Protongeeks User Site Resurection

[Maverick]

I Have mentioned in other posts that I intend to both rebuild the protongeeks site , and pout it on steroids functionality wise.

I need two things from you chaps

1) Ideas of what you would like to see in the new PGEEKS site
Pgeeks forum area
comunity builder
article commenting
project blogs

and so on


2) Help with contributions and artlces for the new site.

I'm prepared to setup the site ,, put some hotsauce into the PHP, and fancy it up with a nice custom temple.

I'm making this thread sticky , so any suggestions are appreciated (even if not implemented in the end)


Once the site is finished I will also need moderators to ratify articles and keep any spam from the forums in i do integrate them

So we need writers
Moderators
Ideas

It you want to get involved (licensed users only) put the phrase "I'm Up for it" in RED if you post to this thread

The site will be open to PDS REGISTERED users ONLY ,, my rebuild my rules.
When finished I will compile a list or registred users from here ,, and PM each with the access information ,, sound fair ?

[chuckieboy]

Mav I think it is a dam good idea to make it so that only Registered members only and totaly agree with you on that one, I read some where that there was 1600 registered members so it still should be good.


keep up the good work

[fanie]

Is that in RED or black, Steve ?

I'm 'up for it' Mav (in red) although being 'up to it' may be something entirely different :D

[SmallFry]

I would prefer to keep the Protongeeks website quite simple.

I think if you allow everyone registered to post then it will rapidly fill up and end up like another version of the Proton forum. I would like to see concise an up to date information.

I posted earlier that sections on the site for the plugins and other applications people have written would be useful. Somewhere to see what they do, screenshots, latest download, etc. That would be very useful.

Examples of code: Now that is an area where I think someone would need to filter the input. If there end up being 15 examples of working with a RTC, 12 of which are really quite bad then it would just be like searching this forum. I think you need someone who knows what they are doing to control this area and only show good well commented examples.

Blog area: That wouldn’t need any control and would be a great place for people to post their projects (as I mentioned in another post about a new area on this forum). I think that would be a good place to both learn from, seeing what sort of stuff other people are making and how they do things and would also be a great place to get advice too.

I find that on here when someone asks for help they often don’t give much information and ask very specific questions without an overall picture or alternatively they produce 500 lines of very bad code which is too much of a hassle to even start understanding. Someone following a blog of a project knows the whole picture from the start and is move motivated to read through the code and can keep track of things as they progress.

Finished projects too: A few pictures, a description, a schematic and the code.

One area not so well catered for here is some of the basics for complete beginners. A guide on how to get your first flashing led project up and running.

That’s all I can think of and most of it is not really that different from the original Protongeeks website which I liked, I liked the layout and design too. Anyway I’m sure you will improve on that and do a great job Mav.

I could be up for it but I don’t my code would be up to it, maybe a project on a blog?

[Maverick]

I will be intergrating Blogging ares so users can write their own blogs on project should they wish.

There will be a beginners area too , with basic coding tips , how pics work , soldering techniques , board making ,, allsortsl.

I also want to to have a comunity aspect much like here , so I hay well integrate a forum of its own and a real time chat system

[Toley]

The site will be open to PDS REGISTERED users ONLY

I'm not sure this approach will help the community to growup. Commercially speaking, I think peoples at Crownhill would like it to be seen by everyone.

By the way this is a fantastic news and a very good idea. Proton Geeks is still missing and it's time to make a move. If my little contribution can help "I'm up for it".

[Maverick]

Cool :)

I may allow registration ,, but they would egt access only to the baiscs (flashing le'd) ect ,, the likes of blogs , forums, advanced topics they would be locked of off.

I just don'r want to see the clowns of the world leeching from our knowlagebase but I am open to suggestions.

It will take a while as I will build it on a local machine , then get some webspace dedicated to protongeeks , and not simply bolt it onto my current web server (bad security issues for me to deal with on my own site then). server i'm looking at is 100GB webspace 1000GB/month bandwidth allowance.

So Satans little Wizzards so far
Toley
SmallFry
fanie

[pic-ignorant]

I would like to offer my help if I can, I could put my point across form a 'relatively noob' point of view, if this helps? I wouldn't be much help on the hardcore side of the PIC though ..:(

Regards
John

[Maverick]

Any help is good.
Ideas and suggestions welcome , until I get the wenspace in place and the CMS setup

[johngb]

"I'm Up for it" happy to contribute - was wondering if you could have a section on library manager as it covers many applications although I suspect the SDFileSystem is the reason for many installs.

I suspect you don't want too many moderators but would be happy to modrate if it would help.

[bill9399]

Cool :)
So Satans little Wizzards so far
Toley
SmallFry
fanie

You really do need to get a decent spell checker, Mav.

