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Swordfish
is a highly structured, modular compiler for the PIC18 family of PIC®
microcontrollers. Swordfish is a true compiler that generates optimised, stand
alone code which can be programmed directly into your microcontroller. Extensive
library support is provided with full source code, some of which include LCD,
GLCD, EEPROM, ADC, software and hardware SPI, software and hardware I2C,
software UART, USART, Secure Digital (SD), USB, string manipulation and math libraries. Support for
strings, arrays, structures, boolean, bit, unsigned and signed 8, 16 and 32 bit
ordinal types and 32 bit floating point is also provided. Swordfish is supplied
with a powerful and flexible Integrated Development Environment (IDE) which
includes an advanced code explorer, full syntax highlighting, third party
programmer integration, serial communicator and integrated boot loader
application. Just a single mouse click, or key press, will compile, assemble and
program your project into the target microcontroller.
Swordfish enables you to structure a program
using subroutines and functions. Each subroutine or function can have its own
local declarations consisting of constants, structures and variables. Procedural
programming is a better choice than simple sequential or unstructured
programming, especially in situations which involve moderate complexity or
require significant ease of maintainability.
In large and complex programs, modularity is
essential. Swordfish enables you to group commonly used subroutines, functions,
constants, structures and variables into a single entity called a module.
Scoping is an essential part in keeping a program modular and Swordfish allows
all module declarations to be defined as either private or public. The
separation of private and public parts of a module is often referred to as
encapsulation, or information hiding, and enables you to create modules that are
both reusable and robust.
Probably the best way to see what Swordfish can
do is to try it yourself by downloading a free, fully functional, non expiring
Special Edition (SE) version of the compiler. SwordfishSE includes everything
you get with the commercial version, including the full list of supported
microcontrollers. The compiler is only constrained in terms of the amount of
RAM available during compilation.
To install the software, download
the
swordfish compiler installation program. Next, enter your product
installation key. You software will then be downloaded and installed onto your
machine. The full version
product key also gives access to free updates for a year.
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