Bulletins from the Pacific Packet Radio Society - page 037

From: Hank, KA6M
To: All Packet "C" Freaks

Several packeteers have mentioned the possibility of using the programming language "C" as a good choice for implementing higher level protocols. Would like some response on these questions:

1. What 8080/Z80 compilers are out. I know about BDS, Whitesmith's, and derivations of tiny-C. Any others? How well do the above work?

2. Any experience in linking the code generated to assembler and putting the whole thing into ROM?

3. How do you for see using C? As part of a combined CP/M-VADCG system?

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

73, Hank

FILE QST.82.04.01.0.W2FPY
TO: HM
FROM: SER
SENT: 01 APR 82 23:09:21
READ: 02 APR 82 00:55:48

Hank,
I have a list of C compilers available for various microcomputers; I'll put this on here at a later date ... In the meantime, I have recently discovered that there is a tape available from Berkeley that runs in the UNIX V7/Berkeley UNIX environment. This tape contains a full-blown C compiler, plus the utilities needed to compile and optimize native code on all the popular 8-bit micros (notable exception, the 6502), and several 1 6-bitters. Needless to say, I'm getting a copy of this to run on my UNIX system at work.

Typically optimized C programs occupy about 30% more storage than equivalent typical assembly language programs. The execution times vary with the nature of the benchmark, but communications programs are generally very fast. The benchmark we will use in NJ will be to rewrite the TIP and LIP software in C, and see if we can stuff it into the VADCG TNC memory space (Grunt!!!). This reminds me... Since some of PASCAL can be translated into C code (both are pointer oriented languages), do you know of any documents stating the link level 2 in PASCAL defines? This would save a bit of work !!!

73, and more on C later.
Steve, W2FPY

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