Phoenix Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor Project
Sub-project: Embedded
Software Tools
Project Description
The purpose of the Embedded Software Tools subproject is to find hardware and software tools for use in doing Embedded Software subprojects.
The idea here is to list a few tools that stand head-and-shoulders
above the rest in terms of being useful to us (meeting certain basic
requirements for us, such as being open-source or cost-free), then
evaluate some or all of them, recording the results of the evaluation
here. This is not a page to list every possible bit of hardware
or software that one can find with a Google search.
Project Deliverables
Sources for microprocessors and microcontrollers
Microchip PIC http://microchip.com/
AVR http://www.atmel.com/products/AVR/
Freescale http://www.freescale.com/
STMicroelectronics http://www.st.com
TI (Texas Instruments) http://www.ti.com/
TI MSP 430 Microprocessor
TI's general reference blood pressure monitor design
Sources for non-interactive API-driven microprocessor simulators
Sources for microprocessor programming boards
Open source replacement for Basic Stamp
http://todbot.com/blog/2006/09/25/arduino-the-basic-stamp-killer/
Sources for BASIC Compilers/Interpreters
Some problems with BASIC that might limit its usefulness for the final
device (though not necessarily for prototyping projects): might
not port to very many microprocessors, writing device drivers can
be difficult, support might be minimal, underlying OSs might not be
sufficient.
Great Cow BASIC compiler for PIC Micro, open source
http://gcbasic.sourceforge.net/
Picant C and BASIC compilers for Microchip PIC processors (generally not free, but claim to be "low cost")
http://www.picant.com/
Sources for C Compilers
For compilers, we need to be checking out what processors it can
generate code for, what is the associated debugging tool, what's the
license for use (commercial use allowed?)
GCC
Reportedly no longer suitable for generating code for microprocessors smaller than 32 bits
http://gcc.gnu.org/
GCC for ARM
http://www.gnuarm.com/
Windows Embedded Programming (might be interesting as it claims to include an ARM simulator)
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms838188.aspx
Microchip PIC MPLAB IDE (not a compiler, but an IDE framework that compilers fit into)
Windows only
http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en019469&part=SW007002
Hi-Tech C compiler for Microchip PIC processors
http://www.htsoft.com/products/compilers/PICClite.php
Picant C and BASIC compilers for Microchip PIC processors (generally not free, but claim to be "low cost")
http://www.picant.com/
SDCC open source compilers for 8051, 80DS390, Z80, HC08, working on PIC16 and PIC18
http://sdcc.sourceforge.net/
WinAVR open source compilers for AVR processors
Windows only
http://winavr.sourceforge.net/
Other people's lists of C compilers
http://www.devrs.com/pic/devsoft.php
http://www.gnupic.org/
Sources for Java
Questions about using Java include "does it drive the power
requirements up significantly? (e.g., due to the use of the JVM, which
is an interpreter)" and "does it drive development costs down
significantly? (e.g., due the convenient networking packages available
in the library)". Prototyping projects to prove an answer one way
or another would be welcome and helpful.
Java Micro Edition
http://java.sun.com/javame/index.jsp
Java Standard Edition for Embedded (requires a significant OS such as Windows Embedded or Linux on the device)
http://java.sun.com/javase/embedded/
Other people's lists of Java Embedded resources:
http://schmidt.devlib.org/java/embedded.html
Compilers for other Languages
It seems unlikely that languages other than C, and possibly Java or
BASIC, would be useful for the final device. Some small use of
assembler might be required, but the bulk of the software should be in
a high level language for maintainability.
Sources for RTOS
FreeRTOS
http://www.freertos.org/
About
This Page
This page is maintained by Larry
A. Beaty. It was last updated on 8 July 2007.
The author(s) provide this information as a public service,
and agree to place any novel and useful inventions disclosed herein
into the public domain. They are not aware that this material
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rights of others. However, there is a possibility that such infringement
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(C) 2007 Larry A. Beaty. Copying and distribution of this page
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