[Oberon] FPGA Oberon

greim greim at schleibinger.com
Wed Feb 12 12:33:32 CET 2014


Jan,
> Ah, I remember posting the same question a few weeks back, perhaps in
> other words. I then got a rather violent answer that the outcome is not
> of interest, but the way towards the outcome is.
> A few years back, when I was a lot younger than now, I would have taken
> that as a good answer, but I'm almost 60 now and I don't need to learn a
> lot anymore form the road to. I just want to use the goal. No need for
> extra learning anymore. I just want to use the applied Oberon. I want to
> be the end-user. Not the developer.

I am 52 so not far away from the level where you have to decide which 
knowledge is still worth to learn ;-)

>
>> somebody has already realized the toolchain, at least as a prototype.
>
> I get the impression that the toolchain is part of the commercial system
> that was mentioned here last weekend. And giving away the toolchain for
> free would not be cheered to by potential buyers of the A2 controller.
> Unless Embedded Artists would be the commercial partner. They have firm
> beliefs in cloud computing and open source projects.
>
>    > Struggling around with Veriolog, etc
>    > So WHY reinvent Oberon things again and again.
>    > And each Compiler, Runtime System is slightly different.
>    > I really don't like (even if i could) to write the 99th incarnation of an Oberon System.
>
>
> That's why I would like to see the final version of Oberon running on x86-64. Let's say, make a final version for VIA nano E cpu (100 mW idle). VIA make a very nice computer around that CPU, the ART-3000:

The question is what is a ___final version of Oberon___ ?
The two developments of N. Wirth Oberon-07 on FPGA and A2/AOS on FPGA
are using different dialects of Oberon afaik.


>
> http://www.viaembedded.com/en/products/systems/1110/1/ART-3000_(Automation).html
>
> which is available, debugged, feature laden, compact, low power, whatever, you name it. It will probably come at a price, but that price will definitely be lower than having to build a similar system from scratch.
>

thats the 3rd option: Oberon running on any (embedded) PC. But i believe 
thats a race you can not win. Because providing hardware drivers for 
each graphic card, network interface etc. is not possible, even Linux 
has many problems here. And I am not speaking yet here about DRM and 
UEFI ! I am sure that was the reason to make a port from the PC to 
PC-like FPGA platform for the A2 system.

Markus





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