From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,ef33c33c4f98bde1 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Marin Condic Subject: Re: Compiler for Z80/6510 Date: 1999/11/29 Message-ID: <3842E10D.5AE759FE@pwfl.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 554550825 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: condicma@bogon.pwfl.com References: <3842C8FD.5EFB9685@pwfl.com> To: Mike Silva X-Accept-Language: en Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Organization: Pratt & Whitney Mime-Version: 1.0 Reply-To: condicma@pwflcom Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1999-11-29T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Mike Silva wrote: > where Ada, it seems to me, has an excellent chance to be "rehabilitated" as > the percentage of embedded systems that go 32-bit will just continue to > climb. IMHO, Ada on cheap 32-bit hardware is an embedded designer's dream > come true -- it's just tooooo delicious! Agreed and very true. Anyone who has ever tried to squeeze software into a tiny address space can understand why 32 bit hardware is a very welcome gift to the software designer. I would point out that there still may be lots of reasons why the 16 bit processors will continue to have a large segment of the market. Not all applications need the power or space of a 32 bit architecture, so you are at risk of overdesigning. (The proverbial Brick Outhouse) If there is any cost differential at all, this becomes significant over a large production run. So long as a 16 bit controller can be built for even a few cents less than a 32 bit controller, there is an advantage to going this route. (True also of the 8 bit world vs 16 bit, which is why they are still with us.) You also have a lot of compatibility issues which may come into play. Just because you can build a bigger, faster, better 32 bit computer doesn't mean it will plug into the slot where you previously had a 16 bit machine. Do you redesign the automobile, industrial robot, radar controller, etc., to use a 32 bit processor if the 16 bit machine can still do the job? To go in your direction, how about this? Produce a PowerPC based circuit board with a few A/D and/or F/D converters, some discrete lines, maybe a UART and some other stuff that would make it a good controller and bundle that with an Ada compiler, link/load/diagnostic tools, etc. all plugged into a PC for development. Think that could be done for ~ $500? What do you imagine the minimum production price of a PowerPC based SBC could be in some reasonable volume? MDC -- Marin David Condic Only two more days and this address is defunct! See my web page if you want to contact me...: Real Time & Embedded Systems, Propulsion Systems Analysis United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney, Large Military Engines M/S 731-95, P.O.B. 109600, West Palm Beach, FL, 33410-9600 ***To reply, remove "bogon" from the domain name.*** Visit my web page at: http://www.mcondic.com/