Just a quick note and a question.
I have the exact same setup as Erni. I wasn't able to get any output when using SoftwareSerial. The code was running on the target (ATTiny85) but there was no output. Monitor enabled with "!" and "#" for restarting the tiny works.
I then tried to use TinyDebugKnockBang. When I put the header and implementation files into my sketches folder (inside the TinyDebugKnockBang directory), the Arduino IDE isn't able to pick it up (after restarting).
It just states that "Debug." isn't declared.
Since I am on a Mac, I have put the TinyDebugKnockBang directory directly inside the Arduino.app/Contents/Resources/java/libraries. Now it works and I get the desired output.
Whats weird though, when I try the same blink example as Erni (just changed the led pin to 1 for the tiny), I get output as long as I don't connect the LED. When I connect it, the serial monitor prints:
No problem. I set TinyISP to use SoftwareSerial again. I do get output with your sketch, but it is not legible.
The second problem is - I have a push button and an led. I need to connect both to the attiny without interfering with the other pins used for programming. So far I have tried pin 3 for the led and pin 2 for the button, but this breaks my code - i.e. it behaves weird. If I disconnect all jump wires and attach the led to pin 1 and the button to pin 0, it works - but I obviously don't get any output.
I am doing all this because I want to save a value to the tiny's EEPROM and I am using the button to enter a "settings mode". Then I am using the led as a visual feedback for the user so he knows which value has been saved. Upon reset I want to load the value from EEPROM and blink the led n-times according to the saved value. This fails and I don't know why.
This was my initial reason to search for a way to print the debug output from the tiny to check the EEPROM value.
Just a little follow-up. I was able to get output with KnockBang. I have attached the led to attiny's pin 3 and the button to pin 0. This does not interfere with the programming via Arduino Uno.
And writing and reading from EEPROM works too I needed to convert values with int() and byte().
Hello,
I think it is a bit off topic, but I found no better post for this topic.
I wanted to use the famous TinyISP programm to allow serial debug output of an ATtinyx5 into the Arduino IDE Serial Monitor.
Unfortunately the ATtinyx5 pin number in file TinyDebugSerial.h was not set to fit the standard ArduinoISP setup.
I had to change the pin number from 3 to 1, then it worked (CPU clock 1 MHz).
Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience and posting a link here.
Regards to Coding Badly for the good software.
My pleasure. I'm glad you find it useful.
Have (had) you considered using Knock-Bang instead of Serial? I use it with an ATtiny13 processor so the footprint has to be even smaller than TinyDebugSerial. (There are a few other benefits over Serial.)
No, I have not tried the Knock-Bang protocol, because I thought it needs more flash-ROM space than the serial protocol.
When you say so that it needs less space, I will give it a try.
Knock-Bang uses roughly half the space of TinyDebugSerial. println of an integer is 292 bytes versus 582 bytes. println of a Flash string constant is 282 versus 638. One println of each is 348 versus 710.
Erni:
I did not know your Tiny core supported the attiny13 ?
The version on my desk (mostly) does. It has some goodies that actually make the ATtiny13 useful. But the core is not complete (no: analogRead, delay, delayMicroseconds, tone w/ variable parameters).
I have used smeezekitty's tiny13 core, which is great, but it would be nice to be able to use your TinyISP.
Knock-Bang should be independent of the core. TinyISP + Knock-Bang should work well with smeezekitty's core (or any other core).
// the setup routine runs once when you press reset:
void setup() {
// initialize the digital pin as an output.
pinMode(led, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin( 9600 );
}
// the loop routine runs over and over again forever:
void loop() {
digitalWrite(led, HIGH); // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
delay(1000); // wait for a second
digitalWrite(led, LOW); // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
delay(1000);
Serial.println( "Testing..."); // debug output
}
I think the buty about Serial Relay is that you have two way communication. This makes the tiny environment look and feel almost like an Arduino.
If you want to utilize this feature you have to use SoftwareSerial, atleast that is my understanding.
On the other hand I can see the advantage of using the TinyDebugSerial: You can take a Arduino sketch an compile it for a tiny without midifying the Serial.print() statements.