December 2015 - Oberon - mailman3.inf.ethz.ch

RISC5 Oberon on a $99 FPGA Development Board
by Chris Burrows 31 Mar '16

31 Mar '16

We have now successfully ported the RISC5 processor to Digilent's latest 'Arty' development board which uses the Xilinx ArtixR-7 35T FPGA device and retails at $US 99: http://www.xilinx.com/products/boards-and-kits/arty.html We are planning to support our 'Embedded' version of Project Oberon (i.e. not the full 'Workstation' version) running in the BRAM on this board. For more information on the Embedded and Workstation Project Oberon systems that can be used with the Astrobe IDE and to register your details to be notified when the Arty-targeted version is available go to: http://www.astrobe.com/RISC5 Regards, Chris Burrows CFB Software http://www.astrobe.com

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Astrobe for FPGA
by greim 13 Feb '16

13 Feb '16

Hallo Chris, > > Yes - editing, compiling and uploading are all done on the PC using the > Astrobe IDE. The Oberon source code files on the PC are just text files so > you can use any of your other Windows software development tools (editors, > difference listers, version control systems, grep searches) to maintain > them. The resulting modules (*.rsc files) are dynamically linked on the FPGA > exactly as they are in the full Project Oberon system. > > The core OS modules that I use - Kernel, FileDir, Files and Modules (the > dynamic loader), are identical to the Project Oberon distribution except for > one difference: I have implemented a Files.SetDate function that I call from > the Upload function so that files uploaded from the PC have the same date / > timestamp on the Oberon system. > > As for a 'business model' Astrobe for FPGA RISC5 is free - you'll just have > to register your name and email address to use it: > > http://www.astrobe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=476 > > The downside is that you will get half-a-dozen or so Astrobe-related emails > from me each year ;-) > thats ok, i guess i already got it, because afaik I have a license for ARM... > Support is limited to this mailing list and the Astrobe forum. Anything else > that would create work for me which I am not already doing for myself I > would have to charge for e.g. helping you to get it working on a board that > you have built or purchased for your own or commercial use. An exception > would be for individuals like Magnus (Saanlima) or Enso who were developing > a board specifically aimed at supporting Oberon. I am happy to try and help > them if possible - the only cost to them would be to send me a board to work > with. If Xilinx or Altera was the customer that might be a different story > :) > ok, thats a very fair business model > No Linux version of Astrobe for RISC5 is planned - it requires Windows 7, 8 > or 10. > > If you wanted a Linux version you would be able to use the target system as > long as you had a Linux tool to write the supplied core OS disk image to an > SD Card. You would also need: > > * A Linux text editor to create your Oberon programs > * To port the RISC5 Oberon compiler to Linux. > Gardens Point Component Pascal (GPCP) for JVM might be a good starting > point. It only took a couple of days to port the compiler using GPCP for > .NET > * A Linux terminal emulator that can run at 115200 baud to upload the object > files (*.rsc) to the target. ok, maybe i will make a try with WINE, but i have also Windows in a container on my Linux desktop, i must confess.... > > Sorry - I missed your last question in my previous reply. Yes you can use > the full featured FPGAOberon system as your developing/master system. You > just need a way of transferring the resulting .rsc files from the full > system to your target system. I'll supply a disk image for the full system > as well as the core OS to make sure that the module versions are compatible. > that sounds very elegant... One last question regarding this topic: The timing of the full FPGAOberon is strongly influenced by the CRT refresh rate. Is there any speed/clock-frequency increase with your slim system realized/possible? Best Regards Markus

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Project Oberon for Mac
by R. P. de Jong 25 Jan '16

