Jeff Stevens wrote:
> I have some experience with PIC16Fs and assembly as a hobbyist and
> have more recently been delving into 18Fs with the C18 compiler.
> While there is quite a bit of information online, I'm looking for an
> actual book which covers 18Fs with a focus on using C18.

Since you're already familiar with the PIC 18, it sounds like you need a
book on C18 alone.  There is such a thing.  It's called the manual and come=
s
with C18.  I expect you can download it for free from the Microchip web
site, but haven't actually looked myself.

I have read said manual, and it tells you what you need to know if you're
already familiar with the PIC 18 architecture.

Everything you need is in the combination of the PIC datasheet and the C18
manual.  Any book that pretends to cover that is only going to not garble
something at best.

> Is the lack of books in this area indicative of some
> problem with C18?

As I said, the books you need are there.

My impression of C18 is that the code generator is pretty solid, but some
very poor choices were made in how the C18 runtime environment uses the PIC
18 architecture.  The data stack conventions are downright stupid, the
allocation of FSRs annoying, and the subroutine calling conventions "less
than optimal".

If you mix C18 and MPASM code, be prepared to hold your nose while being
forced to do inefficient things in MPASM.  In my PIC development
environment, I have a C18 compatibility switch that tries to allow the same
source code to work with and without C18, with the C18 version taking more
cycles and program memory.


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