Here is a quote from Microchip:
"The MPLAB C30 C Compiler Student Edition is free! It is full-featured for the first 60 days. After 60 days only optimization level 1 can be enabled in the compiler. The compiler will continue to function after 60 days, but code size may increase."
Does anyone really know what 'optimation level 1' really means? Or is this a trick get you purchase the the full blown version? Has anyone seen a difference after the 60 days?
Thanks, Thomas Magma
MPLAB C30 is based on GCC. GCC has many different optimisations that can be turned on and off individually. As well as individual optimisations you can turn groups of optimisations on and off in one go - the groups being level
1, level 2, level 3 and level 's'. Check out the GCC documentation for the individual optimisations that are included in level 1 group.-- Regards, Richard. + http://www.FreeRTOS.org A free real time kernel for 8, 16 and 32bit systems. + http://www.SafeRTOS.com An IEC 61508 compliant real time kernel for safety related systems.
If it is gcc bases it has to be free, and the source must be available. So there _should be_ no problems removing those limitations.
--
cbfalconer at maineline dot net
Look in the C30 Users Guide and table 3.9 lists the optimisations that are not available in the free version. I doubt you are going to miss them unless you are badly in need of more code space (the chips have lots of flash), more speed (they are already remarkably quick), more practice tearing your hair out while debugging (your choice, I don't have much left anyway).
Get the free version. Limit the optimisation to O0 or O1 right away. You won't miss what you never had.
Now I think of it, quite a lot of Microchip sample code uses dumb soft delays. I wonder how they respond to the higher optimisation levels.
Pete
The GCC port source code is available from the Microchip WEB site.
They have written some super wizzy component themselves which is a separate program, and not linked with GCC code. I think this is something to do with optimisation, and probably the component that is time limited. I'm not too sure of the details though.
-- Regards, Richard. + http://www.FreeRTOS.org A free real time kernel for 8, 16 and 32bit systems. + http://www.SafeRTOS.com An IEC 61508 certified real time kernel for safety related systems.
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