>Daniel Mahoney (dmahoney@netcom.com) wrote: > >>Can anyone point me to a Forth cross-compiler that targets these >>chips? Dear Daniel, The following information is over a year old, but may still be valid. A minimal Forth-like development system (and information on it) is available from: Alan M Robertson, RAM Technology Systems Ltd., 3 Kellaway Road, Poole, Dorset, BH17 7PD. England FAX 44 (0) 1258 456410. It costs about 230 pounds plus 10 pounds carriage plus VAT at 17.5% in its full form for hardware programmer and software development system. It consists of a 'Smart-ICEPIC' which will program PIC 16C64/71/84, with a header or cable to plug into the target system for ICE development. Programming software runs on a PC using a few pins on the parallel printer port. However, the interesting part is that for the 16C84 there is a small Forth-like 'Target Link Monitor' TLM, which lives in the PIC, of only about 120 EEPROM program words containing the code for the Forth words: STACK> >STACK fC@ SP@ EXECUTE FREEZE PIC.RESET SERVER These can be executed by sending the execution address down the same 2 wire serial connection to the unit that is used for programming it. The STACK> word waits for the host to send two bytes of data. The word EXECUTE performes a computed goto to this value as a CFA code field address. The SERVER word consists of : SERVER ( S - ) BEGIN >STACK >STACK EXECUTE AGAIN ; so two 16 bit values arrive over the serial link, are put on the stack and consist of an address which is executed. A method of examining register contents is: STATUS fC@ H. where STATUS is translated on the host, before sending information to the target PIC. The host system on the PC is F-PC from Tom Zimmer which holds the dictionary etc for the target PIC. There is also a library of useful Forth word extensions etc. At any time you can permanently load in extra words to the EEPROM by programming them in, then switch back to interactive testing. Although the initial words provided are minimal, the system can be extended with whatever new words are desired. The philosophy seems excellent for interactive development on a minimal system. I am trying to decide whether to take the plunge and buy one! Brian Robinson ::From:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : Brian Robinson, _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Faraday A38 : : Environmental Science Division, _/ _/ _/ _/ : : I.E.B.S., _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Tel: +44 (0)1524 593922 : : Lancaster University, _/ _/ _/ _/ FAX: +44 (0)1524 593985 : : Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, U.K. _/_/_/ _/ _/ B.Robinson@lancaster.ac.uk : :::::::::::::: http://es-sv1.lancs.ac.uk/people/teach/br.html ::::::::::::::::