ujonsson@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Ulf Jonsson) write in response to an
earlier post of mine:

-snip-

ulf asks about mac asssembler...

-snip-

Here is some info I had that someone else had given me about mac
developmnt.  The assembler was about $100-150. Note that the programmer is
the same one Don Lekei and I have both mentioned and/or endorsed.

***************************begin insertion ****************************
There is a very good Macintosh assembler for the PIC called uASM from
Micro Dialects Inc, PO Box 190, Loveland, OH 45140, Ph: 513/271-9100.
It has integrated text editor, assembler, and communications modules.
It assembles code at between 7,500 to  lines per minute, fully supports
macros,
automatic labels, local labels, conditionally assembly, includes to 10
level deep.  The editor supports up to 10 open files at a time, full
search and replace including grep searches,  and file size limited only
by RAM available.  The terminal emulator supports data transfers at up
to 38,400 buad.  We have been using this assembler for over a year now
and have had no problems at all.  MDI is currently working on an upgrade
to support the 16C71, 84, 64, and 17C42.

We also use a programmer from Beradine Products Ltd, PO Box 86757, North
Vancouver, BC CANADA V7L4L3, Ph: 604/988-9853.  Gary Anderson is very
helpful and makes the only RS-232 termial serial port compatible
programmer I know of.  It supports communications up to 38,400 baud,
stand-alone or host operation, and is very inexpensive.  We have also
used this for over a year with no problems.

We use Macintosh for development partly because our application is for
the AppleTalk environment.  However we have found that development in
the Mac environment is much easier and more productive because of the
integration of these products.  The only thing we miss is the capability
to run a simulator or ICE from our Mac.  For those things we must use
our MS-DOS PC.
****************************end insertion *****************************

ulf goes on to ask:

>Do you know if the PicStart can be used through the serialport from the mac
>under SoftPC. I will buy one myself on the seminar but i don't know if I
>can use it with the mac or if I need to run to some PC user to burn my
>chips.
>
>Is it possible to play with the BasicStamp from a PC? I think you need a
>paralell port but is there some other way?


The PICstart *CANNOT* be used through the serial port of the mac using
SOFTPC. While the software works fine, uchip uses a completely nonstandard
serial connection which is completely incompatible with the mac's serial
ports. (i know this both from exapnded knowledge from uchip and those who
know a lot about mac serial, and also fro having tried it mayself with
total failure the result)

I know nothing (insert images of colonel klink) about STAMP, perhaps
someone else can help you.


>>In a PIC-related project not likely of wide interest to the rest of the group:
>>Right now, I am collecting various crystals (can and surface mount) in
>>order to find out which can withstand very high pressures, since out
>>instrument goes to the bottom of the ocean, and our electronics are
>>suspended in Fluorinert (a non-conducting fluid made by 3M, commonly used
>>in heat cycle testing of electronics) and see full ocean pressure.
>
>How high pressure will the chips take? I have a application where i would
>like to put LED's and phototransistors into a high pressure chamber (200 to
>5000 bar)


Normal can crystals die somewhere between 5000 and 10000 PSI (pretty
limited/rough data so far, since they worked @ 5000, then we went to 10,000
and the cans crushed... i also don't have long term data).

Oh yeah, the chips themselves will should take that pressure (if my
experience is any measure).


-jory

ps: one cute tidbit from my attempt to hook-up a picstart to mac serial was
that you can get the conversion from mac-->pc serial by opening the
appletalk tool with resedit. in it, there is a pict resource with the
pinout of the mac serial, and how to connect it to a pc serial cable)...