Matrix user forums

I have the home version of FC4. I love it.
I must have misread the page that describes the differences from the Home to the Pro version.
Built, tested, retested my file, (with much help from the forum). After being satisfied I had things the way I wanted I went to program my PIC. Only now did I discover that FC4 Home will NOT compile EPROM codes. Not only do I find this kind of lame, but almost inexcusable. Being that many PICs have some EPROM space in them, why not use it. It is almost like saying the Home version will only compile the portB and not PortA. I could see this if we were talking an external EPROM that had been added to the circuit.
I sure hope the powers to be will reconsider this in the next release. Please keep up the great work with a terrific program.

Bob

The pricing and limitations of Flowcode are often an issue to our customers and resellers and it is a difficult balance to get things right (and still make enough money to support a team of developers to support it and continually improve it!). In fact, we often hear "is that all??" when selling to industrial and some educational establishments - especially when they do the calculations and see how much of a saving Flowcode potentially offers (we estimate that some customers save thousands each year by using Flowcode).

But I don't mind the issue being raised. Unfortunately, the list of basic or "must have" features is different from person to person and we'll never get it right in the eyes of everyone.

Regarding your specific issue regarding the EEPROM component: Access to the EEPROM data is actually fairly easy using C code and you should be able to implement your own routines by referencing the C code compiler's manual.

One other thing to note is that the upgrade from "home" to "professional" is simply the difference between the two prices. We have deliberately done this so that if a customer buys the "home" version and then finds that they outgrow the limitations, they are not penalised when upgrading. We also send out the upgrade via email and so there is no additional postage cost.

Steve,
Thank you for the reply. I am sure it is a difficult task trying to find the balance. I just hope that it is reconsidered for future up-dates. I can understand dividing up functional differences between Home/Professional versions. But I think it needs to be looked at by what is EXTERNAL to the PIC.
If things are to remain the same, I would clarify that the EEPROM support includes what may be internal to the PIC as well as external. I can see from the "C" code that was generated, it looks like the EEPROM code is there, just the defines for how much and where is missing. I will figure it out.

Keep up the great work, if it were not for FLowcode, I would still be trying to figure out just how to make an LED blink.

Bob