"Santa" is the correct spelling.

Aixelsyd slurs. KO

[johngb]

Maybe he meant Satan - who know's what goes on in Mav's CPU

[Maverick]

No Satans little wizzards , johns correct.

"I'm Up for it" happy to contribute - was wondering if you could have a section on library manager as it covers many applications although I suspect the SDFileSystem is the reason for many installs.

I suspect you don't want too many moderators but would be happy to modrate if it would help.

Yep I will put in a section for library manager , fuse configurator (which is a bloody marvelous bit of work btw) infact I am intending on putting in an entire plugin section.

I suspect you don't want too many moderators but would be happy to modrate if it would help.

Sure , it would be good to have you onboard.

I intend it to be still simple to use , but more in-depth that the old site. With a lot more than pic only stuff , like how to home brew pcb's ,, how to solder properly , how to reflow solder , soldering SMT, making your own solder masks and the likes.

examples on interfacing to various device like , RTC's , thermocouples, gas sensors , led drivers ect ect.
Hopefully it will grow into a one stop PDS/electronics repository.

[pmcleod]

My coding skills are meagre, but I'm up for it if you still need any more moderators, I'm also able to offer free commercial webspace with all the passwords etc in that I have a heart internet reseller acccount, so anything that is available on their site is installable if that's any use, I'm no guru on the hosting side either and the servers are a little slow, but the offer is there if you want to take advantage of it.

[Maverick]

Your help will be apreciated :)
I'm not so sure about the hosting tho ,, haven't decided on that yet to be honest.
A big reason the original site went the way of the Tasmanian tiger , was because Tim couldn't access to the site because of a password problem. Now if he had access to the control panel of the webspace , I could have hacked the MySQL database entry and forced a new password via PHPmyAdmin using the MD5 hash. But because it wasn't on his space that was not a possibility. So at least initially I would like to retain cpannel control , so if anything is accidently damaged by a user , i can restore the site easily.

Whatever shape the site takes , I will setup automatic cron jobs to backup the server contents, which will be E-Mailed to whoever the supermods end up being.

That way if I crash my car, or am in some sort of accident there will be no problem for one of the other guys to take over.

I don't know heart internet ,, what's the speed ,, how often is it security patched ,, how often are system components upgraded (PHP4>PH5 for example).

The one i'm pondering right now aren't the cheapest , but their servers are like greased lightning and sit on three 10Gb backbones and are directly connected to the at 100mb. Speed is a massive boon on any content management system.

It will take a while to get up and running , as after building the skeleton , i will subject it to a full security audit and SQL injection attacks

[rcurl]

My thought is that anyone should be able to see the site, but only registered users should be able to post.

As far as examples of code being posted, I think it's good to have many examples of ways to accomplish something. Maybe you could implement a way for other users to "rate" a submission as to how helpful it is. There's still something to be learned from having really bad code posted. It would be interesting to see code submitted with a comment from a user, like "I tried this and my PIC exploded". Learn from others' mistakes.

-Rick

[Maverick]

it will be possible for users to both rate and comment on all articles , projects , code examples ect ,, I already had this in mind , just not 100% best way to implement it safely yet

I may allow non lisenced user into the basic section (ofcoure with no posting privalages and no access at all to the built in forums)

[pmcleod]

no problem re the ihosting though I'd give you the passwords to teh control panel without doubt. I'm not sure about how often the modules are updated, but they do get very good reviews in things like pc pro. the offer stands but I wont be offended if you want to use any other, if you want me to set up a trial account for you too take a lok at it no problem.

the one area that i see might be tricky is installing community builder, (if com builder is just files you stick in the directory then there will be no problem I can see) there are an awful lot of modules available for installation from the control panel, but I'm not so sure about whether you can install 3rd party apps, I suspect you can but am not qualified to say for sure, I rarely do any web site creation and this service is really used for customers of a it company I own half of, there are several 2-300 people compaies host their sites on our server we provide it free with our support services. as I say there's no problem me giving you the passwords for control panel of the account or just a test account for now

[Maverick]

what version of Cpanel is it ?
how many MySQL databases
Now many e_mail
and so on.

When I say Cpannel I mean the actual server.virtual server backend ,, PHPmyADMIN , WEBSTATS , WEBILIZER ect

The main server maintainance area ,, not joomla backend

see attached screeny of mine (with offending info colum cut out)

[See_Mos]

"I'm Up for it" as well, my tryping is terrible but I am fairly good at proof reading and I have my previous contributions, though they may need updating a little. I also have one I tried to submit earlier.