25 Jan '16

Hi All, I would like to inform you that a new "Project Oberon, Revised Edition 2013" product has just been released. It is aimed to make Oberon available for Mac owners who don’t want to tinker or boot into Windows to get it running, like myself. Development started early this year after i re-discovered Oberon. The first step has been to create a (disposable, temporary) Oberon compiler as a port from Wirth's Oberon compiler to Apple's Swift language. As expected, after a few iterations the Oberon compiler could reproduce itself. The system was brought to life step by step from the bottom up, using ad hoc trap handlers and ASSERTs, LEDs, switches and temporary “output facilities”. Relatively much time was spent on the Mac code, which, though written in Swift, is set up in modules, like an Oberon program. Some more details are on the web site: http://www.reactive-instruments.eu . The application will be free in the Mac App Store (currently propagating though Apple’s stores network to all countries). Hope people like it and that it contributes to making the Oberon system more widely known. Roel P. de Jong.

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Re: [Oberon] Numerical CASE Statements in Project Oberon
by John Stout 17 Jan '16

17 Jan '16

Jan I wasn't suggesting that we NOT implement it, just that compiling it (implementing it) to a series of compiled IF THEN statements may be more in keeping with NW's view. Suppose we have (taken from the Oberon-07 report): CASE k OF 0: x := x + y | 1: x := x − y | 2: x := x * y | 3: x := x / y END This would compile, using IF THEN equivalents, to code like this (I've assumed that R14 is a base register): LDR0, R14, k_offset SUBR1, R0, 0 BNECase_1 code for x := x + y BEnd_Case Case_1: SUBR1, R0, 1 BNECase_2 Code for x := x - y BEnd_Case Case_2: SUBR1, R0, 2 BNECase_3 Code for x := x * y BEnd_Case Case_3: SUBR1, R0, 3 BNEEnd_Case Code for x := x / y End_Case: This is simple and clear. There is a clear maximum execution path length. Adding label ranges is a bit longer, but still (I think) simple and clear, e.g., CASE k OF 0 .. 10: x := x − y | 11 .. 1000: x := x * y | 1001 .. 2047 : x := x / y END could compile to something like this: LDR0, R14, k_offset SUBR1, R0, 0 BLTCase_1 SUBR1, R0, 10 BGTCase_1 code for x := x - y BEnd_Case Case_1: SUBR1, R0, 11 BLTCase_1 SUBR1, R0, 1000 BGTCase_2 Code for x := x * y BEnd_Case Case_2: SUBR1, R0, 1001 BLTCase_1 SUBR1, R0, 2047 BNEEnd_Case Code for x := x / y End_Case: This will work even for very large ranges. The size of the generated code (no data needed) depends on the number of cases, not the range of the constants in the case label list or case label range. Adding label lists: CASE k OF 0, 10: x := x − y | 11, 1000: x := x * y | 1001, 2047, 19 : x := x / y END could compile to something like this: LDR0, R14, k_offset SUBR1, R0, 0 BEQC_1 SUBR1, R0, 10 BNECase_1 C_0:code for x := x - y BEnd_Case Case_1: SUBR1, R0, 11 BEQC_1 SUBR1, R0, 1000 BNECase_2 C_1:Code for x := x * y BEnd_Case Case_2: SUBR1, R0, 1001 BEQC_3 SUBR1, R0, 2047 BEQC_3 SUBR1, R0, 19 BNEEnd_Case C_3:Code for x := x / y End_Case: John >> Am 16.11.2015 um 09:31 schrieb Jan de Kruyf <jan.de.kruyf(a)gmail.com>: >> >> Yes, >> The old man has been right most of the time, I agree. And I will have >> a royal battle to reduce the compiler construction back down to >> Wirthian elegance, that I also realize. But at the same time the code >> I produce is very elegant and sweet. On the basis of that I would say >> you are wrong in your statement that IF THEN can be made as efficient >> as a good case construct. Besides, a Case statement allows ranges >> like A..Z, a..z and so on, this has never been part of IF THEN, while >> in a properly constructed bin-tree it resolves itself. >> >> So since Wirth was first and foremost a teacher all his life, we >> could say that there are 2 learning opportunities here 1. to produce >> fast code. >> 2. to construct an elegant way of doing so. >> >> I think that the master himself also realized the issues you and I >> are bringing up, and did not see his way out of the predicament yet. >> And since he is about 80 now and since he still got a few irons in >> the fire this was left for a bit. >> >> Lastly Dijkstra taught that you should never limit yourself because >> of inefficient machines. But you should strive to generalize any >> language design solution to as many cases as possible, even if that >> slows your program execution down a bit. There were big arguments in >> the Algol design meetings about that. Some people then felt that you >> had to live with the equipment given and use it as efficiently as >> possible. Wirth no doubt knows that whole history even better than I >> do. In the mean time of course, the machine limitations of those days >> (it was the time of the vacuum tubes) have been solved a hundred >> times over, but we still are trying to live with the language limitations of some of the older languages. >> Ergo the numerical case statement is in the O-7 language report, but >> is has not been implemented yet. >> >> So I feel fully justified implementing it. The way how to, we can >> talk about. If the Oberon community is alive and well ten I am sure >> that the last word has not been spoken yet. >> >> >> Enjoy your day >> >> j. >> [King George V Logo] John Stout Management Information Systems Coordinator Tel: 01704 530601 E-Mail: JSS(a)kgv.ac.uk Web: www.kgv.ac.uk Information contained in this e-mail is intended for the use of the addressee only and is confidential. Any dissemination, distribution, copying or use of this communication without prior permission of the addresseeis strictly prohibited. Every effort has been made to ensure that any attachment to this mail does not contain virus. King George V College has taken every reasonable precaution to minimise this risk, neither it nor the sender can accept liability for any damage which you sustain as a result of software viruses. You should carry outyour own virus checks before opening any attachments. [Think Before You Print]

