> -----Original Message-----
> From: pic microcontroller discussion list
> [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Sergio Masci
> Sent: Saturday, 17 April 2004 4:00 AM
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: Re: [PIC/AVR] PIC vs AVR (ATMEL)
>
> Alan B. Pearce wrote:

[ snip ]

> > >>If you really want to know the power of AVR, it's the availability
> > >>of free C compilers, and the stack.  Instead of having a hardware
> > >>based stack, with a preset depth, you're limited only by
> your memory

[ snip ]

> The 16 series stack issue is really just one of perception.
> The only thing you
> really need to access the hardware stack for is to switch tasks when
> pre-emptively multitasking.

[ snip a discussion of multitasking and variable passing on stack ]

> Regards
> Sergio Masci

I would have thought the most basic problem with preset stack is inability
to descent deeper into subroutine calls than the size of the stack. Nothing
'perceived' about that that, it's a hard limit. It is by no means a terrible
problem since the program memory size of 16 series is rather small and the
chip is not designed to run general purpose software so there is no much
need for deep call stack or recursion or general multitasking.

It is when the size of the program memory increases it becomes feasible to
implement more complex software and then the inability to manipulate the
stack would prove more of a problem.

Eugene.

--
http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us!
email listserv@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body