[pmcleod]

Thanks for discussion on skype Maverick, hope you sort outthe control panel, I'm off to bed now but will be around mid morning onwards tomorrow

[fanie]

Hi Mav, sorry I faded out a bit. I'm currently buzy with a dev for a customer that takes a bit of time. If you need anything pls e-mail or keep this thread alive, I'll pick it up from there.

[perryp]

Hey Mav,...

Heres an idea...

I agree with the idea of locking out some people for not being legit, or licensed users of the software (fair enough).

However, part of Microsoft's success was built on the fact that there was, at one time so many pirate copies of Windows out on the market......that it just flooded the market as the operating system to have.....like it or not......it worked.

That said,

I think we should encourage folks to get a licensed version of PDS and see the value and added benefits of doing so.

To get there........

If someone posts something of value on the newb section, which is screened by a moderator....then voted on its value......the person posting would be given full privelidges for ...say 30 days. (via a valid password for full access).

I'm sure that some of our online PHP guru buddies could figure out how to do this (right????...ok ...)


More thoughts....

What makes a fire grow...is its own enviroment.....
Would it be possible to get unlicensed users " licensed " through a discount program by way of sponcering?? .......
The best way to encourage legit use of the software is by being a mentor of someones efforts.

Win lose or draw....
Pirates will contibute...get access....expire in 30 days and re-register under a different name ....
The catch is......" CONTIBUTE,....PASS VOTE...,and start over"..

Who wins in the end?....who looses?....

Oh by the way....

As a newb myself....
Teaching is the best way to learn....
My hand is in the air for help with the newb section of our upcomming site....


Regards...

Perry

[Maverick]

I agree with the idea of locking out some people for not being legit, or licensed users of the software (fair enough).

However, part of Microsoft's success was built on the fact that there was, at one time so many pirate copies of Windows out on the market......that it just flooded the market as the operating system to have.....like it or not......it worked.

this is a different market and a guarantee that rampant piracy will kill the product. I'm not putting in time and effort to educate pirates.

I don't work for crownhill as i have said many times ,, i'm in no position to do any sort of brokering on the compiler price,, the price is already EXTREMELY reasonable.

I'll post again later (4am here and my brain is only running on three cylinders)

[fanie]

4 am and what brain :D

Nothing seen, nothing heard... or am I looking in the wrong place ?

[lotus25]

it would be a great idea to include the other World Wide Language... Spanish. I miss a spanish official PROTON's forum and PROTONGEEKS in spanish.

if some day you want to do it... "I'm Up for it"

Bye

[Maverick]

I have been looking at that actually ,, I am testing a translation system in joomla that translates the site too allsorts of languages (using the google translation engine).

Problem is it is F%%king up the template on a lot of the languages, and ofcourse I do not know how readable the computer translated pages will be.
I know babelfish squirts out some total crap at times.

There is the option there to use Joomfish or other , but that would mean somebody translating any content into their native tongue.

Even tho if I do use the auto translate , I would still insist that submissions are in English only, as most users are either English native / able to speak english and certainly most of the submissions moderators will be English

[bill9399]

it would be a great idea to include the other World Wide Language... Spanish. I miss a spanish official PROTON's forum and PROTONGEEKS in spanish.

if some day you want to do it... "I'm Up for it"

Bye

Maverick. Perhaps the new 'ProtonWhatsit' web site could adopt the new proposed EuroEnglish language outlined here . . .

http://www.ahajokes.com/eng011.html

[Maverick]

hehe quality

[fanie]

:D Since there are more South Africans in any other country than there are Spaniards except in Spain that is, I think the site's alternative language should be Afrikaans instead of Spanish.

Remember the tower of babel ? Here we come. SA have something like 11 official languages, quite a f up if everyone insist to be served in theirs, so from the start learn this one the easy way. Stick to le Inglish... one time... it works.

[joesaliba]

Mav,

I have seen that a lot of plugins are coming up, and they are really useful. A related section will be great. I have read somewhere that most `last updates' to plugins have the same filename and make it difficuilt to see which is really the last update. On this forum, if you browse a lot you can find all plugin's we need, but they are spread everywhere making it difficuilt to locate.

Regarding language: - Why don't you make it a Maltese language? Our language is a mist of english, spanish, latin, italian arabic so it shouldn't be difficuilt to understand. But, who ever tried to learn our language they say it is the most difficuilt language they encountered.:D

Regards

Joseph

[Maverick]

The language think is pretty easy , its a mambot that you select the language you want and it translates all the content automatically ,, so putting it in isn't a chore EXCEPT it does interfere with some template CSS. If it an easy fix (little PHP to fix the CSS) then i'll implement it ,, I can always remove later is peeps don't like.

My ideas so far are

Plugin section , with a page for each plugin that can be updated as and when new versions are released.

