Update Jan 6 2007 for JAL ver 0.4.62 down load and use markiii_jal_0_4_62.tar.bz2

Updated Dec 4 2004 with JAL version 0.4.59 version.

This is a modification to the newly GPL ed version of the PIC compiler JAL. http://www.voti.nl/jal/

The hack made enables compiler assembly and hex output that is compatible with the Rick Farmer boot loader that is part of the Mark-III mini sumo robot.

JAL works well under Windows and GNU/Linux, and its being used under OS/2 and FreeBSD and Macintosh as well.  For GNU/Linux users of the Mark-III I have a web page that should help get you started.  markiii_linux, it walks you through the patching process as well as how to down load code to the Mark-III boot loader using GNU/Linux tools.

See below for the complete sample program suite I’ve developed for the Mark-III in JAL. It’s mostly a port of the same suite that I developed in CHBasic last year.

The JAL source code available off this page is a modification to the Source Forge version of JAL.

All of the JAL sample source code off of this page is as GPL licensed as well, although I still need to update the source with the standard copyright BS.

The jal-4_59_MIII_win32.zip file contains the MSVC6.0 compiled jal.exe file the documentation and the standard JAL libraries that will produce output that works with the Mark III boot loader.

The jal_4_59_MIII.patch file contains the delta from the SourceForge released version that you can build if you like. It builds and works under Cygwin and Linux.

Get Cygwin via the net or get it in CD form, http://cart.cheapbytes.com/cgi-bin/cart/search.html?se=cygwin. You’ll be glad you did J

Some notes:

• To use unzip the jal-0_4_59_MIII_win32.zip file and rename or add this directory such that its in your search path, and you are ready to go.
• If you fix a bug or add some feature and you feel like it, do send me your changes mark@thegnar.org and I’ll see if I can get it into my latest version.
• If you find a bug that you cannot fix, feel free to ask me for some help, but keep in mind I don’t know JAL very well.
• This zip file version of JAL includes a library file pre-installed that you will need, if you choose to build from source from Linux or Cygwin you should be sure to copy this file to the shared librayries directory (normaly /usr/local/share/jal/lib) 
  

Sample programs ( zip file, for you Windows people and tarball for you Gnu folks;):

• Hello: test built using Cygwin and loaded onto my MarkIII.
• Printk: Debug print hex values for bytes through the serial port.
• Serial: another sample program exercising the serial port for input and output.
• Sensor: test program for sampling the Mark-III sensors and printing out the values.
• Timer: this is a test program for setting up timer interrupts in a similar manner to what I did in my CH-Basic sample programs. See the comments for details on how it works.
• ServoTest:, sample program for calibrating the servos, type 5 for 1.5ms, type 7 for 1.7ms, 3 for 1.3ms duty cycle pulses going to the servos. This is also the servo adjust program you need to set the zero points (1.5ms) for your servos.
• Line: The simple line following program with support for that stopping gate. (With a little effort to make it handle the crossing lines this program on a Mark-III could run the advanced line course ;)
• Sumo: This is the simple mini sumo robot program. It’s about the same as what was written last year.
• Dir: This is a simple program that you may want to use to validate that your servos are hooked up the same way as mine. Running this program results in the robot moving in the following manner in a repeated cycle. (stop, forward, right, spin right, left, spin left, backward, pause)

Sensor Board JAL samples:
Note: useing the sensor board has a few of gotcha's that are called out in my commets.

• htest : H-Bridge unit test program in the same sprit as the ServoTest program.  The controls are more complex, and you need to send a lot of "L" charactors over the terminal to get the moters reved up.  However; it works.  Look at the code and comments to see how its serial port UI is set up.  This is a nice example of using PWM moter control as well as I2C within JAL.
  
• WWtest : This is a unit test of Pete's Wheel Watcher hardware based on the htest program.
• compass : This is a unit test of the Devantech Electronic Compass Mark-III interfaceing and communications over the JAL bit banged I2C library.