Glossary

Here’s a glossary to help general programmers understand Flowcode-specific terms and concepts:

• Component: A pre-built, modular building block in Flowcode that represents physical hardware (e.g., sensors, motors) or software functionality (e.g., timers, logic gates). Components come with customizable properties and built-in methods for easy integration into projects.
• Ghost: A feature in Flowcode that visually indicates the potential behaviour or movement of a component or system element during simulation. Ghosts help visualize how parts of a design interact over time.
• Flowchart Icon: A visual representation of an action or decision in Flowcode’s graphical programming environment. Icons are used to build the logic of the program, representing operations like inputs, outputs, loops, and conditions.
• Macro: A subroutine or function in Flowcode that allows the user to encapsulate a block of code, making it reusable across the project. Macros can be created, edited, and imported/exported between projects.
• Simulation Panel: A visual workspace in Flowcode where users can simulate their embedded systems. Flowcode offers both 2D and 3D panels to visually represent how hardware components interact within a system.
• Properties Panel: A control window in Flowcode where users can adjust the settings and attributes of a selected component, flowchart icon, or object. This panel allows customization of variables like pin assignments, timing, or scaling factors.
• Ribbon Toolbar: The top toolbar in Flowcode, providing quick access to various tools, commands, and settings. It organizes functions like creating projects, running simulations, managing components, and setting global options.
• Handles: Special variable types in Flowcode used to reference and control specific elements within a system, such as graphical objects, panels, or other dynamic components. Handles allow for flexible interaction with these elements during simulation or runtime.
• Panel Object: An element within a Flowcode simulation panel, such as a sensor or graphical display, that can be manipulated in terms of position, scale, and rotation. These objects help visualize hardware within the simulation environment.
• Icon Grouping: A feature that allows several flowchart icons to be combined into a single, reusable unit. This is useful for reducing clutter and simplifying complex flowcharts.
• State Diagram: A graphical representation of a system’s states and transitions, used to model and control flow in an event-driven program. Flowcode supports this coding paradigm for users developing with finite state machines.
• CAL (Code Abstraction Layer) Components: High-level components in Flowcode that abstract lower-level hardware details, allowing for simpler programming and simulation across different platforms and devices without focusing on specific hardware intricacies.
• DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Components: Specialized components in Flowcode for handling digital signal processing tasks, including filtering, signal analysis, and audio processing.
• Compiler Toolchain: A set of tools used to convert Flowcode’s graphical designs into executable machine code for a target microcontroller or hardware platform. Flowcode supports multiple toolchains for different architectures.
• C Code Simulation: A feature in Flowcode that allows users to simulate C code within their project to observe how it behaves alongside the flowchart-based programming. This is useful for advanced users who wish to combine visual design with custom code.
• Chip View: A graphical view in Flowcode that shows the pin configuration and layout of the microcontroller being used in the project. It allows users to see how components are connected and adjust pin assignments.
• Code Folding: A functionality that allows users to collapse sections of working code or flowchart blocks, improving readability and providing more screen space for editing other sections of the program.
• Code Paradigms: Refers to the different ways users can write code in Flowcode, including flowcharts, block diagrams, pseudocode, or traditional C code.
• Remappable Peripheral Pins: A feature allowing certain microcontrollers to have flexible pin assignments for peripherals like UART or SPI, providing more flexibility in hardware design.
• Supplementary Code: User-generated code or script added to a Flowcode project to supplement the flowchart or graphical elements. This allows advanced users to integrate low-level code directly into the project.
• Icon Tear-Off/Tab Tear-Off: A feature in Flowcode that allows users to drag tabs or groups of flowchart icons to separate windows, enabling efficient multi-monitor development.
• Primitive Objects: Basic shapes such as cubes, spheres, and cylinders used in Flowcode’s simulation panel to represent simple hardware elements or placeholders in a system.
• Mesh Objects: Detailed 3D models in Flowcode used to represent complex hardware components for more realistic simulations in the 3D environment.
• In-Circuit Debug (ICD): A feature in Flowcode that allows users to debug their program while it is running on the actual hardware. With ICD, users can step through code, set breakpoints, and monitor variables in real-time, directly on the connected device. This helps in identifying and fixing issues that occur during actual hardware execution, making the debugging process more efficient and accurate.
• In-Circuit Test (ICT): A method used to test assembled printed circuit boards (PCBs) by checking electrical performance and connections between components. In Flowcode, ICT allows users to simulate or control hardware testing directly, ensuring the correct functioning of components, like resistors, capacitors, and ICs, without removing them from the circuit. This is essential for identifying manufacturing defects and verifying design integrity.