A section on devices
such as the DS18B20 with a pic of it , a pic of a basic circuit and some example code to interface with it.
hopefully we can build a library of common devices and code to interface to them over time

Tutorial sections
with tutorials on coding , soldering techniques, pcb making methods ect
text and video tutorials


Projects section
where people can post example projects

all sections will have user comments available , where users can suggest alternate code/ methods changes that might be beneficial

A forum for people to discuss what they would like to see and general chitchat.

A live chatroom where users can get together and chinwag in realtime.

galleries where people can show off what they have done with PDS , if they want too. pics / youtube video

all setup with latest enhancements like MooTools to keep it streamlined.


an easy content editing system most users should be able to use.
along with a tutorial on how to edit and submit content ,, including how to use tools like RokZoom , mootool enhancements.
I will tho try to code these as one clicks into the editor.

lot of templating and backend work , but I got a buddy who is gonna give me a hand.

Before I put anything up i'm gonna run every probe i know for vulnerabilities. hopefully it won't get hacked this time round ,, and even so I will be doing regular automated backups

[fanie]

Hi Mav, a couple of concerns if I may -

all sections will have user comments available , where users can suggest alternate code/ methods changes that might be beneficial
A live chatroom where users can get together and chinwag in realtime.

Another forum ? Should this rather kept to this forum... the intention is good, but the website should rather be a source of information than discussion.

galleries where people can show off what they have done with PDS , if they want too. pics / youtube video
No real problem, however if I put up a product it could rather look like I'm advertising. Won't mind if no one else don't, otherwise this will be more for the hobby guys...

Getting hacked is to a good extent a function of the service provider. Some of them take some measures to protect their customers...

[Maverick]

Getting hacked is to a good extent a function of the service provider. Some of them take some measures to protect their customers...

Not true , service providers can hand you over a secure server. If you don't setup things like .htacess and have SQL injection holes all over your PHP scripts ,, then there's little the host can do about that, as it is you that introduces the holes , by not setting things like file permissions correctly.
Host provides a secure Public_htm directory ,, if you shoot holes into its security thats your bag

[lotus25]

:D Since there are more South Africans in any other country than there are Spaniards except in Spain that is, I think the site's alternative language should be Afrikaans instead of Spanish. :D

Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Perú, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panamá and more...

About 400 millions of Spanish-talkers. After chinesse, the spanish is the second language in the World...

In Spanish (more detailed) (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castellano)

In English (tiny definition) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language)

In Afrikaans (very small definition) (http://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaans) :D

Probably, there is a some guys here that hate it...

One of the best Microchip PIC forum in the world (14000 users) (http://www.todopic.com.ar/foros/index.php) (I only know a PROTON user... it's me :( )

Maverick, i don't believe in automatic translators. My intention would be to make a full spanish version with the english version contents. Don't worry, i would do the translation for you and if you see it too difficult or too heavy, i would do the entire Web.

In any case, is too soon to talk about a multi-language version when we are planning the original english version.

By the way... i have a lot of little test programs in PDS. i will send you with a tiny "lotus25nglish" :D description.

bye

[pic-ignorant]

An Idea for Maverick's new site....
'99 point checklist before posting on the forum'
A lot of people (myself included) ask questions that have been posted before, often because we haven't used the right word for the search engine to pick it up.
Or maybe the 'Top 10 reasons your Pic isn't behaving how you expect' The majority of problems I have had, have been because I had the config's not set right.
A basic checklist would be really useful. ie how to set up a pic for A/D etc . I know that its different for each PIC, and referring to the datasheet is necesssary too, but it would be a good pointer. Maybe the 10 most popular PICs could have these settings listed?
Apologies if this sounds like a load of HorseSh*te :)
Regards
John

[fanie]

Well John / Mav, just having a setup that you can copy and paste to get the pic ticking over (which is the most difficult part) will make it worth having the site.

Mav, when do you plan to start putting stuff up ? I need the setup for an 18F... :D

Personally I'm not in favour of the user putting stuff up there. If you open all the doors and windows someone is going to put crap in there like gold sh2t and the likes.

Secondly someone would have to proof-read what's going up there... to remove naked woman pictures (which I find very motivational ;)) and abusive language (which I'm famous for... but it helps to get the job done and the fish hooked :D and they come right out too :rolleyes:)

Eh mr Mario Lotus Madrid, I just knew you were going to pull that quantity rabbit from the hat. It's not quantity that counts :D Only size counts... check with Godzilla.

Like you say, let's get Mav moving to actually get something up first. If you ask me, it's been a while since he got anything 'up' :D :p

[perryp]

I agree with what pic-ignorant says..
Navigating for information compounds the problem during troubleshooting.

As newbs, we all too often overlook the obvious (which an experienced user
would catch )...

