Small Device C Compiler
SDCC is a Freeware , retargettable, optimizing ANSI - C compiler. The current version targets the Intel 8051 and recently the Zilog Z80 based MCUs. SDCC can be retargeted for other 8 bit MCUs or PICs and some day soon will be. The entire source code for the compiler is distributed under GPL. SDCC uses ASXXXX and ASLINK, a Freeware, retargettable assembler and linker. SDCC has extensive MCU specific language extensions, which lets it utilize the underlying hardware effectively. The front end (parser) will be enhanced to handle language extensions for other MCUs as and when they are targeted. In addition to the MCU Specific optimizations SDCC also does a host of standard optimizations like global sub expression elimination, loop optimizations (loop invariant , strength reduction of induction variables and loop reversing ), constant folding and propagation, copy propagation, dead code elimination and jump tables for 'switch' statements. For the Back end SDCC uses a global register allocation scheme which should be well suited for other 8 bit MCUs , the peep hole optimizer uses a rule based substitution mechanism which is MCU independent. Supported data types are short (8 bits, 1 byte), char (8 bits, 1 byte) , int (16 bits, 2 bytes ), long (32 bit, 4 bytes) and float (4 byte IEEE). SDCC also comes with the source level debugger SDCDB, the current version of the debugger uses Daniel's s51 simulator. The compiler also allows inline assembler code to be embedded anywhere in a function. In addition routines developed in assembly can also be called. SDCC also provides an option to report the relative complexity of a function, these functions can then be further optimized , or hand coded in assembly if need be.
What Platforms are Supported ? |
Currently Linux (and other unices) and MS-Windows are supported. SDCC will compile natively on Linux using gcc. Windows 95/NT users will need to download the full development version of CYGWIN32 from http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/. Note: Cygnus distributes CYGWIN32 in two packages you will need the full development package, this contains the compiler and other utilities that you will need to compile SDCC, compiling the system with any other compiler under MS/Windows has not been tried. Note: It has been reported recently that an older version 2.1.9Ca has been compiled on the win32 platform with a copy of Borland C++. More as the story unfolds.
Downloading SDCC |
The SDCC source tree is currently located at SourceForge. As of March 27, 2000 - the current release version is v2.2.0a
You can also browse the ftp archives Work continues in CVS. If you have CVS capability, the following will get you the latest sources. cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sdcc.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/sdcc login The password is empty and pressing [ENTER] will get you in. cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sdcc.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/sdcc co sdcc You can browse our CVS tree here. (you need an account on sourceforge for this to work.) SourceForge has further documentation on accessing a CVS tree here. V2.2.0 is now released. Check it out in the download section SDCC v2.2.0 is coming soon. As of February 27, 2000, work on v2.2.0 is moving along but there are still a few compile problems to be worked out. Sandeep expects the next release possibly in March. This will be a big step in the development of SDCC as it will now support the Z80 with support for the Atmel AVR right behind it. The next few 2.x releases will be mostly bug fixes (if there are any ;-) and speed improvements. SDCC now has limited support for the Dallas DS80C390 microprocessor using the --model-flat24 option. This is a processor from Dallas Semiconductor which starts up in 8051 code compatible mode, but has a new mode which allows direct, non-paging use of up to 4 megabytes of code and data space.The TINI board from Dallas uses this processor and includes 512kbytes flash, ram + Ethernet on a small simm stick board for $50.00. See http://www.ibutton.com TINI for details. As of the first week in April, Systronics is now shipping backorders for the STEP, STEP+, and the TINI. (Dallas must be selling a ton of the TINI's. I have one of the STEP+TINI kits and love it... I just finished getting an http server up and running on it) Also there are lots of new command line switches to SDCC.. PAY ATTENTION! Documentation has been improved also. Side note... Newark is selling Dallas MCU's at a fairly decent price but they don't carry all of them (3/18/2000). SDCC and the included support packages come with fair amounts of documentation and examples. When that isn't enough, you can find help in the following places:
PcGenerator EpromProgrammer,Pic24C and more...
If you have a link to an embedded application, either hardware or software, that you believe would be of interest to other readers, drop either myself or the list members a note.
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