Re: Python for Embedded Devices?

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Yes.And no.  Yes, Python is certainly feasible for currentcellular telephones.  I don't see it poised for explo-sive growth there, but neither for technical defectsnor 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 thisis that "embedded devices" covers a wide range, as Ibelieve you already know.  Some developers commonlywork with hardware that's far, far more constrainedthan are cellular telephones; others, who also programembedded devices, can't be distinguished from vanillaLinux coders.-- Cameron Laird Business:

Phil Schmidt · Accepted Answer

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!

Miki Tebeka · Answer

Hello Phil,Have you looked at tinyscheme? It a full scheme interpreter in one C file.Maybe you can work with Fredrik Lundh on Pytte (HTH.Miki

Nicola Larosa · Answer

(Thanks for this link. There's nothing to download there, unfortunately. :^(Something else that's interesting for embedded devices is an environment forworking in Python and generating the RTOS:"WhatOS is a free open source embedded system development solution. Itprovides a complete set of tools for creating high-quality, reliable embeddedsystems. These include: a real-time operating system (RTOS) generator, asimulator for testing and debugging generated systems, and tools forinteracting with systems remotely after they have been embedded."- --Nicola Larosa - "I am afraid that if the United States had to live by the [monetary]rules that are imposed on, say, Brazil, the USA would become adeveloping country in one generation. It's the system that iscurrently unstable, unfair and not working." -- Bernard Lietaer

Dave · Answer

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.

Cameron Laird · Answer

.			.			.I'm quite confident that a good NetBSD installation will beable 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 berobust.-- Cameron Laird Business:

Peter Hansen · Answer

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

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