window are invisible, STOP Button is inactive)

3. I press again the RUN button, the program will continues to perform the execution in the Test Circuit and stops. (If I'm lucky, it stops at the first Breakpoint and the Simulation Debugger panel and Position Marker will be displayed and the STOP Button will also be active.)

4. I press the RUN button. Perhaps stop the running at the second Breakpoint but is not sure, in this case, the program runs continuously on the Target Board, but slower than without debugging. (Position Marker and Simulation Debugger window are invisible, STOP Button is inactive)

The position marker appears when the program execution was stop at the Breakpoint. In this case, if I use the STEP INTO or STEP OVER buttons and I've been stepping up about five times, then the program begin to run free. (When the run is begin, the Position Marker and Simulation Debugger window will be invisible, STOP Button will be inactive)

If in the Flowcode version 7.3.0.6 I started the ICD module and launches the ICT module too, and after I pressed the RUN button , the program continuously will be run on the Target Board, but slow. (Position Marker and Simulation Debugger window are invisible, STOP Button is inactive, the Breakpoints are ineffective.)

If this information is not sufficient or you still need further testing, please let me know.

Interestingly, every other user is OK with this tool. Maybe mine is defective? :cry: Or do not I use it well? :oops:
I bought mine in November 2016 and I have not used it so far.
Leigh mentioned that it was firmware upgrade since then. If the old firmware is causing of the error, how do I upgrade?

Best Regards,

Lagoda
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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

Post by Lagoda »

:(

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

Post by LeighM »

Yes, Flowcode 7.3 is best for running Flowkit 2. The stepping speed issues do sound like the firmware bug. I am out of the office this week, so can PM the reflash details next Monday if that's ok.

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Re: Flowkit 2 Debugging Speed [Solved]

Post by Lagoda »

OK! :)
Thank you very much.

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