Lab 2 { C ! Assembler ! Machine Code ! TekBot Solution

SECTION OVERVIEW




Complete the following objectives:




Look at a sample C program.



Learn how to con gure the I/O ports of the ATmega128 microcontroller.



Write a simple C program for the ATmega128 microcontroller.



Compile your program using the Atmel Studio GCC compiler.



Upload the code to your mega128 board and verify its correct operation.



PRELAB




To complete this prelab, you may nd it useful to look ahead to Section 5.2.1 of the ECE 375 textbook, or look at the \ATmega128 I/O Ports" document linked on the lab webpage. If you consult any non-OSU online sources to help answer the prelab questions, you must list them as references in your prelab. Remember { late prelabs will not be accepted.




The ATmega128 microcontroller has seven general-purpose input-output (I/O) ports: Port A through Port G. An I/O port is a collection of pins, and these pins can be individually con gured to send (output) or receive (input) a single binary bit. Each port has three I/O registers, which are used to control the behavior of its pins: PORTx, DDRx, and PINx. (The \x " is just a generic notation; for example, Port A’s three I/O registers are PORTA, DDRA, and PINA.)




Suppose you want to con gure Port B so that all 8 of its pins are con gured as outputs. Which I/O register is used to make this con guration, and what 8-bit binary value must be written to con gure all 8 pins as outputs?



Suppose all 8 of Port D’s pins have been con gured as inputs. Which I/O register must be used to read the current state of Port D’s pins?



Does the function of a PORTx register di er depending on the setting of its corresponding DDRx register? If so, explain any di erences.









Initialize relevant I/O ports



Loop forever:



{ Move forward for 500 ms { Move backward for 500 ms { Turn left for 1000 ms




{ Turn right for 2000 ms { Turn left for 1000 ms







Figure 1: Pseudocode for Lab 2 DanceBot Code







PROCEDURE




Looking at C Code in Atmel Studio




Download the sample code (DanceBot.c) available on the lab webpage. This simple C program is well-commented, and is ready to compile. All code that you produce should be as well-commented as this code. The behavior of this program is described in Figure 1. Save this code somewhere you can nd it.



Open Atmel Studio. Instead of creating an Assembler project like in Lab 1, create a new C project by choosing C/C++ under \Installed" and selecting GCC C Executable Project as the project type. As with Lab 1, choose ATmega128 when prompted to make a device selection.



Next, include the sample source le you downloaded earlier into the project you just created. If you need a reminder of how to do this, part of Section 2.1.2 of the AVR Starter Guide explains the basic process.



Examine the source le you just included in your project, and try to under-stand how it is performing the behavior described in Figure 1.



Even though certain parts may look unfamiliar to you at this point, ulti-mately it is just C code, which you should have been exposed to in CS 151, CS 261, or elsewhere. If you are having di culties, look around online for a basic C language tutorial, or ask your fellow lab students or your TA for help understanding the C syntax.




©2020 Oregon State University Winter 2020 Page 1
Lab 2 { C ! Assembler ! Machine Code ! TekBot
ECE 375






Compiling and Uploading to the mega128 Board




Compiling a C program in Atmel Studio is very similar to compiling an assembly program, which you did previously in Lab 1. To compile DanceBot.c, simply go to Build ! Build Solution, or just press F7. The log at the bottom of the screen should tell you that there are no errors, assuming you have done everything correctly up to this point. Common mistakes include trying to compile the C program within the wrong project type (make sure you didn’t accidentally create an Assembly project), or trying to build with both DanceBot.c and main.c included in the project (remove main.c).




You may notice that a .hex le was created from the build operation, just like in Lab 1. Connect your mega128 board to your computer using the usbasp programmer, and then use the Universal GUI application to upload the .hex le to your board (refer back to the Universal GUI User Guide if needed).




Your Own Code




Next, you need to write a simple C program that will make a TekBot perform the basic BumpBot routine, as seen and described in Lab 1. The TekBot should travel forward until it encounters an object (that is, until one or both of the whiskers are bumped), back up and turn away from the object, and then resume moving forward. Here are a few tips for completing this task successfully:




You will probably want to start from the skeleton code available on the lab webpage and add code to it as needed. Even if you do not use the skeleton code, you must adhere to the port map given in the skeleton code when writing your whisker detection & motor control logic.



If both whiskers are triggered at the same time, the TekBot must back up and turn to the right like it does when only the left whisker is hit.



Don’t forget to make use of the delay ms() function.






When you have completed your C-based BumpBot program, demonstrate its correct operation to your lab TA to receive implementation credit for this lab.




STUDY QUESTIONS / REPORT




A full lab write-up is required for this lab. When writing your report, be sure to include a summary that explains what you did and why, discusses any problems you may have encountered, and answers the study ques-tions given below. Your write-up and code must be submitted online by the beginning of next week’s lab. Remember, NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED.







Study Questions




This lab required you to compile two C programs (one given as a sample, and another that you wrote) into a binary representation that allows them to run directly on your mega128 board. Explain some of the bene ts of writing code in a language like C that can be \cross compiled". Also, explain some of the drawbacks of writing this way.



The C program you just wrote does basically the same thing as the sample assembly program you looked at in Lab 1. What is the size (in bytes) of your Lab 1 & Lab 2 output .hex les? Can you explain why there is a size di erence between these two les, even though they both perform the same BumpBot behavior?



CHALLENGE




Modify your C program so that the TekBot will attempt to push any objects that it encounters. One way to perform this \push" operation is to implement the following TekBot behavior:




TekBot moves forward inde nitely until it hits an object.



TekBot continues forward for a short period of time after hitting the object.



TekBot backs up slightly.



TekBot turns slightly toward the object.



TekBot returns to Step 1.



As is often the case, there are many ways to write code to solve this problem. Think about the approach you would like to take, and then revise your rmware (i.e., make changes to your C program) accordingly.




To get credit for completing this challenge, you must demonstrate the \push" operation of the TekBot to your TA, and submit a copy of your challenge code online, in addition to your lab write-up and regular (non-challenge) lab code.



©2020 Oregon State University Winter 2020 Page 2