Embedded PowerPC programming book or tutorial?

Hello community,

is there any book or tutorial for embedded PowerPC programming in c? I
have some theoretical knowledge to embedded systems, but I would like
to read something in the style of "An Embedded Systems Primer", but
specific for PowerPC. Is there maybe any sample project? I will
probably get an embedded PowerPC SW project. I am not sure if there is
an RTOS involved. The manager just told me that they have tried Linux,
but this wasn't possible because of the timing (500 micro seconds).
Does that sound feasible? I don't expect the project to be too complex
in terms of amount of tasks. I guess it is more kind of lowlevel
(interrupts, drivers and so on). Is it even feasible to do PowerPC
programming without an RTOS? Is there RTOS for PowerPC that fulfills
the 500 micro second timing.
I know that it is very vague, but I just want to get some basic
embedded PowerPC programming knowledge. And probably there is a book
in the style of "Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++" by Michael
Barr, but for PowerPC (not for Intel's 80188).

Thanks very much

Best regards


Johannes

> programming without an RTOS? Is there RTOS for PowerPC that fulfills
> the 500 micro second timing.

You should be able to handle 500 microseconds interrupts with RTOSs
like VxWorks.

> I know that it is very vague, but I just want to get some basic
> embedded PowerPC programming knowledge. And probably there is a book
> in the style of "Programming Embedded Systems in C and C++" by Michael
> Barr, but for PowerPC (not for Intel's 80188).

For PowerPC specific programming, you are should look for a book about
low level programming on the PowerPC.

You can find information about embedded software development at:

http://www.eventhelix.com/RealtimeMantra/

--
EventStudio System Designer 2.5 - http://www.EventHelix.com/EventStudio
Sequence Diagram Based Real-time and Embedded System Design Tool

Hello,

thanks very much for your answer.

On 18 Nov 2005 05:39:28 -0800, "EventHelix.com" <eventhelix@gmail.com>
wrote:

>> programming without an RTOS? Is there RTOS for PowerPC that fulfills
>> the 500 micro second timing.
>
>You should be able to handle 500 microseconds interrupts with RTOSs
>like VxWorks.

I will check that out. I need a list of RTOSes for PowerPC. The
creteria will be interrupt latency, price, support and probably
availability of source code. I don*t think it*s a good idea for a
beginner like me to try to port an RTOS. I have read several articles
about adopting Linux to the specific hardware. It is not the task to
begin with.

...

>For PowerPC specific programming, you are should look for a book about
>low level programming on the PowerPC.

Yes, it is exactly such a book I am trying to find. It doesn*t seem to
be existent, though ;(
For example,
"The Powerpc Architecture: A Specification for a New Family of Risc
Processors" is more like a User's Manual. Likewise
"Power and Power PC". Most of the books I have found are probably too
hardware oriented for me. And they are quite outdated! They are from
1994. And they don't seem to be targeted for embedded development.

Maybe I will try to join a (online?) training course for embedded
PowerPC development. It would certainly be nice if there is a small
sample project in the Web, probably with an evaluation board.

>
>You can find information about embedded software development at:
>
>http://www.eventhelix.com/RealtimeMantra/

Thanks for your Website, it's valuable. But it seems to me more for
design (patterns,..) then for implementation (or with practicle
examples).


Best regards


Johannes

In article <c6mtn1ljut8kmr7dj8qmsb4735ciqlu80d@4ax.com>, Johannes Eble <skywalkerpackage@hotmail.com> writes:
> 
> On 18 Nov 2005 05:39:28 -0800, "EventHelix.com" <eventhelix@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>>For PowerPC specific programming, you are should look for a book about
>>low level programming on the PowerPC.
> 
> Yes, it is exactly such a book I am trying to find. It doesn*t seem to
> be existent, though ;(

32 or 64 bit PowerPC ?

If it's 32 bit, have a look at the large range of material on the Freescale
website. For example:

The Programming Environments Manual located at:

http://www.freescale.com/files/product/doc/MPCFPE32B.pdf?srch=1

If you are looking for 64 bit material have a look on IBM's website; I think
I've seen 64 bit PowerPC manuals on there in the past.

