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PICAXE VSM Tutorial – Part 2

PICAXE VSM Tutorial – Part 2 Installation To install the PICAXE VSM software download the demo installation package (18MB) from www.picaxevsm.com If you are on dial-up internet and prefer a CD your local PICAXE distributor should be able to oblige. The software is designed for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. (95, 98 and ME are not officially supported, however usershave reported that the software does run on these older Windows versions). The software will run in restricted ‘demo’ mode until you purchase a licence key (you can still use the Rudolph simulation sample described below in demo mode). Registration is also carried out online at www.picaxevsm.com via secure credit card transaction, you will receive an email with your key shortly after purchase. Usethe PICAXE VSM ‘Licence Manager’ utility to install your key and ‘unlock’ the full version.

Figure 1 – PICAXE VSM screenshot

© Revolution Education Ltd 2007 www.picaxevsm.com

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PICAXE VSM Tutorial – Part 2

Let’s Begin! PICAXE VSM is a powerful piece of software, and so will naturally take a little while to learn. To get started the most important thing is to be sitting comfortablywith one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard! As with most graphics packages the software uses keyboard shortcuts aswell as the mouse. These take a little while to get used to, but you will very quickly learn the shortcuts and appreciate how they speed up use of the software. So to learn basic navigation lets start by opening the existing ‘AXE107 Rudolph.dsn’ example from the/samples/(Demo Version Samples)/PICAXE folder. Then move the mouse over the design and press the zoom, unzoom and pan keyboard keys as you move the mouse around the design – see how you can zoom in and out very quickly by using keyboard and mouse at the same time! If you are already familiar with a different graphics/PCB application that uses different shortcut keys, you can easily customise ‘PICAXEVSM’ to your preferred shortcut keys. To do this use the ‘System>Set Keyboard Mapping’ menu. Object Selector Whilst the sample design is open, let’s look at the different parts of the screen. The main design area is obviously where you draw and edit your designs. To the left of this is the ‘Object Selector’ list, that lists all objects (components) currently used in the design. Above the ‘ObjectSelector’ is the ‘Overview’ window, which we will look at later. At the top and left of the screen are menu bars, and at the bottom of the screen is the ‘animation control panel’. This looks like the buttons on a traditional tape recorder (remember the days before CDs and MP3s?!) – Play, Forward, Pause and Stop. Simulation

Figure 2 – animation controls Click on the ‘Play’ button at the bottom left ofthe screen and the Rudolph simulation will compile and start. When you click on the animated push button switch a tune will play on the piezo sounder (simulated via the computers speaker) and the LEDs will flash. The actual tune played will be decided by the resistance of the LDR – varying light levels are simulated via the up and down buttons beside the LDR (you may wish to zoom in using thekey)

© Revolution Education Ltd 2007 www.picaxevsm.com

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PICAXE VSM Tutorial – Part 2

Whilst the simulation is playing click the ‘pause’ button at the bottom of the screen. This will pause the simulation and open up a number of other ‘debug’ windows, which show, for instance, the variable values and the PICAXE program. (Tip - you can select which PICAXE windows are automaticallydisplayed by checking them in the ‘Debug’ menu whilst the program is paused).

Figure 3 – Paused program, looking at program lines and variable values If so desired you can now also step through the PICAXE program line by line, by clicking on the ‘Step into Source’ button on the Program window. You can also run at full speed again by selecting the ‘Running Man’ run button. Whilst the Program window...