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Focus

A compact and standalone board, programmable via a simple Visual Language inspired by the normal electric schematics.

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Focus born with the purpose of making a prototype board that simplify every aspect of programming. (Hint the name)
Avoiding to distract the geek from the real main idea!
Focus use a powerful compiler combined with a revolutionary Visual Programming language based on electric components.

  • Avoid spending hours, or worst days, just learning C or C++ for using some basic digital logic with Input and Output
  • Programmable via a Visual Language inspired by the standard electric schematics
  • Support for common protocols like UART , SPI and I2C
  • Cross platform programming IDE and compiler, fully developed in HTML + JavaScript
  • Built-in Leds and Trigger Button for basic realtime debug

  • The dream remains the same! Thanks HTML & JS :)

    chmod77512/28/2018 at 19:53 0 comments

    I know, It's been some time... I feel sorry for not posting any update on the project but unfortunately / fortunately I've been busy on some big projects for my company.

    But the project never quitted inside me! The dream of a device with an easy and fast to use visual programming language still is my priority.

    And the last week as been veeeery productive...

    Do you want to see the results? Here there are!

    This is a sneak peek at the compiler developed completely in JavaScript and HTML for the best cross-platform experience!

    This is a WORKING example (running on the FOCUS board at over 1khz refresh) of a counter with a FullAdder and a Latch made entirely of NOR gates!

    Yes, a 'MAD GEEK' experiment just to test the power of this language! 

    Just as a proof:

    This is the ADD component

    This is the ADDER component INSIDE the ADD component:

    And those are the individual AND, OR and XOR gates made's entirely with NOR gates! I was not joking about.

    For the moment it's all, but just because the post is becoming too long! (I already thanks you for coming this far and reading all of it! :D)

    But I promise in less than a week a video of a complete product, from the developing of a project to the code running on a WORKING Focus board!


    See you later, and thanks again for your time! 

  • Withdraw?

    chmod77508/08/2017 at 09:57 0 comments

    Unfortunately Visual Languages are too limited for a open board like Focus.

    Need to withdraw to a normal scripting language... Uhmm... Anyone says BASIC?

    Yes, the board will use an optimized version of BASIC, with a Client Application developed in Java (available on MacOS, Windows and Linux).

    But I wanted to keep the 'No Reset Needed' mind on this Board.

    So FOCUS will become a BASIC Programmable Board, with the capability to make Changes at Runtime.

    In the meantime, I will be very thankful if you can check my other project:

    Game65 - https://hackaday.io/project/26198-game65

    (A Micro Game Device programmable in old school 6502 Assembly)

  • Going on... First code

    chmod77503/05/2017 at 15:22 0 comments

    Today I've finally tested some code running on the Focus board from the IDE.

    Still hard working on it.


  • Step by Step, Color by Color

    chmod77502/04/2017 at 19:59 0 comments

    Just a fast update.

    This is how the main Compiler will be!

    With different colors are indicated the 'Alias', identical blocks where the user can change the arguments of all the blocks just by changing in one place. Time saving and frustration saving! :)

  • The Language

    chmod77501/28/2017 at 13:44 0 comments

    Spent the last hour writing down the main concept of the Visual Programming Language for the Focus!

    It's just a simple sketch, but I wanted to share it with you the main raison why I'm building it.

    Writing down line and lines of code, continually Search online for examples or tutorial for just a simple Input Read and, maybe the worst thing, have multiple things to Remember (like the 'Servo::refresh()' at the end of the Arduino example that I keep forgetting or the 'pinMode' when working with different prototyping boards).

    All this stuff summarise in loosing the main 'Focus' of the prototype or idea in that specific moment.

  • Stencils ❤

    chmod77501/25/2017 at 19:51 0 comments

    Finally stencils from OSHStencils show up in the mail box. Yes, another sleepless night

  • First done, let the Magic begin

    chmod77501/02/2017 at 21:23 0 comments

    I know, not really a good job right?

    Well toasted, 'I love the smell of burned leds in the morning', and not fully complete.

    But it's good enough for some basics tests.

  • Solder paste?

    chmod77501/02/2017 at 21:19 6 comments

    Well, it's better to say 'Solder Mess'!

    The board 'face' in the middle is worth a thousand words.

    First ever try using solder paste and hot dryer gun.

  • Fresh boards arrived!

    chmod77501/02/2017 at 21:14 0 comments

    Fresh boards from OshPark!
    And this time also with a sweet surprice ;-)

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lukasz.iwaszkiewicz wrote 02/20/2017 at 22:28 point

Hi. Do you plan to commercialize this? What would be the selling point? To what extent you can program this? I mean how advanced is the language? Im asking, because I thought of making something similar, but with data-flow like language.

  Are you sure? yes | no

chmod775 wrote 02/20/2017 at 22:45 point

Thanks you for your interest! Yes, I'm planning to commercialise this at a reasonable price (around 20€ / 24$). The language will be extended to cover all the most useful function of C (but keeping it simple) even with string and SPI / UART support. The language you're making it's like the one of your 'robot' project? I really like it! :) I thinks we can keep in contact

  Are you sure? yes | no

lukasz.iwaszkiewicz wrote 02/20/2017 at 22:59 point

Yeah, this is it, but in my case I can only imagine that you could program some simple tasks, like automation for instance. Like one could turn GPIOS on and off, send some bytes over UART, maybe even make a PID controller out of it, but I can't imagine how I could interface some sensors which aren't  earlier programmed in C/C++. For instance an accelerometer : you have to send bunch of stuff over I2C to initialize one of those. And such dilemmas make me think about point of my board. Would it be useful with such reduced functionality? But those are rhetorical questions I think :D

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oshpark wrote 01/25/2017 at 19:46 point

Great project!  We look forward to future updates.

  Are you sure? yes | no

chmod775 wrote 01/25/2017 at 19:58 point

Much appreciated, I'll post new logs very soon. Thanks for the support!

  Are you sure? yes | no

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