Using ChatGPT or Claude to help with GCBASIC development

[Fabrice Engel]

Dear GCBASIC Community,

I just wanted to report my positive experience by using AI LLM tools like ChatGPT and Claude to support me by the development of my latest project source code.

It is to operate a fluid detection system using a photosensor. The whole code is 800 lines big (and I not count all comments inside), and I assume that between 80% to 90% was fully generated by the combination of both LLM mentioned previously. The generated code is strong, work very well and let me win weeks and weeks of hobbyst development periods.

I also learned that some nice syntax in GCBASIC are possible like:

outputCounter++                              // Using just ++, I use <variable> += 1

If outputState = STATE_EMPTY  Then EventCode = EVENT_EMPTY  // In one line without End If

HSerPrint "PWM="  : HSerPrint PWMLedDefined      // Using <:> to separate

I am always struggeling with langage syntax and that is the reason why I never learned C++, I was so happy to discover GCBASIC for doing something with microcontrollers. Thank to the whole Team behind.

To give you an idea of the hardware used, please check both pictures. The project uses a PIC16F1825.

See also an example (sorry it is in French, but source code comments in English) how I interact with Claude, and how a non blocking Buzzer routine was generated by Claude. First compilation, 0 errors and work as expected - good :)

La solution : une machine d'état non-bloquante similaire à ServiceBuzzer(), appelée ServiceConfirmFeedback().
Elle ré-assertera LedRed et Buzzer à chaque itération de boucle pendant la phase ON, ce qui surpasse UpdateOutput() puisqu'elle s'exécute après.

Nouvelles constantes à ajouter
#DEFINE CONFIRM_FEEDBACK_ON  = 2   // ON duration per blink:  2 * 50ms = 100ms
#DEFINE CONFIRM_FEEDBACK_OFF = 2   // OFF duration per blink: 2 * 50ms = 100ms

Nouvelles variables globales à ajouter
// Non-blocking confirm feedback state machine
Dim confirmFeedbackActive  As Bit   // 1 = feedback sequence is running
Dim confirmFeedbackState   As Bit   // 1 = ON phase (LED+buzzer on), 0 = OFF phase
Dim confirmFeedbackCount   As Byte  // Remaining blinks/beeps to produce
Dim confirmFeedbackTick    As Byte  // BuzzerTick snapshot at last phase transition
Dim confirmFeedbackElapsed As Byte  // Elapsed ticks since last phase transition

Nouvelles initialisations à ajouter
confirmFeedbackActive = 0           // No feedback running at startup
confirmFeedbackState  = 0           // Start in OFF phase
confirmFeedbackCount  = 0           // No blinks pending
confirmFeedbackTick   = 0           // Tick reference cleared

CycleConfirmLevel() — version non-bloquante
// ----------------------------------------------------------
// CycleConfirmLevel
// Advances confirm level: 1→2→...→8→1 (wraps around)
// Updates outputConfirm immediately for the running loop
// Resets persistence counter to avoid stale accumulated count
// Saves new level index to EEPROM
// Launches non-blocking N-blink + N-beep feedback sequence
// A new button press while feedback runs restarts it cleanly
// ----------------------------------------------------------
Sub CycleConfirmLevel()
    confirmLevel++                                   // Advance to next level index

    If confirmLevel > CONFIRM_MAX Then               // Wrap around after level 8
        confirmLevel = CONFIRM_MIN                   // Back to level 1 (100 iterations)
    End If

    outputConfirm = confirmLevel * CONFIRM_STEP      // Apply new threshold immediately
    outputCounter = 0                                // Reset persistence: restart counting

    Call SaveConfirmLevel()                          // Persist new index to EEPROM

    // Launch non-blocking N-blink + N-beep feedback
    // Disabling ServiceBuzzer prevents Buzzer conflict during feedback
    BuzzerEnable          = 0                        // Suspend any running buzzer sequence
    Buzzer                = 0                        // Ensure clean buzzer start state
    LedRed                = 0                        // Ensure clean LED start state
    confirmFeedbackCount  = confirmLevel             // N blinks = selected level index
    confirmFeedbackTick   = BuzzerTick               // Capture current tick as start reference
    confirmFeedbackState  = 1                        // Begin with ON phase immediately
    confirmFeedbackActive = 1                        // Enable the feedback service routine
    LedRed                = 1                        // First blink: LED on immediately
    Buzzer                = 1                        // First beep: buzzer on immediately
End Sub

