On Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 7:20 AM, Bob Ammerman wrote= : > C is very close to Java (or more accurately, Java is close to C). If you are speaking in grand terms including languages such as Lisp, Forth, Prolog, Haskel, Fortran, COBOL (etc...) then I might be inclined to agree. Personally, I see little comparison between C and Java, particularly when that comparison is made in the context of microcontrollers. C is a very simple language (many people are reluctant to call it a high level language at all) that practically transliterates to assembly when optimization is not involved. In some ways, C is not much different than a very rich macro assembler. Java is a very complex language in many ways designed to abstract away the underlaying hardware. Java does its best to attempt to remove the entire concept of a "memory model" from the programmer. The only real relation to C is some of the semantical syntax. There is no reason that a Java environment could not be developed for embedded use, but it would require *far* more resources. While Java is completely inappropriate for historical devices like the PIC 16/18, there is something to be said for using Java on more advanced chips like the ARM. Not so much for technical reasons, not directly at least, but because the market volume and competition has made them so darn cheap. The 16F877A mentioned by the OP costs about $5 in small quantities, but that same $5 will buy you a rather well-equipped Cortex M3 quite suited to running a Java environment. If the Java environment can optimize sleep modes, it may not even consume any more power. (Yes, I realize that this comparison is hyperbole at many levels.) Clearly, the advanced developer working on a project with multi-million unit production runs will choose a device with the absolute lowest cost, even if it means taking the time to write carefully crafted assembly code. For one-off units, there is absolutely nothing wrong with throwing an absurd amount of computing resources at the problem to reduce development time, particularly the learning curve for newbies. -p. --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .