On Sat, December 7, 2013 3:10 am, Peter wrote:
> I posted this link before here, do not see it in the archive I use to rea=
d
> the list. I repost it now:
>
> http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4424567/32-bit-MCU-family-p=
acks-memory--peripherals---and-code
>
> Has anyone already got experiences with the new compilers and MPLAB?
> Especially in the FreeRTOS context? Any good/bad/early adopter/war/succes=
s
> stories to share?
>
>

I've used one of the MZ parts- there are significant errata- double check
on that for sure.  The released version is A3, the A4 with some updates is
supposed to be on a fast track. Two things I can confirm that work as
advertised are the speed increase and larger memory.

I've also been working a lot with FreeRTOS- what is out there and released
is pretty stable. I believe Microchip is working very closely with Richard
Barry, the prime-mover behind FreeRTOS. With the memory size and speed of
the MZ part, the complexity of applications it enables really drives you
into using an RTOS.

Using interrupts under FreeRTOS is a bit confusing at first- there are a
couple non-intuitive things about what is appropriate for interrupts under
an RTOS and what the compiler actually generates, so there are some
workarounds to ensure that the appropriate context is saved (for the
processor *and* RTOS). You end up needing to have a simple assembly
wrapper for any ISR you want to be RTOS aware.

The updates to MPLAB X and XC32 don't have any real game changers that
I've seen.

Matt Bennett
Just outside of Austin, TX
30.51,-97.91

The views I express are my own, not that of my employer, a large
multinational corporation that you are familiar with.
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