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Functional programming style for Oberon?
by eas lab 14 Jan '16

14 Jan '16

Some years ago when the OO-paradigm was at it's peek, ETHO was extended to handle procedure types, which could be passed as arguments. There's great advantages in avoiding temporary-fads, so I never exercised OOP. Now [using LEO] that it's less easy to access my old NativeOberon files, I failed to find the documentation, and example uses of the <passing PROCs as arguments>. Where should I look? Can Oberon procedure types facilitate the <functional/compositional> style of programming? Which is NOT a passing fad. *nix's <piping of functions/data-transformers> is staggeringly economical in user's effort, but has a terrible syntax. The benefit of removing the need to learn ad-hoc syntaxS is my motivation for syntax-directed-editors & menu-driven-usage: which ETHO already used successfully. An example of *nix's ability to easily get results by piping a sequence of existing/proven/well-tested functions together [but using understand-able syntax] is:-- CheckTheFileDataBaseForFilesNamed *roc*ointer* | ButSkipAllFiles *.pdf *.zip *.ps *.gz | AndListThoseContainingString "beron" The big advantage of this functioal/compositional style is the maintainablity. Which is the whole idea of NW's "MODUL"a and "COMPONENT" pascal. Some years ago, when my then ISP introduced Sender-must-ID for email, it was quite a job to modify the ETHO <emailer>. Now there's a new-fad which messes my TextToSpeech facility: instead of 'saying' "can't", it says "Sea Aye Enn Tea"; because many feature/fad-following clowns are replacing the one-byte single-quote [ASCII] by 3 bytes. Since the substantial processing-stages of fetching [unfortunately these days http-formatted] text, visually scanning it to wipe-out <bad sections> by an ETHO-like editor, and getting the TestToSpeech to a device, as a suitably-named file, needs only a few mouse-chords and typing the chosen name, you don't need to understand the details of each stage. So you can just plug-a-function-into-the-pipe-line to: <translate the 3-byte-quote-fad to ASCII(SingleQuote)>. Which just needs pasting from your library of examples, a 10 char line, and editing/modifying it; into the suitable pipe-line position. That's why I call it MickeyMouse programming. A most convincing argument, for me, for the functional style, is:-- Let's create a list of all even numbers up to 100, and another list omitting the first five of them. The program written in Java. final int LIMIT=50;int[] a = new int[LIMIT]; int[] b = new int[LIMIT - 5]; for (int i=0;i < LIMIT;i++) { a[i] = (i+1)*2; if (i >=5) b[i - 5] = a[i]; } The program written in ### let a = [2,4..100] let b = drop 5 a It is immediately clear that with ###, you can understand what's going on; whereas in Java, or any imperative language, you can barely tell what the code is supposed to do because you are overwhelmed with the low-level minutia. This effect increases as programs grow more complex. From this simplicity and abstraction flow most of ###'s advantages. ----------------------------- end of extract. -------------------- ### <- let's not get stuck on NAMES. Let's rather first understand the CONCEPTS. Of course, the above is an extreme example, but ETHO's already existing facilities could perhaps do: MapFunctionOverElements(DigitToText:PROC, DigitSequence: TextString):TextString; MapFunctionOverElements(TestForPrime:PROC, Ints1toN: IntegerList):IntegerList; There's nothing new about this. Extracting from McCarthy [designed lisp in 60s?]:- These three procedures clearly share a common underlying pattern. They are for the most part identical, differing only in the name of the procedure, the function/job of a used to compute the term to be added, and the function that provides the next value of a. We could generate each of the procedures by filling in slots in the same template: ------ snip lisp code --- The presence of such a common pattern is strong evidence that there is a useful abstraction waiting to be brought to the surface. Indeed, mathematicians long ago identified the abstraction of summation of a series and invented ``sigma notation,'' to express this concept. The power of sigma notation is that it allows mathematicians to deal with the concept of summation itself rather than only with particular sums -- for example, to formulate general results about sums that are independent of the particular series being summed ... What are unforeseen problems in using ETHO to do this too? == Chris Glur. PS. it's very problematic pasting the pre-written text into the web-browser for gmail [designed for F/B-twitter kiddies=modern] compare to the 90's N-O emailer. Can Linux:Aos handle gmail?