It's true that we need to refer to the spec sheets first.
Having code examples to refer to helps in this process.
I have often found were the problem was in my code by reading someone elses similar code by application.....ie: real time clock using interupts.:eek:

Just my 2 cents...

Perry

[lotus25]

Eh mr Mario Lotus Madrid, I just knew you were going to pull that quantity rabbit from the hat. It's not quantity that counts :D Only size counts... check with Godzilla.

:D

you are in the right way... only those spaniards that was born in Madrid, that are Colin Chapman's cars & Jimmy Clark supporters and write in "lotus25nglish" can love & understand the Proton+ :D


Like you say, let's get Mav moving to actually get something up first. If you ask me, it's been a while since he got anything 'up' :D :p

I agree... As i guess, Maverick may start with a simple WEB and then hop-up it.

I will work on some "Code Snippets".

[ralf2]

Very well, lotus25
Spanish: muy buena iniciativa la tuya, te apoyo :D

[fanie]

ninguna manera, Hoze' :D

No way Hoze'

[georgez]

Sounds like a great idea.
I would like to see a library of really good code examples by function.
... how to program a 1302 RTC
... how to do interrupt driven serial io
... how to set fuses
... etc...

Thanks!
George

[joesaliba]

George,

You might cosider registering up or you might miss your boat if then the code examples will be published to registered users.:D

Regards

Joseph

[georgez]

Thanks Joseph,
Sorry for the dumb question but register for what? I am a licensed user of my Proton compiler and I have registered on this support site.... what am I missing?
George

[chuckieboy]

Thanks Joseph,
Sorry for the dumb question but register for what? I am a licensed user of my Proton compiler and I have registered on this support site.... what am I missing?
George

Your status is showing forum user and not licensed user and if you read all the posting you would of seen that Mav said licensed users only will see the good code

[georgez]

Thanks Steve,
I just figured it out and updated the forum membership option to have the Crownhill guys make me official. Hopefully that will happen soon. I purchased
the compiler for some ham radio embedded projects. The first project is done.
More to come... So far so good !
George

[joesaliba]

George,

It will take a couple of days. But, not being a licensed user you are missing the pre-release version of the latest compiler which is great, specially the new interrupt routine.

Thank you Steve for giving answer to George.

Regards

Joseph

[ADLIN SYSTEMS]

I would love to see code for gps and gsm modem. Elctronic compass angle indicator. Remote control. real time clocks more routines for the 6963 display game tutorials remote control. Borland builder programs. PC to pic routines. and algorythm development. robotics, stepper motor control light dimmer, sound generation 32 bit sd card, i2c 1 wire. Compact flash, MP3 decoder. encoder. let you have more when I think of it. Colour LCD routines and hardware.

[bill9399]

I would love to see code for gps and gsm modem. Elctronic compass angle indicator. Remote control. real time clocks more routines for the 6963 display game tutorials remote control. Borland builder programs. PC to pic routines. and algorythm development. robotics, stepper motor control light dimmer, sound generation 32 bit sd card, i2c 1 wire. Compact flash, MP3 decoder. encoder. let you have more when I think of it. Colour LCD routines and hardware.

Have you tried Google ? :D

[ADLIN SYSTEMS]

Yes dont find any in picbasic code.

[fanie]

There are a couple of guys that has done GPS code in PDS.

[RGV250]

Hi,
You might find something here.

http://www.picbasic.org/forum/showthread.php?t=4702&highlight=ZX4120

Bobby

[fanie]

Eh, nobody even thought about this. How about a section where you can have your code written. I bet it would be popular.

[leisryan]

I'm up for it maybe you could also embed the latest beta compiler online!!! would really be nice!!!

[cgriffin]

I'm up for it maybe you could also embed the latest beta compiler online!!! would really be nice!!!
Please, NO!!! That will just lead to more piracy. There is no reason you can't download it from the existing site.

[leisryan]

ahhh ok I'm from PBP my PDS just arrived yesterday I bought it from ebay my retailer told me they already send crownhill my personal informations for registration how can I verify this? and I'd like to change my status to "licensed user"

[bill9399]

Please, NO!!! That will just lead to more piracy. There is no reason you can't download it from the existing site.

There is good reason for him not being able to download the pre-release versions. According to his profile, the guy is using the Lite version of PDS If this is the version you paid for on Ebay, you have been ripped off big time.

A search of Ebay didn't list any retailers for "Proton Development Suite, "PDS", or "Pic Basic" either in the UK or internationally. :eek:

[cgriffin]

Actually, Bill, I saw one listed just last month...

[bill9399]

Actually, Bill, I saw one listed just last month...

Retailer or private sale?

[cgriffin]

Private seller, with a photo of the key shown.

