[WP34S] Bug in Mac OS X Emulator
#1

Forgive me if this has been reported before.

There seems to be a bug in the shift key functioning.

The h (green) key seems to call the desired function just fine.

However, the f (gold) and g (blue) shift keys seem to misbehave.

At times, the f key will activate h functions and the g key behaves correctly. At others, the g key will activate h functions and the f key behaves correctly.

I have yet to discern under what conditions the mis-mapping of f occurs and when the mis-mapping of g happens.

I really want to experiment with the serial commands in the Mac emulator, but if the basic keyboard mapping shifts around like this I am hobbled out of the gate.

Any ideas?

I am using OS X Lion 10.7.3 and the emulator version is 2667.

Thanks in advance.

Les

#2

Sounds like a quite general problem. I didn't observe, however, any such deviations in the emulator in Win 7 so far. Can you confine your observation to some specific keys? You named f and g, but which combinations didn't work as advertized? TIA

#3

Seems pervasive across the keyboard.

For example, with the Medium skin, the g key seems to misbehave--e.g., g CF executes STATUS, g RAD executes VIEW, g DEG executes CAT, g 16 displays Pi, g CLSigma, g x^2 executes matrix, g RTN executes P/R, g FILL executes CONST, g LN executes GTO...

However, in the Compact skin, the f key misbehaves--f Phi executes PROB, f SF executes STATUS, f SQRT executes MATRIX, etc.

One thing I have noticed, and I have not tested every possible key combo, is that executing the same sequence a subsequent time leads to CORRECT behaviour, eventually. For example, executing g RAD two or three times executes VIEW, but EVENTUALLY will behave correctly.

It is as though some shift key state persists in an ostensibly unpredictable way, though under the hood I bet it is eminently predictable, and it takes a few attempts for the emulator to clear it and carry out proper key behaviour.

Does this help at all?

Les

#4

I just want to confirm that both the f and g keys misbehave in the Medium and Compact emulator skin in similar ways--execute them enough, and the correct behaviour of the target key is eventually achieved. The problem does not seem to be skin-dependent at all.

Les

#5

This is because clicking on the green part of a key is a shortcut for the H-prefixed function.

So if you click on F then on the down arrow key, it will work. But F+the green part of down arrow key will do F, H, down arrow, i.e. Status.

There are several solutions:

1) you can be careful about where you click now that you know the shortcut.
2) I could add an option to disable the H-shortcut
3) The H-shortcut could be automatically disabled if F or G are activated

Let me know what you think.

#6

Man, I didn't notice that!!!

All is well now!

I can do the "careful" option.

Sheesh, I really didn't notice that pattern until you pointed it out!

An option to disable in the Preferences would be nice, though.

Now, any advice on how to get the FTDI USB/Serial converter detected as a serial port?

Many thanks,

Les

#7

This 'shortcut' is not implemented in the Windows emulator. I vote for keeping the prefixes mandatory on the emulator like on the calculator. No anachronistic shortcuts, please.

#8

Quote:
Now, any advice on how to get the FTDI USB/Serial converter detected as a serial port?

Actually, a quick Google is my friend.

It was simply a matter of installing the most up-to-date FTDI driver for Mac.

A quick test with SENDA shows that I can send my RAM contents back and forth easily.

I am happy as heck. Now, I can use the Perl scripts and Terminal to create my library files from text listings and do all my programming work and transferring in Mac. The only thing I need Windows XP under Fusion for is flashing with MySamba.

I have just seen Walter's comment and I have to agree that I am now inclined to disabling the short cut and making prefixes mandatory at all times for f, g, and h. Avoids the confusion that I experienced.

Les

#9

I'm finishing the Mac firmware flashing tool. In fact, first test running as we speak. So you will not need Windows XP at all soon I hope.

#10

In the windows "old" emulator, there is another shortcut. Right-click I thing.

Having a shortcut in the new emulator too was an explicit demand made by another member of the team. Adding an option to enable it or not would keep everyone happy I guess.

#11

The "ignore if a prefix is active" option seems sensible.

#12

Can the tool be command line driven? It yes we can add a make target "reflash" with an option to set the port. Anything in SVN yet?

#13

Making a command-line version of the tool will be easy once it works. It has been designed this way.

Nothing in SVN yet as the first version with the full flashing protocol is just 1 day old. I still have to check that it sends the correct data to the "WP34s in SAM-BA mode" emulator I wrote, to check why it is currently very slow, to test it on a real WP34-S and to package the whole thing.

Should be ready next week if everything goes according to plan.

#14

I'll add it too.



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