Several customers have asked why we developed our own object oriented programming language rather than provide a product with Linux or an operating system supporting compiled 'C'. If we look back at the original requirements we can see some of the reasons.

Prime: A combined operating and communication software offering unique capabilities for slave / host applications.
1/ The customer’s end user or distributor could write code and insert images to add in their own functionality with a text editor.
2/ The program code could be updated or expanded by the host system using ASCII text over a serial link.
3/ The product should be license free and use simple development tools.
4/ The customer can create his own large images and control them like fonts.
5/ The SD card should be able to stream video and audio with the minimum of user programming.
6/ An existing host software requires only limited changes to upgrade a display from 4X20 LCD to a full colour TFT.
7/ The module has the intelligence to operate as a host and the compact command language to act as a high speed slave.
8/ The number of commands should be minimized by using 'overloading' and provide a higher level of functionality than C functions.
9/ The parameters for interfaces and screen entities should be held in styles similar to HTML.   
10/ The application development time should take days or weeks rather than months.
11/ If the software engineer leaves the company, it is relatively easy for the engineering manager to amend the program.

These reasons may not be key to your application, but we believe it does offer new product opportunities. 
 


 

High Level Object Oriented Commands
The module has an integrated compiler and debugger so that users can write the high level object oriented language commands in a text file or send via an interface to develop their application. Although pictures and fonts can be loaded via an interface, it is best to store these on an SD card or transfer via USB from on a PC. The multi faceted commands are divided into 4 groups as shown below.
You may be thinking how can 25 commands operate a host system, so lets take a look at the LOAD command. It can perform the equivalent language functions of strcpy, strcat, format, inp, outp and a page collation function. Please study our application example code for an understanding of this compact language.

library & system

page & visibility

draw on page

functions
FPROG:Load Menu/Img to Flash PAGE: Create a page of entities POSN: Position cursor on page FUNC: Create a function
LIB: Load Image/Font to RAM STYLE: Set parameters TEXT: draw text on page VAR: Create a variable
INC:Include a sub file  SHOW: Show a page or entity DRAW: draw box circle line graph IF ? : Conditional test-true/false
RUN:Call function or user code HIDE: Hide a page or entity IMG: draw image on page LOOP: Repeat commands
RESET:Reset system, NAND DEL: Delete entity from Library KEY:create touch or external key CALC: Calculation and string edit
;; Refresh current page LOAD: Copy and format pages, strings, interface and data   WAIT: Set delay period 
; Terminate command INT: Set an interrupt

Styles make your Application Consistent
All entities and buffers use parameters stored in a Style similar to HTML web pages. These are extensive and define colours, entity types, buffer size and interface parameters like baud rate, clock edges and data format. Styles can be embedded in parent styles to reduce repetition and simplify changes.
 
Screen Page Creation and Control
Pages can be smaller than the screen for pop up help menus, status information and lists. Buttons can be varying size, with radio, rectangle or check box style with special types for navigation actions. The cursor position command allows relative or absolute positioning for reduced instructions during page layout. Entities can be updated by incoming host commands and their associated functions can run all the time or only when the entity or it’s page is visible. When a text is numeric, it can be compared, incremented or decremented or form part of an equation using the CALC command. Buffers or variables can be created for interfaces, on-board memory, the SD Card, timers, counters and text. Hex code can be included in text variables when prefixed by \\.
When creating your page structures and functions in a file, // prefixes user comments.
 
Uploading your Menu Structure, Functions and Images
Data received from interfaces or flash memory is processed and stored in RAM libraries for high speed access to create or refresh pages and entities. Every entity has a text name for easy reference by future update commands.
In a similar way to a PC, your software could be permanently retained on an SD card and auto loaded at Power On or saved in internal flash by transferring it from an SD card or uploading it via an interface port. SD cards of 1G size and SDHC cards of 4G, 8G, 16G and 32G size are supported. 2G SD cards are not supported.
 
If an SD Card is used, the module will look for a file called ‘TU480A.MNU’ which will reference all other menu or image files.  This may be your only menu file with all functions included. It would have a header similar to the example below to copy other files on the SD card to the internal flash memory. See the 'example projects' section
 
RESET(LIBRARY); FPROG;
LIB(BACKIMAGE,”SDHC/backmain.bmp”);              //load background picture into the onboard flash library
LIB(STARTIMAGE,”SDHC/startbut.bmp”);               //load start button into the onboard flash library
…….. FEND;
 
Entities can be changed via the user interfaces by direct reference to there name or style with version v44 firmware.
Examples:
LOAD(homestyle.back,BLUE”);                      change the background colour of the page called homepage to blue
LOAD(rs2.set,“96e”);                                    change the rs232 baud rate to 9600 baud with even parity
LOAD(GenText.font,“40X56Kata”);                   change font size of all text using style GenText   
 

Command Overview
This page identifies the current and expected operating status of commands and styles
 

