pictools0.8
-----------

*Important* these pictools are released under the GNU licence (included in COPYING)
Please read this carefully if you want to do anything but use these tools.

These programs are designed to allow a unix like system (linux in my
case) act as a development system for the Microchip PIC range of processors
They port to any system that is capable of running GNU gcc.

The assembler picasm is able to compile code for 12, 14 and 16 bit pics.
The disassembler picdis is able to disassemble code from 12 and 14 bit pics.
If anyone needs a 16bit disassembler they had better ask really nicely, or wait
until I need to use one ;-)

See the test and example directorys for example code showing the syntax of the
source assembler code. In the include directory are the instruction sets for the
three architectures of PIC, giving an idea of how macros are defined. This directory
needs to be pointed at by the picasm script, so edit picasm appropriatly.

Code is output in intel hex 16 format, together with a config file which
may detail the fuse, id and oscillator options a pic may use.
A program to decode the .cfg file is also be provided and may be used to produce loaders
for downloading software.  The format of the config file is close to the previous PT
format used by this assembler.

Some code for reading intel hex 16 (for downloader code writers) is provided
in the disassembler directory src/disasm/intel16.c 

A "concise" manual is provided, as well as an "real" piece of example code.

Any bugs, comments, suggestions to iek@uk.ac.salf.arrc

Next project is a high(er) level language based on either C, BASIC or FORTH 
(haven't decided which yet!) aimed at PICs and other low resource microcontrollers
(IBP's) all/any suggestions welcome.....  Currently a tiny FORTH environment is
looking good to me (STOP PRESS - this has now been started provisionally called third ;-)

Acknowledgements.
-----------------

Thanks to

vinsci   <vinsci@fi.funet.nic>	For many suggestions on how to make the thing better
				and for actually using the assembler while it was barely
				operating.

Brian Lane <blane@COM.SEANET>	For beta testing this version and producing a code downloader
				for linux.

And finally

Jory Bell  <jory@EDU.MIT>	For setting up and running the Pic mailing list.

Linus Torvalds <>		For creating Linux, by far the best OS on a PC (IMHO!!)

=%-)

Ian