A (very long) link to the PowerPC Documentation section of Freescale's website:

http://www.freescale.com/webapp/search/MainSERP.jsp?Products=Products%2F006Microcontrollers+and+Microprocessors%2F00232-Bit+Embedded+Processors%2F004PowerPC++Processors%2F&RELEVANCE=false&showAllCategories=false&srch=1&assetLocked=true&pageSize=15&SelectedAsset=Documents&

If you have problems with this link goto:

http://www.freescale.com > 32-Bit Embedded Processors > PowerPC Processor
then select Documentation.

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP       
Scientific Theory: A testable hypothesis that is supported by a body of evidence

Hi Simon,

thanks for your links. There is really a lot of information there.

I will check it out. 

I am almost sure that it is a 32bit PowerPC system I will be dealing
with.

Still, what I miss is, among others, an overview the 32bit variants
that are commonly used *today* in embedded development, of what RTOSes
are available for them, what Evaluation boards exist, what c
Compilers/IDEs exist, what peripherials exist and 'play well' with
PowerPC and so on.
Well, this wouldn't matter if there was *one* sample project, say XXXX
PowerPC development with VxWorks that mentioned the specific quirks of
PowerPCs.

I feel that IBM and Motorola have sometimes different views about
'PowerPC'. Also, as I 've already written, most books are from the
launche period (1994), and the PowerPC doesn't seem to be developed
for embedded development in the first time. 


Johannes

On Wed, 23 Nov 2005 11:19:45 +0100, Johannes Eble wrote:
> Still, what I miss is, among others, an overview the 32bit variants
> that are commonly used *today* in embedded development, of what RTOSes
> are available for them, what Evaluation boards exist, what c
> Compilers/IDEs exist, what peripherials exist and 'play well' with
> PowerPC and so on.
> Well, this wouldn't matter if there was *one* sample project, say XXXX
> PowerPC development with VxWorks that mentioned the specific quirks of
> PowerPCs.

Post your question in comp.sys.powerpc.tech, and see what the regulars
there can tell.

Johannes Eble wrote:
>thanks for your links. There is really a lot of information there.
>
>I will check it out. 
>
>I am almost sure that it is a 32bit PowerPC system I will be dealing
>with.
>
>Still, what I miss is, among others, an overview the 32bit variants
>that are commonly used *today* in embedded development, of what RTOSes
>are available for them, what Evaluation boards exist, what c
>Compilers/IDEs exist, what peripherials exist and 'play well' with
>PowerPC and so on.
>Well, this wouldn't matter if there was *one* sample project, say XXXX
>PowerPC development with VxWorks that mentioned the specific quirks of
>PowerPCs.
>
>I feel that IBM and Motorola have sometimes different views about
>'PowerPC'. Also, as I 've already written, most books are from the
>launche period (1994), and the PowerPC doesn't seem to be developed
>for embedded development in the first time. 

If you will be using one of the MPC500 range, check out the following
webpage.

http://www.ee.ualberta.ca/~jasmith/mpc555/

Andy

Hi Rob,

...

>Post your question in comp.sys.powerpc.tech, and see what the regulars
>there can tell.

Good idea, I will check out the NG. Thanks very much for your hint.

Meanwhile, I know that my target is an MPC533. I have found the RM at
the Freescale site. It*s more than 1000 pages, so I won*t get idle, at
least. ;)


Johannes

Hello Andy,

thanks vey much for your hint.

On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 09:09:09 +0000, Andy Sinclair <me@privacy.net>
wrote:

...

>If you will be using one of the MPC500 range, check out the following
>webpage.

I the meantime, I got to know that it will be the MPC533. The
reference manual is >1k Pages (sigh). I guess that's also the User's
Manual. There seems to be also a Family Application manual (describing
the 500 family), it contains 500 pages, but I didn't download it yet.
I think the best is to concentrate on the project code I got so far,
using the RM as a - well - reference.

>
>http://www.ee.ualberta.ca/~jasmith/mpc555/

Thanks for the link, it seems to contain a lot of valuable stuff. If
somewhat specialist.


Regards

Johannes