I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes?
PIC/dsPIC development
Started by ●November 4, 2018
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
bitrex wrote>I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't >have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. > >What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC >development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes?Dunno what a 'ds'PIC is I only program PICs (12F 16F 18F) in asm. For that I use gpasm in Linux (is part of gputils). Designed my own programmer (based on noppp by somebody else), and wrote my own programming software, that is in my site. I do not use Microchip mplab, I do not use ice, I do not use any other slimulator. I debug via the PIC's serial port, and if it does not have one write a soft one in ... PIC asm. Does this help? Over time you build a library of fast asm, there is the piclist website too where you can find many asm code examples. The PICs I use are too small or impractical for any C programming. Sometimes I write the code in C on the PC and if that works translate it into 32 bits asm. Normally floating point is not needed, 32 bits is enough for most purposes, I use a 32 bit asm math library from somebody I found on PICLIST. But then I started coding in binary long time ago, so for me asm is a high level language. I started with PICs cracking TV smartcards that had those in it. So the dirty secrets I should know... Was still legal back then. It is actually fun. PIC asm, and I do not even claim I know the whole 16F instruction set. Have fear? http://panteltje.com/pub/lnb_ref-0.1.asm todays code. Its working, just tested it... More PIC asm examples here: http://panteltje.com/panteltje/pic/index.html grin
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
On 11/04/2018 04:02 PM, 698839253X6D445TD@nospam.org wrote:> bitrex wrote >> I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't >> have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. >> >> What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC >> development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes? > > Dunno what a 'ds'PIC is > I only program PICs (12F 16F 18F) in asm. > For that I use gpasm in Linux (is part of gputils). > > Designed my own programmer (based on noppp by somebody else), > and wrote my own programming software, that is in my site. > I do not use Microchip mplab, > I do not use ice, > I do not use any other slimulator. > I debug via the PIC's serial port, and if it does not have one write a soft one in ... PIC asm. > > Does this help? > > Over time you build a library of fast asm, > there is the piclist website too where you can find many asm code examples. > > The PICs I use are too small or impractical for any C programming. > Sometimes I write the code in C on the PC and if that works translate it into 32 bits asm. > Normally floating point is not needed, 32 bits is enough for most purposes, > I use a 32 bit asm math library from somebody I found on PICLIST. > > But then I started coding in binary long time ago,Oh sweet heavens...> so for me asm is a high level language.good grief.> I started with PICs cracking TV smartcards that had those in it. > So the dirty secrets I should know... Was still legal back then. > > It is actually fun. PIC asm, > and I do not even claim I know the whole 16F instruction set. > Have fear? > http://panteltje.com/pub/lnb_ref-0.1.asm > todays code. > Its working, just tested it... > > More PIC asm examples here: > http://panteltje.com/panteltje/pic/index.html > > grin >
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
On Sun, 4 Nov 2018 15:12:22 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote:>I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't >have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. > >What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC >development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes?Mplab, unless you perfer some GNu. I never had a problem with 8.x (8 bit). Mplab X is C90/C99 and some things don't port over directly. If you use the Code Configurator, be sure you check to see if the device is supported, older devices are not. I'm sure the 32 bit dspic compilier has similar quirks. So if you inherit a project in 8.x, You'll need Win7 and ICD3 Otherwise MplabX and ICD4. Cheers
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
On Sunday, 4 November 2018 15:12:28 UTC-5, bitrex wrote:> I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't > have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. > > What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC > development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes?MPLAB-X with their compiler XC-16. It's a bit greedy with resources but okay on a modern machine. There is a free version with no optimization. I am not sure how well the DSP functionality is supported by the compiler, we just used it as a relatively fast 16-bit micro. The compiler is $995 but there is a 50% off discount coupon good to the end of this month. Use Coupon Code : TP1932 This family is a bit long in the tooth, but if your customer wants it.. --Spehro Pefhany
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
On 11/04/2018 05:31 PM, Martin Riddle wrote:> On Sun, 4 Nov 2018 15:12:22 -0500, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote: > >> I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't >> have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. >> >> What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC >> development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes? > > Mplab, unless you perfer some GNu. > I never had a problem with 8.x (8 bit). Mplab X is C90/C99 and some > things don't port over directly. If you use the Code Configurator, be > sure you check to see if the device is supported, older devices are > not. > I'm sure the 32 bit dspic compilier has similar quirks. > > So if you inherit a project in 8.x, You'll need Win7 and ICD3 > Otherwise MplabX and ICD4. > > > Cheers >Got it, thanks!
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
On 11/04/2018 05:45 PM, speff wrote:> On Sunday, 4 November 2018 15:12:28 UTC-5, bitrex wrote: >> I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't >> have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. >> >> What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC >> development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes? > > MPLAB-X with their compiler XC-16. It's a bit greedy with resources but okay on a modern machine. There is a free version with no optimization. I am not sure how well the DSP functionality is supported by the compiler, we just used it as a relatively fast 16-bit micro. > > The compiler is $995 but there is a 50% off discount coupon good to the end of this month. Use Coupon Code : TP1932 > > This family is a bit long in the tooth, but if your customer wants it.. > > --Spehro Pefhany >I wonder how much of a future 8-bit AVR has, unfortunately. I love 'em and use the ATTiny series all the time, they're IMO a significantly superior architecture wrt high-level C/C++ development than PIC. My time from concept to working prototype on breadboard is astonishingly low, sometimes just tens of minutes. But 8-bit PIC beats them on the long-term availability/support/"legacy" front. And 32 bit ARM is coming down in price and power consumption all the time, also astonishingly so.
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
On 11/04/2018 05:45 PM, speff wrote:> On Sunday, 4 November 2018 15:12:28 UTC-5, bitrex wrote: >> I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't >> have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. >> >> What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC >> development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes? > > MPLAB-X with their compiler XC-16. It's a bit greedy with resources but okay on a modern machine. There is a free version with no optimization. I am not sure how well the DSP functionality is supported by the compiler, we just used it as a relatively fast 16-bit micro. > > The compiler is $995 but there is a 50% off discount coupon good to the end of this month. Use Coupon Code : TP1932 > > This family is a bit long in the tooth, but if your customer wants it.. > > --Spehro Pefhany >I see a lot of requests on freelance sites, etc. for assistance maintain/debugging/future-proofing PIC code. I see very few requests for maintenance or debugging of "legacy" 8 bit AVR code. Maybe like the Maytag repairman they just worked right first time and didn't need any further assistance, most of my AVR projects are like that nowatimes. ;)
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
On Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 3:12:28 PM UTC-5, bitrex wrote:> I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't > have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. > > What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC > development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes?Did you look at: https://www.mikroe.com/ I've used some of their other development boards. Not keen on their compilers, but they do work. (Just not what I'm used to.) Some of their dev boards can double as programmers, which is a nice perk.
Reply by ●November 4, 20182018-11-04
On 11/04/2018 08:27 PM, mpm wrote:> On Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 3:12:28 PM UTC-5, bitrex wrote: >> I might have to work on a project involving dsPIC code which I don't >> have a lot of experience with, I'm primarily an AVR and ARM guy. >> >> What's the hip current toolchains/dev boards y'all like to use for PIC >> development on Linux or Windows desktops nowatimes? > > Did you look at: > https://www.mikroe.com/ > > I've used some of their other development boards. > Not keen on their compilers, but they do work. (Just not what I'm used to.) > Some of their dev boards can double as programmers, which is a nice perk. >Thanks, those dev boards do look good not at all expensive. So apparently there's no particularly good option for an optimizing C compiler plugged into 3rd party tools e.g. Code Blocks, or Eclipse et. al. for the platform?