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Use of resources.
by peter＠easthope.ca 11 Jan '16

11 Jan '16

Did Wirth write something about refraining from use of a resource merely because it is available? I'm almost certain I read it in something he wrote or in something biographical. Haven't found it with Google. A citation? Thanks, ... Lyall E. -- 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 12 Tel +1 360 639 0202 or +1 604 822 7107 http://easthope.ca/Peter.html Bcc: peter at easthope. ca

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Re (2): Oberon & Revision Control
by peter＠easthope.ca 31 Dec '15

31 Dec '15

From: Chris Burrows <chris(a)cfbsoftware.com>, Mon, 9 Nov 2015 22:45:30 +1030, > http://www.edgarschwarz.de/oberon/ That page has several broken links. Specifically relevant to me is the link to carnot.pathology.ubc.ca. My Oberon notes are now consolidated at http://easthope.ca/OberonUsage.html. The PPP notes are accessible there. Regards, ... Peter E. -- 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 12 Tel +1 360 639 0202 or +1 604 822 7107 http://easthope.ca/Peter.html Bcc: peter at easthope. ca

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Re: [Oberon] OberonStation
by Peter Easthope 22 Dec '15

22 Dec '15

Chris, On Tue, November 3, 2015 9:35 pm, eas lab wrote: > I can't read any internet publications which contain mathematical > notation because of the apparent multitude of tex...etc. formats. HTML5 is adequate for many documents and more accessible than TeX. http://easthope.ca/Category2.html was created using only ET in NO. HTML.Compile can help, Regards, ... Lyall E. -- Telephone 1 360 639 0202 or +13606390202 or 12506293757. Bcc: peter at easthope.ca http://easthope.ca/Shop.html

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Re: [Oberon] Oberon Digest, Vol 139, Issue 13
by Søren Renner 21 Dec '15

