----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Harrison <mike@WHITEWING.CO.UK>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 11:14 AM
Subject: Re: No help from Microchip for MPLAB Xwisp Integration :(


On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 08:35:37 +0100, you wrote:

> >Hi all,
> >
> >I emailed microchip last week asking for COM interface information needed to
> >implement a COM wrapper around Xwisp (or some other programming tool) so
> >that MPLAB can drive it. They mailed be back this morning:-
> >
> >"The MPLAB IDE COM interfaces are proprietary Intellectual Property and are
> >only released after a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is in place and a
> >business review has been performed.  To start the NDA process, please put
> >together a business proposal and send it to..."
> >
> >Which I though was a little dissapointing. NDA-protected IP is unlikely to
> >be releasable Open Source :(
> >
> >
> >Now I will have to contemplate reverse engineering :O
> >
> >Jon
>
> I never cease to be amazed by this sort of  rubbish that big companies come
out
> with - what could
> they possibly lose by making this information generally available.....

Possibly competitive advantage.

Lets face it, if I want to sell chips and I have support software for them, I'm
going to do much better than someone who has a clone of my chips with subtle
differences and NO support software. Can you use Microchip's MPLAB to develop
code for the Ubicom SX MCUs 100% effectively? I really doubt it.

Regards
Sergio Masci

http://www.xcprod.com/titan/XCSB - optimising structured PIC BASIC compiler

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