[RGV250]

From this post here probably?

http://www.picbasic.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9820&highlight=sale

[Maverick]

There will be no links on there to pre release versions anyway , as licensed users can just as easily download it from here , I'm sure les and lester wouldn't want that sort of thing linked to willynilly anyway.

The bulk of the good stuff will be for registered users , and the site will be segregated , easy 50line projects to wet lite users appetite, and REAL projects.

Some people may not agree with this but hey ,, i'm building it :P so there ,, ner ner. Any community features I build in (such as private messaging , personal blog spaces, ect, chatrooms) will be restricted to licensed users also.

Don't worry there will be tasters of what they are missing on the main pages.

The whole intention of my approach is to keep the community close knit and the idiots out in the dark where they belong. How I am going to copy over licensed users I do not know yet, but even if I have to do it by invite from here, by hand , thats the tack i will take.

Hosting is another issue entirley, would anyone mind if I set it as a subdomain on my servers initially, as this is easiest as I pay for that as is, or should I take donations for webspace all of it's own ? I don't mind hosting a sub domain , as long as it doesn't suck me totally dry of bandwidth ; lol :)

[fanie]

over licensed users

Ok Mav, how do one become an over licensed user :confused: Do you have to have more than one key or what :p (see,... double dot small pee :D :p)

I like the idea of having the new PDS up there (nudge nudge wink wink), only encrypted, to keep the pyrates buzy decyphering it.

[leisryan]

yes that's the one!!! I'm the lucky guy! cost me only 80euros took me all night long to snipe hehehe:)

[joesaliba]

Hi Mav,

I do not know if someone mentioned it already. A good tutorial on how to communicate between 2 Pic's will be great. Some examples showing different send/receive methods will be good.

Sorry if it was already mentioned.

Thank you
Regards

Joseph

[Tim]

How is the site going? I see a lot of requests from people but no URL.

[Almazick]

I really don’t think making the website only for registered users is a great idea. Sample and example codes are better to be posted open to everybody and it will make Proton compiler much better. Personally I think Proton is one of the best but because of lack of support, code samples and etc made me purchase another program to learn programming. If you make Proton geek’s website available to everybody and be able to show some kind of support for non licensed user I’m sure you might increase sales at least by 10% or even more. The best language to program MCU is the one you can find help and support over the internet. So far this forum is the only support for Proton, even by searching on Google is hard to find anything how to program in Proton.

[leisryan]

totally agree you'll get more creativity in retrospect!!!

[fanie]

Hi Almazick and Leisryan

One day soon you will be a licensed user and all your concerns will evaporate :D




I also want to know how it's going Mav. I just hope you're not putting up one of those fancy sites with the 50 pop-up's per page and red flashing banners with 'sign up here' and stuff like that or 'adults only'. Geez... you could make that a licensed users only... then you'll see the guys sign up :D

If this is going to be a secret web site... we already know about it ok.

[billyminor]

Almazick and Leisryan both of you got a problem registering as licensed user's because you both list PDS as what your using.
Almazick to make the statement "lack of support" is pure rubbish and where else would you think your going to find support on the internet for Proton? I only know one site for PBP
Look's like this software will have 2 sites but only for licensed user's can't beat that for support.
ONE MORE THING Almazick get it done or lower the flag
posted by Les 25th July 2008
Almazick, you need to update your forum status to "registered user". You joined the forum over 20 months ago and you're still on "forum user" status. This automatically makes me suspicious of piracy.

[DanRiches]

In response to Almazick:

PDS is 'king amazing! The plugins that users have written for it as well are another tick in the box as to whether or not to shell out the small amount of cash for PDS. There is no comparison and you'll soon wish you'd spent your hard earned cash on it :D

[leisryan]

Almazick and Leisryan both of you got a problem registering as licensed user's because you both list PDS as what your using.
Almazick to make the statement "lack of support" is pure rubbish and where else would you think your going to find support on the internet for Proton? I only know one site for PBP
Look's like this software will have 2 sites but only for licensed user's can't beat that for support.
ONE MORE THING Almazick get it done or lower the flag
posted by Les 25th July 2008


So how can have this much coveted "licensed status" I feel like i'm being sidestepped:( my private reseller told me he already forwarde all my details to crownhill......Thanks in advance

[C_Moore]

Hi leisryan,

my private reseller told me he already forwarde all my details to crownhill......Thanks in advance

To get licensed you goto controll panel and then goto edit options and put in your invoice number and some other info. and check the "validate me" check box. I don't think you reseller has anything to do with you getting validated.

[leisryan]

Hi leisryan,



To get licensed you goto controll panel and then goto edit options and put in your invoice number and some other info. and check the "validate me" check box. I don't think you reseller has anything to do with you getting validated.

thanks, I did that already

[C_Moore]

Well sorry to say you just have to wait now. I hope you packed a lunch its may be a while.