21 Dec '15

It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you all that the BosZurOberon 2016 event has been descheduled (cancelled, wiped from (future) history, deprecated) due to events beyond the control of the Committee. On Mon, Dec 21, 2015 at 6:00 AM, <oberon-request(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch> wrote: > Send Oberon mailing list submissions to > oberon(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.inf.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/oberon > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > oberon-request(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch > > You can reach the person managing the list at > oberon-owner(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Oberon digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. ? TeXTools.Mod ? (eas lab) > 2. 2013 Oberon book errata (Srinivas Nayak) > 3. Re: 2013 Oberon book errata (J?rg Straube) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 03:46:30 +0200 > From: eas lab <lab.eas(a)gmail.com> > To: oberon(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch > Subject: [Oberon] ? TeXTools.Mod ? > Message-ID: > <CAN3-DLGfD9AQUydPG1pe4a_aX6UbtFUGR_TTQH= > Rks9qRDtBuw(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > While searching for something else, I stumbled on TeXTools.Mod > which is potentially very interesting for me. > > Plain-text-fetchers obviously have a problem showing texts which > have a few embedded LaTex lines -- which is common. > > I don't want to analsyse the code, which reads .... > (** Convert selected text in-place from LaTeX tabbing environment > syntax to readable text. *) > PROCEDURE Tabs*; > .... > PROCEDURE MergeLines*; > .... > PROCEDURE SizeTable*; <-- confusing ? > .... > PROCEDURE TableTotal*; <-- confusing ? > ----TeXTools.Mod has the trailing 6 lines: test/usage:- > System.Free TeXTools ~ > > TeXTools.Tabbing <-- selected text in-place from readable text to LaTeX > tabbing environment syntax. > TeXTools.Tabs > TeXTools.MergeLines > TeXTools.SizeTable > TeXTools.TableTotal > ----- and so, I try:- > TextGadget with 1-line selected: one two three > TeXTools.Tabbing == the selection reverse-video is removed, > but .... > > Has anybody here used this program? google failed me. > > == Chris Glur. > > Obviously you need a translation-table & fonts !! > How many other tar-traps are in ETHO ? > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 07:29:04 +0530 > From: Srinivas Nayak <sinu.nayak2001(a)gmail.com> > To: ETH Oberon and related systems <oberon(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch> > Subject: [Oberon] 2013 Oberon book errata > Message-ID: <56775CE8.2030702(a)gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Dear All, > > I noticed, table of contents of new Oberon book doesn't match with text > content present inside. > For example, TOC says 9.3 talks about SPI, but it does actually say about > SD card. > TOC says 17.2.2 talks about SPI, but it shows Mouse. > > There may be others, but while looking for how networking is implemented > in new Oberon, I came across these two. May I know which sections will help > me understand fully how the networking is implemented in new Oberon? > Does it try to implement all networking protocol stacks in software as in > software defined radio? > > > With thanks and best regards, > > Yours sincerely, > Srinivas Nayak > > Home: http://www.mathmeth.com/sn/ > Blog: http://srinivas-nayak.blogspot.in/ > > On 12/08/2015 05:23 PM, Chris Burrows wrote: > > We have now successfully ported the RISC5 processor to Digilent's latest > > 'Arty' development board which uses the Xilinx ArtixR-7 35T FPGA device > and > > retails at $US 99: > > > > http://www.xilinx.com/products/boards-and-kits/arty.html > > > > We are planning to support our 'Embedded' version of Project Oberon (i.e. > > not the full 'Workstation' version) running in the BRAM on this board. > For > > more information on the Embedded and Workstation Project Oberon systems > that > > can be used with the Astrobe IDE and to register your details to be > notified > > when the Arty-targeted version is available go to: > > > > http://www.astrobe.com/RISC5 > > > > Regards, > > Chris Burrows > > > > CFB Software > > http://www.astrobe.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Oberon(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch mailing list for ETH Oberon and related systems > > https://lists.inf.