Re: Ada Embeded System Alternatives

["Robert I. Eachus" <rieachus@attbi.com>]

Paul Robinson wrote:
> I've been assigned the task to provide alternatives and solutions to
> bringing legacy Ada 83 code to a new embedded system.
> 
> The new system's hardware, OS and language of choice is fixed (Mercury
> Computer SBC PPCs, MC/OS, and C).  The use of C is not required,
> however, if a justifiable alternative is presented.

As I remember Mercury supplies the gcc compiler for their systems. So 
with very little effort you could port GNAT.  But I don't recommend 
that.  If you want to use the Green Hills tool suite, why not do that:

To quote from a Green Hills press release at Mercury Computer's site:

The new Green Hills compiler accepts C, C++, EC++, and Ada95 source 
code, and generates optimized object code for over 20 models of PowerPC 
ISA-based processors, including Motorola�s 603e, 850/860, 8240/8245, 
8250/8260, the newly announced 8540 and 8560, 740/745, 750/755, 
7400/7410, 7440/7445, 7450/7455, and IBM�s 403, 450 and 455. 
Optimizations are both global and target specific.

And:

The C/C++/EC++/Ada95 compiler is part of the MULTI� Integrated 
Development Environment (IDE), which provides all the development tools 
needed for embedded applications. The complete MULTI IDE, with new C/C++ 
compiler and target connection hardware, is available immediately at a 
price of $5,900 per development seat for a PC node-locked license.

Translation, by tomorrow you should be able to throw the existing Ada 
code at the Green Hills compiler and see if there are any third party 
packages missing...  (From experience, you will probably have to create 
generic instantiations of some standard Ada 95 numerics packages.)  That 
is assuming that you intend to use the Green Hills compiler and the 
MULTI 2000 IDE.