I may be wrong here but without a time based interrupt (ROMZap has only user
placed calls to the monitor routine and I didn't think WLoader had any debug
ability, please correct if wrong) I don't see how profiling would happen.

I certainly do agree that this would be a good place for it, and that it
could be done, but either an external interrupt, or timer ISR code would be
required. Not too hard, just would require some additional (precious)
overhead.

Now, the ICD (is anyone from Microchip listening) should be able to do this
without any additional target chip hardware or software overhead. Just a
tweak (maybe) in the ICD "module" firmware and some GUI on the PC.

The Parallax-inc.com SXKey for the Scenix.com SX PIC clones has a "Poll"
mode where the chip gets interrupted and the registers updated on the PC
screen every few hundred milliseconds and I've used that as an "seat of the
pants" profiler in the past.

My experience is that 90% of the programs spend %80 percent of their time in
5% of the code (or about) so it sort of jumps out at you. I've also been
(unpleasantly) suppressed at which 5% of the code it is on a number of
occasions.

---
James Newton (PICList Admin #3)
mailto:jamesnewton@piclist.com 1-619-652-0593
PIC/PICList FAQ: http://www.piclist.com or .org

-----Original Message-----
From: pic microcontroller discussion list
[mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Dan Michaels
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2000 11:20
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: [PIC]: PIC Profiler


Harold wrote:

>>
>> And I'll bet you always know "exactly" how long all your
>> "critical" routines take to execute too.
>>
.....
>        Yes... Too Long!  Anyone have any sort of histogram program to tell
me
>where the processor is spending all its time?
>

PIC Prolifer - it just occurred to me that this may be something
that could be put into '877 ICD/debug/monitor that Tony and Wouter
have been doing.


best regards,
- danM

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