Command Format, with Parameters / Description
INT INT(Name,Buffer,Function) If interrupt triggered do function
RESET RESET(Name) Clear eeprom, delete list, library, or reset system
System SETUP(System) { startup-bled-wdog-rotate-test-angles-encode-calibrate-clkfreq-ignore
 tch_loc_tlx-tch_loc_tly-tch_val_tlx-tch_val_tly-tch_loc_trx-tch_loc_try-tch_val_trx-tch_val_try
tch_loc_brx-tch_loc_bry-tch_val_brx-tch_val_bry-tch_loc_blx-tch_loc_bly-tch_val_blx-tch_val_bly
touchSave }
Touch - Res SETUP(Touch) { type-enable-samples-debounce-accuracy-inactive-width-height-xnum-ynum-gain-threshold-address-filterlevel-filterlimit-filterenable-switch-invertx-inverty }
Touch - PCT SETUP(Touch) { type-debounce-enable-inactive-width-height-xnum-ynum-gain-threshold-address-filterlevel-filterlimit-filterenable-switch-invertx-inverty }
Touch - ICT SETUP(Touch) { type-enable-inactive }
RS2 SETUP(RS2) { baud-data-stop-parity-rxi-proc-procdel-procnum-rxb-txi-txb-encode-flow }
RS4 SETUP(RS4) { baud-data-stop-parity-rxi-proc-procdel-procnum-rxb-txi-txb-encode-flow-duplex }
ASYNC SETUP(Async) { baud-data-stop-parity-rxi-proc-procdel-procnum-rxb-txi-txb-encode-flow }
SPI SETUP(SPI) { active-mode-speed-rxi-proc-procdel-procnum-encode-rxb-rxo-rxf-txi-end-dummy-txb-txo-irq }
I2C SETUP(I2C) { addr-end-active-speed-rxi-proc-procdel-procnum-encode-rxb-txi-txb }
USB SETUP(USB) { rxi-txi-rxb }
KEYIO SETUP(KEYIO) { active-inp-trig-edge-keyb-pullup }
ENC SETUP(ENC) { active-a1-b1-a2-b2-debounce1-debounce2-timeout1-timeout2-mode1-mode2 }
ADC SETUP(ADC) { active-calib1-calib2-avg1-avg2 }
PWM SETUP(PWM) { active-pol1-pol2-pol3-cycle1-cycle2-cycle3-duty1-duty2-duty3-delay }
AC97 SETUP(AC97) { active-line_gain_L-line_gain_R-mic_gain_L-mic_gain_R-rec_sel-rec_rate-treble-bass-threeD-
master_volume-speaker_volume-headphone_volume-balance-stereo_speaker-pbdonefnc-pbprogfnc-pbmode }
LIB LIB(Name,Source) Load picture,audio or font into library. BMP/JPG/WAV/FNT
FPROG...FEND FPROG.....FEND Store menu and image files in onboard flash
INC INC(FileName) Include the contents of another menu, style or setup file
Page Style STYLE(Name,Page) { update-sizeX-sizeY-posX-posY-back-image-type }
Text Style

STYLE(Name,Text) { font-size-col-back-opacity-maxLen-maxRows-rotate-justify-yAlign-xtrim-curRel-width-bcol-padding-xSpace-ySpace}
Draw style STYLE(Name,Draw) { type-maxX-maxY-col-back-opacity-width-rotate-curRel-xOrigin-yOrigin-xScale-yScale-xScroll }
Img Style STYLE(Name,IMG) { scale-maxX-maxY-rotate-action-step-opacity-curRel }
Key Style STYLE(Name,Key) { type-debounce-delay-repeat-action-curRel-repeatnum-repeatdec-repeatend }
Del DEL(Name) Delete a page, entity
Page PAGE(NAME,STYLE){...}  
POSN POSN(X,Y,Page/Name,Style) Position cursor or re-position named entity
TEXT TEXT(Name,Value,Style)  
  TEXT(Name,Value,Style,PosX,PosY)
DRAW DRAW(Name,SizeX,SizeY,Style)
  DRAW(Name,SizeX,SizeY,Style,PosX,PosY)
IMG IMG(Name,Src,Style)
  IMG(Name,Src,Style,PosX,PosY)
KEY KEY(Name,Func,SizeX,SizeY,Style);
 

KEY(Name,downFunc,upFunc,repFunc,SizeX,SizeY,Style); 
 

KEY(Name,Func,SizeX,SizeY,Style,PosX,PosY);
LOOP LOOP(Name,Var){...} Loop for a specified number of times
SHOW SHOW(Name) Show a page, entity
HIDE HIDE(Name) Hide a page, entity
REFRESH ;; Refresh current page
LOAD LOAD(Name,N2,N3,N..) Multi function copy pages, variable N2--N.. to Name.
VAR VAR(Name,Value,Style) Create a variable of a specified type with a default value
Array VAR(Name,Value,Style,Num) Create an array of variables with size num
File FILE(
CALC CALC(Result, Var1, Var2, Act) Quick calculation and text manipulation
RUN RUN(Func) Run a function or user code
FUNC FUNC(Name) {...} Declare a set of commands
IF IF(Var~Var?Func1:Func2) Evaluate condition and do func1 if true, func2 if false
SELECT SELECT(var) { CASE(n,func);} Evaluate a variable and undertake function
EXIT EXIT(Name) Use to exit current loop or function
RTC RTC/D RTCSECS-RTCMINS-RTCHOURS-RTCDAYS-RTCMONTHS-RTCYEARS
RTA RTA RTASECS-RTAMINS-RTAHOURS-RTADAYS-RTAMONTHS
Runtime Counter Run Counters CNTMILLI-CNTSECS-CNTMINS-CNTHOURS-CNTDAYS-CNTRUN
IO Counter IO Counters CNTK00 -- CNTK30
WAIT WAIT(Time) Wait specified milliseconds before next
LOOP LOOP(Name,Var){...} Loop for a specified number of times
STRUCTURE STRUCT(Name,Num) {  } Create a multi-dimensional structure of arrays or variables
TERMINATION ; Terminate command
INLINE [ cmd();cmd();....cmd; ] Enclose commands as inline function in IF, INT, KEY, RUN