Software

The Controller must be programmed to read the compass and steer the boat. My initial inspiration for the project, and the initial model for the software, can be seen in the "pond explorer".

Here is a simplified version of the software for my controller. This has been edited to make it as easy as I know how for you to quickly understand its basic operation. It shows how to read the Electro-Steer switches, read the compass, use a PID algorithm to derive a desired helm position, and drive the Electro-Steer relays to achieve that helm position. It does not implement all the functionality described elsewhere in these web pages...

These are .tea programs. TEA is a simple C-like language invented by Acroname for their controllers. If your browser tells you it doesn't know how to open .tea files just use notepad or convince the browser they are plain old text files.

Here are a few more simple .tea programs to help you get the hang of the language and the controller's software. These are test programs used during construction to verify the controller is working properly.

• p2test0 - Detect & report installed devices
• p2test1 - Read & print the configuration switches
• p2test2 - Read & print the Electro-Steer switches
• p2test3 - Drive the Electro-Steer relays
• p2test4 - Read & print the Devantech compass reading
• p2test5 - Read & print the Mindsensor compass reading
• p2test6 - Read & print the accelerometer roll and pitch

Installation of my operational software is discussed in the construction pages. It uses Moto slots 2-11 (slot 2 for eeprom control parameter data storage, 3-11 for code). Moto slots 0 and 1 are used for test programs. With only one Moto your choices are run my software or run your own - it's not likely you can have both loaded at once. If you just want to run your own this is no biggy, but if you'd like to run mine while you are improving your own it's probably worthwhile to buy a 2nd Moto board. Load one with my software, one with yours. Takes less than a minute to swap them on the water. It's what I do when I'm testing a new version of my software.