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[phiscock-g851W1bGYuGnS0EtXVNi6w at public.gmane.org]

> On the BASIC Stamp the oddities of the PIC chip is
> hidden behind a BASIC interpreter. So, I have not
> written any PIC code...
>
I was once seduced into using a BASIC-8052 system (from Micromint) with
the idea that the architecture would be hidden from view and I could do
everything in a high-level language.

(I know, I know, BASIC is an abomination, but in engineering projects you
work with what you have. With some discipline, even a basic BASIC can be
useable. I once wrote a multi-tasking operating system in C-64 basic for
the multi-media system in the ROM bat cave. It worked beautifully, albeit
with the worlds slowest context switch.)

Anyway on this particular job, it transpired that one part of the BASIC
code was just not fast enough and I had to descent into 8052 assembler -
with the previously mentioned register bank-switching and paging horrors.
Micromint were helpful beyond the call of duty, but it was still a
struggle to get the project done. After that, I designed a 68HC11-based
board. The HC11 is a pleasure to program, even in assembly language: it
even supports vectored interrupts.

So, if you can ensure that you do everything in a high level language,
great. But if you can't, look out. And even some high-level language
constructs (C for example) are extremely strange when it comes to
controlling machine registers.

-- 
Peter Hiscocks
Syscomp Electronic Design Limited, Toronto
http://www.syscompdesign.com
USB Oscilloscope and Waveform Generator
647-839-0325

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