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PLC software

Hi all,

Well, I'm on my way to making a career change back into electronics. Been out for a while, but I'm currently brushing back up on my digital fundamentals, with the intent on learning PIC's, MPU's, etc. in the near future. What I've been seeing out there is confusing the heck out of me.

While I have a vague idea about what's going on with PIC's, my question is this:

When programming PIC's (VHDL, CPLD, FPGA's, or for that matter MPU's...) is there a "standard" software that one can use on all of them? Or, is each chip manufacturer specific as to what software you have to use to accomplish the tasks? For example, could I use my old Borland C (Ver 3.21) to write code, compile, and then assemble it using the Turbo Assembler (TC), then load it onto a chip? Or, for that matter, just write assembly code with the TC and expect to be able to load it to a chip?

I have an M68HC11 MPU that looks like there are several options for generating code. They mention "resident language support" for Forth?, Basic interpreter on EPROM, Small C compiler, and Assembler. I thought these would be programs that one would use to write code. What do they mean resident on the chip? I'm hearing talk of Boot Loaders, etc.

I just thought that one would be able to write a program, assemble it, and then load it.

Arrrrghhhh~!

If anyone can set me straight, and put it in a nutshell, it'd be much appreciated.

Scott

Reply to
sjb
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I assume that some support code can be added to the chip.

Reply to
Homer J Simpson

C is about as standard as it gets.

Most microcontollers have atleast one C compiler.

Programs written for processor would one are unlikely to run unaltered on a different micro.

AFAIK they don't place artificial restrictions on what software can be used for authoring software. or for loading the program into the chip. but it's most unlikely that software designed for one brand of chip would be any good for a different brand.

If it was an 8086 compatible chip you could. (AFAIK that all that BC3 can compile for)

that's what they mean... plug the chip into a serial port and use a terminal program to enter code. with a chip that has a PROM that can only be written once this is one way to try out many different programs without using up a whole chip for each attempt.

with the newer flash based micros you can do that... set the code up on a pc and then squirt it into the chip using a programmer

Bye. Jasen

Reply to
jasen

Thanks Jason...you've confirmed what I've been thinking. I just wasn't sure that the software I was seeing available was "mandatory."

Take care,

Scott

Reply to
sjb

The term "PIC" as used in this newsgroup refers to a family of microcontrollers manufactured by Microchip.

An MPU is, to me, a microprocessor - the heart of any computing system

- built on a single integrated circuit. (When I started in this business, a CPU or MPU would occupy a 15" x 15" printed circuit board.) An MPU or CPU requires program and data memory and I/O devices to make a useful computer.

A microcontroller is a single integrated circuit that contains a CPU, program and data memory, and I/O devices.

VHDL is a programming language used in preparing configuration files for CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices) or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). CPLDs and FPGAs are ICs that contain logic gates, flip-flops, etc, that the user can interconnect in various ways

- the interconnection may be specified using VHDL, AHDL (Altera's version of VHDL), or by drawing schematic diagrams.

For CPLDs and FPGAs, you usually have to use the manufacturer's tools.

No. Borland C will produce machine language code that will run on

8086-compatible processors. Each microprocessor or microcontroller family will use its own machine language, so you will have to use a cross-compiler or cross-assembler that will produce code for the processor you wish to use. (A cross-compiler runs on one processor, such as your PC, and produces code for some other processor, such as your 68HC11.)

The C language is often described as "portable", meaning that the C source for a program can be compiled to run on many different processors - unfortunately any useful program will have many things that are dependent on a particular operating system (or, particularly with microcontrollers) the specific hardware, so the program probably won't run on another system without a significant re-write.

--
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI  
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Reply to
Peter Bennett

Peter,

THANKS for your extended explanation! It has certainly cleared things up a bit for me...

Scott

Reply to
sjb

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