Nouvelle sous-routine ServiceConfirmFeedback()
// ----------------------------------------------------------
// ServiceConfirmFeedback
// Non-blocking N-blink + N-beep feedback for confirm level change
// Must be called AFTER UpdateOutput() and ServiceBuzzer() in main loop
// Re-asserts LedRed and Buzzer each iteration during ON phase,
// overriding UpdateOutput() since it runs after it
// BuzzerEnable=0 prevents ServiceBuzzer() from interfering with Buzzer
// A new button press restarts the sequence cleanly via CycleConfirmLevel()
// ----------------------------------------------------------
Sub ServiceConfirmFeedback()
    If confirmFeedbackActive = 0 Then                // No feedback running: nothing to do
        Exit Sub
    End If

    confirmFeedbackElapsed = BuzzerTick - confirmFeedbackTick  // Ticks since last phase change

    If confirmFeedbackState = 1 Then                 // Currently in ON phase (LED + buzzer active)
        LedRed = 1                                   // Re-assert every iteration: override UpdateOutput
        Buzzer = 1                                   // Re-assert every iteration: keep buzzer on

        If confirmFeedbackElapsed >= CONFIRM_FEEDBACK_ON Then  // ON duration elapsed?
            LedRed               = 0                 // Turn off LED
            Buzzer               = 0                 // Turn off buzzer
            confirmFeedbackState = 0                 // Switch to OFF phase
            confirmFeedbackTick  = BuzzerTick        // Record OFF phase start time
        End If

    Else                                             // Currently in OFF phase (LED + buzzer off)
        If confirmFeedbackElapsed >= CONFIRM_FEEDBACK_OFF Then // OFF duration elapsed?
            confirmFeedbackCount--                   // Count this completed blink

            If confirmFeedbackCount = 0 Then         // All N blinks done?
                confirmFeedbackActive = 0            // Stop feedback sequence
                LedRed               = 0            // Ensure LED is off
                Buzzer               = 0            // Ensure buzzer is off
                Exit Sub                            // Done
            End If

            // More blinks remaining: start next ON phase
            LedRed               = 1                // LED on for next blink
            Buzzer               = 1                // Buzzer on for next beep
            confirmFeedbackState = 1                // Enter ON phase
            confirmFeedbackTick  = BuzzerTick       // Record ON phase start time
        End If
    End If
End Sub

Modification de la boucle principale

Ajouter ServiceConfirmFeedback() après ServiceBuzzer() et avant ServiceHeartbeat() :

Call UpdateOutput()                  // Apply persistence filter; drive pump and LEDs
Call ProcessEvents()                 // Translate event code into buzzer pattern
Call ServiceBuzzer()                 // Execute non-blocking buzzer sequence
Call ServiceConfirmFeedback()        // Execute non-blocking N-blink/beep confirm feedback
Call ServiceHeartbeat()              // Manage blue LED heartbeat (system alive indicator)

Pourquoi ça fonctionne sans bloquer

Mécanisme   Explication
Pas de Wait La routine retourne immédiatement si le tick n'a pas changé
Ré-assertion chaque itération   Pendant la phase ON, LedRed=1 et Buzzer=1 sont réécrits après UpdateOutput()
Priorité par ordre d'appel  ServiceConfirmFeedback() s'exécute après UpdateOutput() → sa valeur est la dernière écrite
Appui rapide    Un nouvel appui pendant le feedback relance CycleConfirmLevel() qui réinitialise proprement la machine d'état

[Anobium]

Great to hear.

The source for this AI? The demonstrations ojn GitHub, the extensive Help and this Forum.

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I use Claude! it is better and faster then me coding it!

[Fabrice Engel]

I have started with ChatGPT and complete with Claude. I have no commercial API only free versions, so I worked on the project step by step as soon I received few tokens to continu :)

AI Claude provide much better code, but ChatGPT explained more the background and how technically the whole PWM -> Analog -> Led // Phototransistor -> ADC Reading work together. I have a lot of conversationnel pages with ChatGPT to obtain a final result.

Once having a fully code, I have asked Claude to make a final pass, find dead variables even routines, add on every line a comment in English, check if code can be optimised and make proposals.

I am really happy with the result, but I am not ready yet to share the project. KiCad source are not polished, and I had still need to do some afterwork.

In the meantime, if someone have a particular related question, just ask here :) Thank