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Re: Python for Embedded Devices?

Java seems to have taken off as the platform and language of choice

>for many embedded devices. Would it be feasible for Python(perhaps >running on an embedded version of Linux) to act in such a capacity. >Most of my experience with Python has been with Unix-type scripting >tasks and using it when it is an applications built in scripting, but >I know some people try to use to build larger complex applications. Is >the Python interpreter portable and good enough to be used in resource >constrained devices like cell phones?

Yes.

And no. Yes, Python is certainly feasible for current cellular telephones. I don't see it poised for explo- sive growth there, but neither for technical defects nor because of any lack of good wishes on my part. 'Twould thrill me to write more Python on embedded projects.

The one point I'd emphasize when thinking about this is that "embedded devices" covers a wide range, as I believe you already know. Some developers commonly work with hardware that's far, far more constrained than are cellular telephones; others, who also program embedded devices, can't be distinguished from vanilla Linux coders.

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Cameron Laird 
Business:  http://www.Phaseit.net
Reply to
Cameron Laird
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I am one such developer who works with very small systems: 8-bit micros with under 128K flash and 4K RAM. I am keenly interested in Python or some other similar langauge that would run on such hardware. 'C' is the usual language for such environments, but I believe that, in many cases, using a dynamic and 'object-able' language would reduce development time and improve product quality significantly.

I've looked at Io, Lua, PyMite and Pippy, to name a few, and none are quite appropriate. Io is perhaps the closest match, if it were stripped down a lot.

I have been tinkering around with some ideas to make a new language to fit the environment I deal with. This is slow work, as I haven't a lot of time to spend on it, and I am not a language design expert, but I'm having fun with it!

Reply to
Phil Schmidt

Hello Phil,

Have you looked at tinyscheme? It a full scheme interpreter in one C file.

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Maybe you can work with Fredrik Lundh on Pytte

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HTH. Miki

Reply to
Miki Tebeka

What about cases where the OS shields you from porting issues?

This is a question which interests me at the moment, as I'm considering some future embedded work.

Python is available as a package for NetBSD. To what extent does this mean that, if you can install NetBSD, you can run a Python interpreter?

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celebrates the fact that it targets SBCs and some handheld devices.

Has anyone out there any experience of Python on NetBSD on embedded platforms?

Here's hoping,

Dave.

Reply to
Dave

. . . I'm quite confident that a good NetBSD installation will be able to run (core) Python nicely. Was that your question? While I haven't used NetBSD myself on any interesting hard- ware, all my experience tells me the combination will be robust.

--

Cameron Laird 
Business:  http://www.Phaseit.net
Reply to
Cameron Laird

Would you be willing to spend a sentence or two describing what basic problems you feel each of those has for your application?

-Peter

Reply to
Peter Hansen

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