This is a program to be run on an AVR ATmega328p such as an Arduino in order to multiplex port output over a UART connection. It should be pretty easily to port to other AVR devices.
You will need avrdude to upload the program to the AVR. Install it like so:
# Linux:
sudo apt install avrdude
# Mac:
brew install avrdude
After that, just run this:
make upload port=<device>
where <device> is the name of the serial connection to the USB. The default is
/dev/ttyUSB0. On a Mac, the device will be named starting with
/dev/cu.usbserial-.
Plug your AVR into your computer's USB port after doing what you will with the pins, e.g. attaching LEDS on a breadboard. Then send data down the USB using the protocol described below.
In the protocol, each message in one byte. The most significant bit can be zero or one. Zero indicates the port should turn off. One indicates it should turn on. The lower five bits specify which port to switch (so there can be at most 32 ports.) The implementation decides which number corresponds to which port. My implementation numbers the ports the same as their labels on my Sparkfun board. To change the numbering, see Adapting.
Following is a method to communicate with the AVR using the Unix shell.
set_pin() { printf \\$(printf %o $(($1+$2*128))); }
mkfifo usb
tail -f usb > /dev/ttyUSB0 & # For Linux; use /dev/cu.usbserial-... on Mac
set_pin >usb 3 1 # Turns on pin 3
set_pin >usb 3 0 # Turns off pin 3
You do not need to compile if all you are doing is uploading the program. If you need to make changes, you'll have to install some stuff:
# Linux:
sudo apt install gcc-avr binutils-avr avr-libc avrdude
# Mac:
brew tap osx-cross/avr
brew install avr-libc
The table mapping numbers to actual pins is at the bottom of gpsm.S. The
number is indicated by an entry's place in the table. The information specified
is the port register (D, B, etc.) and which bit of the register to use. More
information is available in gpsm.S.
Yes, writing it in C would improve understandability. I just wanted to try writing something in assembly. This is my first substantial assembly program.