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/oberon > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 07:56:42 +0100 > From: J?rg Straube <joerg.straube(a)iaeth.ch> > To: ETH Oberon and related systems <oberon(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch> > Subject: Re: [Oberon] 2013 Oberon book errata > Message-ID: <895FAC43-EE79-4D7D-B7DD-D2B0A3F7D966(a)iaeth.ch> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hi Srinivas > > In project Oberon there are basically two modules that implement the > networking. > - SCC.Mod > Low level module that communicates with the RF chip. The HW interface > used for communication with the chip is SPI. SPI is also used for the "hard > disk" (SD card). To understan the code you need to read the datasheet of > the chip. > > - Net.Mod > Here indeed the network protocol is implemented in SW, but it's neither > Ethernet nor IP nor other widely used protocols like UDP nor TCP.. It's a > proprietary "simple" file transfer protocol to be used to transfer files > between two Oberon machines. > > Br > J?rg > > > Am 21.12.2015 um 02:59 schrieb Srinivas Nayak <sinu.nayak2001(a)gmail.com > >: > > > > Dear All, > > > > I noticed, table of contents of new Oberon book doesn't match with text > content present inside. > > For example, TOC says 9.3 talks about SPI, but it does actually say > about SD card. > > TOC says 17.2.2 talks about SPI, but it shows Mouse. > > > > There may be others, but while looking for how networking is implemented > in new Oberon, I came across these two. May I know which sections will help > me understand fully how the networking is implemented in new Oberon? > > Does it try to implement all networking protocol stacks in software as > in software defined radio? > > > > > > With thanks and best regards, > > > > Yours sincerely, > > Srinivas Nayak > > > > Home: http://www.mathmeth.com/sn/ > > Blog: http://srinivas-nayak.blogspot.in/ > > > >> On 12/08/2015 05:23 PM, Chris Burrows wrote: > >> We have now successfully ported the RISC5 processor to Digilent's latest > >> 'Arty' development board which uses the Xilinx ArtixR-7 35T FPGA device > and > >> retails at $US 99: > >> > >> http://www.xilinx.com/products/boards-and-kits/arty.html > >> > >> We are planning to support our 'Embedded' version of Project Oberon > (i.e. > >> not the full 'Workstation' version) running in the BRAM on this board. > For > >> more information on the Embedded and Workstation Project Oberon systems > that > >> can be used with the Astrobe IDE and to register your details to be > notified > >> when the Arty-targeted version is available go to: > >> > >> http://www.astrobe.com/RISC5 > >> > >> Regards, > >> Chris Burrows > >> > >> CFB Software > >> http://www.astrobe.com > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Oberon(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch mailing list for ETH Oberon and related > systems > >> https://lists.inf.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/oberon > >> > > -- > > Oberon(a)lists.inf.ethz.ch mailing list for ETH Oberon and related systems > > https://lists.inf.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/oberon >

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? TeXTools.Mod ?
by eas lab 21 Dec '15

21 Dec '15

While searching for something else, I stumbled on TeXTools.Mod which is potentially very interesting for me. Plain-text-fetchers obviously have a problem showing texts which have a few embedded LaTex lines -- which is common. I don't want to analsyse the code, which reads .... (** Convert selected text in-place from LaTeX tabbing environment syntax to readable text. *) PROCEDURE Tabs*; .... PROCEDURE MergeLines*; .... PROCEDURE SizeTable*; <-- confusing ? .... PROCEDURE TableTotal*; <-- confusing ? ----TeXTools.Mod has the trailing 6 lines: test/usage:- System.Free TeXTools ~ TeXTools.Tabbing <-- selected text in-place from readable text to LaTeX tabbing environment syntax. TeXTools.Tabs TeXTools.MergeLines TeXTools.SizeTable TeXTools.TableTotal ----- and so, I try:- TextGadget with 1-line selected: one two three TeXTools.Tabbing == the selection reverse-video is removed, but .... Has anybody here used this program? google failed me. == Chris Glur. Obviously you need a translation-table & fonts !! How many other tar-traps are in ETHO ?

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