Re: The strengths of FORTH

"Mikael Nordman" <oh2aun.extra@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:%4aHj.317017$fO7.258184@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> xx

> Forth has one advantage over other languages. That is you can use it as
a
> mini operating system on a processor and incrementally develop and test 
> the code.
> And that it so simple that you can understand it all the way.
>

Yes its simplicity is another strength.  You can get results very soon
after 
first starting to use the language

> In all other respects Unix/Windows/RTOS, coupled
> with your/your companys/your part providers favourite language, wins !!
> I really don't get the point with putting Forth on top Windows or Unix.
>

I tend to agree, but clearly one can do so and get useful results.

>

> These examples that Forth is good for replacing paper tapes is perhaps
not
> very good for promoting Forth.

My reference to paper tape was more along the lines of reminiscing rather 
than as a reason for using FORTH.  Still I have recently been caught in
the 
EDIT, COMPILE, LINK and DOWNLOAD loop doing hardware design verification 
testing using C/C++ under Windows NT and had FORTH been available on the 
target system it would have saved me a lot of time.

> What has Forth done for you lately ?

So far very little, but stay tuned.  I am just starting to build my
circuit 
board and am finding soldering 0.5mm lead pitch ICs and 0603 size
discretes 
rather challenging to say the least.  ( I had to buy a stereo microscope
so 
I can even see what I am doing.  I also had to build a 'third hand'  to
hold 
the components in place while I solder them down. Even so, it takes me 
several minutes per component - but I'm improving. )

So far, on the first of three boards, I have about 1/5 of the 400 or so 
components down starting with the MSP430 and its 3.3 V regulator. I copied

the LED and JTAG interface from TI's demo board and, to verify the 
microprocessor and LF oscillator are working, have the LED flashing SOS
(any 
SwiftX users will understand) and am able to turn the power converters on 
and off through SwiftX from my PC's keyboard.  I plan to assemble the
board 
in functional blocks and to use SwiftX via the PC keyboard as a
verification 
tool for each step, in the process building a suite of test functions for 
use when I get around to the other two boards

So far I have three of seven other DC to DC converters built and tested.
As 
soon as I have the next converter assembled, I'll be able to install and 
power the FPGA and its configuration flash and to verify that it loaded
and 
that I can read/write the registers therein.  Following that, I'll install

the three SPI peripherals and verify that I can control them.  Then comes 
the display and finally the high speed LVPECL circuitry.  I have lots to
do 
yet before I get to the actual operating software.

Bob Miller