Bill Collins wrote:
>
>I got the PIC_TOOLS.ZIP file from the Parallax FTP site.  It contains
>PASM and Microchip's MPASM, but only has the instruction manual for
>MPASM.  Is the manual for PASM available, or is that the incentive to
>buy the package rather than FTP it?
>
>Also, I looked at the FTP site again today, and couldn't find any of the
>tools.  Did I take a wrong turn, or have they removed the PASM and BASIC
>stamp tools?


There are three files that should help you with our assemblers:  INST.TXT,
INSTX.TXT, and PICPGM.PDF.  The first two files are text files that briefly
explain the directives and instructions accepted by the assemblers.  The
third file is a PDF (Acrobat) version of the following chapters in our
printed manual: Assembler, Simulator, Programmer, and Instructions
(Parallax and Microchip).

If you can use the Windows or Mac PDF reader (which takes forever to
download from our ftp site), then the PDF file is your best bet.  It's the
same file provided with our "Hobbyist Pack" programmer, and gives you a
near-printed-quality manual (if you use a laser printer).  To find the PDF
files, look in the Acrobat directory at our ftp site.

I'm a little confused by your second paragraph.  In the first paragraph,
you said that you got PASM and MPASM.  In the second paragraph, you said
that you couldn't find the tools, such as PASM.EXE or STAMP.EXE.  Both are
part of respective ZIP files, such as PIC_TOOLS.ZIP and STAMP.ZIP.  Soon, I
think we will make the most important files available separately.  For now,
though, they are only available in the larger ZIP files.

We certainly don't want to make the tools unavailable.  Please let us know
if you still have problems getting them.


------------------------  Lance Walley  ---------------------------
                          Parallax, Inc.