[fanie]

I hope you packed a lunch its may be a while

You guys get lunch ? Bloody lucky. We just have to work work work. No lunch, no lengthy tea times...

Eh Ryan, now what's with your user status :cool:

[leisryan]

You guys get lunch ? Bloody lucky. We just have to work work work. No lunch, no lengthy tea times...

Eh Ryan, now what's with your user status :cool:


Yahoooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks guys!!!:D

[fanie]

Don't thanks us, buy us something small... small farm, small plane, small car...

[leisryan]

we only have small maids here in Philippines haha

[canipus]

we only have small maids here in Philippines haha

Ok that works!. Can you ship one fedex to the Eastern USA?

[hassawfaa]

Hi, Guys

What's about ProtonGeeks Website?:cool:

[leisryan]

Hello there CANUPUS can you tell us more about BASSCOM and have you tried fiddling with avr-gcc? how does the two compare?

[canipus]

Hello there CANUPUS can you tell us more about BASSCOM and have you tried fiddling with avr-gcc? how does the two compare?

Yes I have played with avr-gcc. The big difference between it and Bascom is of course avr-gcc is c based whereas bascom is basic. You couldn't really compare because the compilers are different language based. avr-gcc has got a large following in the c camp because it is open source and everyone always seems to gravitate to stuff that doesn't cost money. To be honest though I'm not a fan of avr-gcc. You need to use 'make' files and while c developers swear by the makefile system I'm afraid I don't fall into that camp. I'm not a geek. I like my tools to be user friendly and not designed for geeks. I want as much of the compiling process to be as transparent as possible with no intervention on my part. If I was a geek I would be playing with assembler but again I have no interest in doing that. I'm a leisure developer not a pro.
Bascom is very good for the money. I like it because while the syntax isn't identical to Proton, if you have some basic Proton skills then it isn't too difficult working with Bascom AVR. It is NOT as well optimised as Proton is for PIC BUT it does a good job, it has loads of library functions and examples (in some respects better than Proton) and therefore is a nice gentle way of programming AVRs with a similar IDE working environment to Proton. In a way Proton and Bascom complement each other but just remember that Proton is a better optimised compiler. That doesn't make Bascom bad. It really does a good job and anyway Proton is only PIC and Bascom is AVR. I like both products. I think PIC is easier to program re setting fuses and so on but AVR has technically stronger features being the later product of the two. Its really horses for courses. I guess the thing that really stands out about the AVR is that once you have developed some code for one of the chips, it will more than likely be upward compatible and transferable into the other AVRs without any code changes. Maybe a minor adjustment but it makes transferring code across the product range a joy. I still love the PIC though when it comes to burning the device. I feel you get more hands on control with the burning process. With the AVR burning the process is to my mind not as user friendly as the PIC.

I intend to learn c at some point but I do so little hobby work due to shortage of time that really Proton basic and Bascom basic fill the slot across both product ranges with a very modest outlay. As I stated earlier avr-gcc is too finicky for my taste. For instance the avr-gcc community are always adding and changing things which is great for development but lousy for platform stability. I have found loads of code examples that compiles fine with one version of avr-gcc but not a later or an earlier version. Then you fiddle with the makefile to compensate for the difference between the two versions to get the compile process to work. Not really my idea of fun.

I would love to see a proton plus version for AVR but I'm sure that won't happen and anyway I think its a little late in the day now because Bascom is so well established. By the way one thing you should know is that Bascom is VERY well supported. Regular updates, improvements and little additions make it a very dynamic environment and the community forum has a very knowledgeable set of folks on it that are very generous with their time. I would say the community over there is a lot larger than the Proton community but that doesn't really mean anything. I have no regrets having got Proton or Bascom. You might also check out Mikroelektronica's stuff. A little buggy so I am told but loads of libraries to play with.

[leisryan]

Wow thanks bro!!! I am really intrigued by AVR multiple PWM with multiple Frequency it is a SICK MCU!!! that really overshadows pic when it comes to this category but USB in PICMICRO is alot stronger I believe!!!

PS. as I'm writing this, I came accross to AVR with OTG in its current 8-bit ptlaform that's brutally sick!!!

[See_Mos]

If there was a prize for high jacking an important thread then this would surely be the winner

[leisryan]

I'd like to see "how-to's" for C to Basic get-arounds in ProtonGeeks though

[normnet]

Sorry OT, Haven't had luck moving posts.

Does Bascom support the AT94 Family? (http://www.atmel.com/products/FPSLIC/)
An 8 bit AVR micro with an FPGA attached.

