Re: Portable Assembly

From	Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com>
Newsgroups	comp.arch.embedded
Subject	Re: Portable Assembly
Date	2017-05-28 22:04 -0500
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<ogg2sh$k1d$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<ogckfb$qcb$1@dont-email.me> <ogcq6o$cf0$1@dont-email.me> <ogcr17$ft7$1@dont-email.me>

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Dimiter_Popoff wrote:
> On 28.5.2017 г. 00:17, Les Cargill wrote:
>> rickman wrote:
>>> Someone in another group is thinking of using a portable assembler
>>> to write code for an app that would be ported to a number of
>>> different embedded processors including custom processors in FPGAs.
>>> I'm wondering how useful this will be in writing code that will
>>> require few changes across CPU ISAs and manufacturers.
>>>
>>> I am aware that there are many aspects of porting between CPUs that
>>> is assembly language independent, like writing to Flash memory.  I'm
>>> more interested in the issues involved in trying to use a universal
>>> assembler to write portable code in general.  I'm wondering if it
>>> restricts the instructions you can use or if it works more like a
>>> compiler where a single instruction translates to multiple target
>>> instructions when there is no one instruction suitable.
>>>
>>> Or do I misunderstand how a portable assembler works?  Does it
>>> require a specific assembly language source format for each target
>>> just like using the standard assembler for the target?
>>>
>>
>> That's what C is for.
>
> Or Basic. Or Fortran etc.
>

Not so much. Perhaps Fortran plus say, LINPACK.

> However, they are by far not what a "portable assembler" - existing
> under the name Virtual Processor Assembler in our house is.
> And never will be, like any high level language C is yet another
> phrase book - convenient when you need to do a quick interaction
> when you don't speak the language - and only then.
>

"I am returning this tobacconist; it  is scratched."  - Monty Python.

It has been a long time since C presented a serious constraint
in performance for me.

>>
>> This being said, I've been doing this for
>> 37 years and have only a few times seen an actual need for
>> portability - usually, the new hardware is so radically
>> different that porting makes little sense.
>>
>
> The need for portability arises when you have megabytes of
> sources which are good and need to be moved to another, better
> platform.

Mostly, I've seen the source code outlast the company for
which it was written :)

I would personally view "megabytes of source" as an opportunity to
infuse a system with better ideas through a total rewrite. I
understand that this view is rarely shared; people prefer the
arbitrage of technical debt.


> For smallish projects - anything which would fit in
> an MCU flash - porting is likely a waste of time, rewriting it
> for the new target will be faster if done by the same person
> who has already done it once.
>

L'il MCU projects are essentially disposable. Too many
heresies.

> Dimiter
>
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Dimiter Popoff, TGI             http://www.tgi-sci.com
> ------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/didi_tgi/
>
>
>
>

-- 
Les Cargill

Thread

Portable Assembly rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2017-05-27 15:39 -0400
  Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-27 21:05 +0000
    Re: Portable Assembly Mel Wilson <mwilson@the-wire.com> - 2017-05-27 21:29 +0000
    Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-05-28 00:36 +0300
      Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-27 21:56 +0000
        Re: Portable Assembly Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> - 2017-05-28 14:36 +0200
      Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 09:53 +0200
  Re: Portable Assembly Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2017-05-27 16:17 -0500
    Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 00:31 +0300
      Re: Portable Assembly Theo Markettos <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2017-05-27 22:52 +0100
        Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-27 21:58 +0000
          Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-05-28 07:37 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2017-05-28 01:28 -0400
            Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-28 07:33 +0100
              Re: Portable Assembly rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2017-05-28 03:22 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-28 08:49 +0100
                Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-05-28 15:03 +0300
          Re: Portable Assembly Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-05-28 12:26 +0300
        Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 01:04 +0300
        Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 10:43 +0200
          Re: Portable Assembly Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2017-05-31 10:19 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-31 01:49 -0700
            Re: Portable Assembly Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-05-31 15:56 +0300
        Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-29 02:33 -0700
          Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-05-29 23:46 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-29 13:54 -0700
      Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-27 15:52 -0700
        Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 02:14 +0300
          Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-27 17:14 -0700
            Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 03:38 +0300
              Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-27 18:42 -0700
      Re: Portable Assembly Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2017-05-28 18:45 +0200
        Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 20:47 +0300
          Re: Portable Assembly Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2017-05-29 18:43 +0200
            Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-29 10:23 -0700
            Re: Portable Assembly "Boudewijn Dijkstra" <sp4mtr4p.boudewijn@indes.com> - 2017-05-30 16:31 +0200
        Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-29 01:59 +0000
          Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-29 05:21 +0300
      Re: Portable Assembly Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2017-05-28 22:04 -0500
        Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-29 02:57 -0700
      Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 11:00 +0200
        Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-29 15:08 +0300
          Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 15:06 +0200
            Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-29 20:02 +0300
              Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 23:13 +0200
                Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-30 16:53 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-31 11:36 +0200
                Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-06-01 22:43 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-02 13:27 +0200
          Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-29 13:48 +0000
    Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-27 15:46 -0700
    Re: Portable Assembly Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-05-28 23:59 -0500
  Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 00:23 +0300
  Re: Portable Assembly jim.brakefield@ieee.org - 2017-05-27 16:54 -0700
  Re: Portable Assembly Walter Banks <walter@bytecraft.com> - 2017-05-29 17:23 -0400
  Re: Portable Assembly "Boudewijn Dijkstra" <sp4mtr4p.boudewijn@indes.com> - 2017-06-02 17:03 +0200
    Re: Portable Assembly Mike Perkins <spam@spam.com> - 2017-06-05 15:39 +0100
      Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-05 18:10 +0200
      Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-05 09:10 -0700
        Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-06 00:24 -0400
          Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-06 11:05 +0200
          Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-06 07:03 -0700
            Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-06 16:58 +0200
              Re: Portable Assembly Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-06-06 21:26 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-06 16:42 -0400
              Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-06 23:16 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-08 06:38 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-06-08 15:58 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-06-08 21:34 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2017-06-10 15:27 -0500
                Re: Portable Assembly Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2017-06-10 15:23 -0500
                Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-06-08 14:50 +0100
                Re: Portable Assembly Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-06-08 17:38 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-06-08 16:37 +0100
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-09 14:14 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-06-09 22:25 +0100
                Re: Portable Assembly Clifford Heath <no.spam@please.net> - 2017-06-10 09:54 +1000
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-09 00:06 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-09 22:14 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-09 22:50 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-10 21:01 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-11 00:39 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-12 23:27 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-12 22:42 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Ed Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2017-06-13 14:24 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-13 21:57 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2017-06-14 13:26 +0800
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-13 23:58 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Ed Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2017-06-19 06:48 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-19 16:45 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Ed Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2017-06-20 15:07 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-21 07:37 -0700
              Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-07 09:20 +0200
          Re: Portable Assembly Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2017-06-07 00:30 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-07 02:02 -0400

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