FPGA is fastest processing and is used for audio and graphics.

Norm

[leisryan]

I believe not at the moment but PSOC is great chip it has a free basic-like compiler PSOC-EXPRESS and a free watered down C-compiler from HITECC-C

[billyminor]

we'll try bigger letters
If there was a prize for high jacking an important thread then this would surely be the winner

[fanie]

SEE MOS and BILLYMINOR ! (In my MOTHERS serious tone of voice)

If I tell Mav what you are doing you are going to be in so much trouble :D

[canipus]

we'll try bigger letters
nah no chance. This thread really has to go way of topic before anyone is going to take any notice of a bit of red wonky typeface. Try a green color - that might do it!

[Mark Rodgers]

Its going to need a 16bit section now!(to get back on topic)

[Maverick]

Bumholio you have a point there :) it will need 4 sections now really
PIC
PIC24
DSPIC


Oh and BTW I did notice the red text :D thought it quite humerous ; lol
If I don't get some spare time i'll never get the site done ,, anyone want to do my day to day work for me ? ;lol I need some slave labour

N.B Slave means no pay , and water and bread for your lunch ; lol ,, you can sleep in the barn (which I don't have)

[fanie]

Yeah but Mav you don't talk to us. Surely there must be SOMETHING we can contribute even if limited... ?

[Maverick]

Oh don't worry there will be PLENTY for you guys to contribute.
Time restraints are holding me back at the moment ,, but i'm damn sure I won't wrtie all the content.

I'm trying to build a CMS thats easy to use with advanced features , but also SECURE ,, I don't want it hacking like the last one

[C_Moore]

Well Come on Man I am itching to contribute.

[leisryan]

OOOOOOOOhh I love to see "LIVE" chats on PROTON_GEEKS!!!:p

[bill9399]

OOOOOOOOhh I love to see "LIVE" chats on PROTON_GEEKS!!!:p

For live chats you could go with Skype. Video also.

[leisryan]

For live chats you could go with Skype. Video also.

I mean like instant interaction whosoever is online all in one main window,kinda like Yahoo chat rooms,instant replies from the seasoned pro is really cool!!!

[Mark Rodgers]

kinda like Yahoo chat rooms,instant replies from the seasoned pro is really cool!!!

OOPS, leisryan, sometimes a phrase may get misinterpreted!!!

Perhaps this may be more appropriate!!!

kinda like Yahoo chat rooms,instant replies from the seasoned programmer is really cool!!![/

He He.

[leisryan]

I count that as no.2 hopeful:D It would really be cool, having live chat window on ProtonGeeks

[leisryan]

nah no chance. This thread really has to go way of topic before anyone is going to take any notice of a bit of red wonky typeface. Try a green color - that might do it!

:D
One more thing Canipus how does interrupts work on BASCOm does it have instant hardware interrupts handling capabilities like PROTON+?

[canipus]

:D
One more thing Canipus how does interrupts work on BASCOm does it have instant hardware interrupts handling capabilities like PROTON+?
http://www.mcselec.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=99&Itemid=54

[analogdevice]

Oh don't worry there will be PLENTY for you guys to contribute.
Time restraints are holding me back at the moment ,, but i'm damn sure I won't wrtie all the content.

I'm trying to build a CMS thats easy to use with advanced features , but also SECURE ,, I don't want it hacking like the last one


It would be good to have protongeeks back up and running, any idea of a time scale?

Regarding CMS, what are you using? I started using wordpress - WP ( yes, its more than a blogging tool) as a CMS. I am amazed at how easy it is to use. Out of the box WP is useless as a CMS, but add a couple plugins and it is a different beast. Has all the features protongeeks would need!

[Tim]

I have to correct an inaccuracy.

"I don't want it hacking like the last one"

The last one was not hacked, the one before last was but the last one was the opposite. The chap with the controls had an accident and while we had a post from him some months ago he has disappeared again.

I then had a strongly worded complaint about an inaccuracy in a very old article of mine. As I could not correct this due to no access my only option to prevent me being held personally liable was to pull the site.

Personally I'm sceptical that much will come of all this talk of a new site. I hope to be proved wrong.

[analogdevice]

I hope so.

Additional support online can only benefit users of proton, and encourage new ones. This forum was a huge factor in my decision to purchase Proton.

The problem is, it can be very difficult to find the solution to a problem by searching this forum alone. Often I have found the answer to my problem deep in the thread about something else. I am reluctant to ask questions unless I have to, mainly because my problem has already been discussed (usually!) and also I strongly believe in finding the solution on my own if possible.

Protongeeks looked like it was starting to build up a useful source of code snippets and tutorials/howto's. If protongeeks is not going to come back, how about adding to this forum with a moderated tutorials/how-to section?