AVR-Chat

LightYearCS wrote:
> Assembly is great but in this day and age I would suggest learning
> C/C++.  Some C/C++ compilers are very efficient at optimizing code.
> So much so, that in some cases, the compiler can optimize code better
> than even the most seasoned assembly programmer.
>
> This is primarily true with DSP type processors which can execute
> multiple instructions at once.
>
> C/C++ pretty much seems to be the standard now.
>
> Knowing assembly isn't necessary but it's a very good thing to know of
> course.  These days, I only seem to use assembly to write software
> ports for Real-Time Operating Systems.  The one I use mostly is
> uC/OS-II from Micrium.
>
> Barry


Perhaps and most certainly we live in different kind of industry. In
industrial application, such as controllers, calibrators, indicators, etc,
it is very difficult to accept the unknown risk based on C software
development.  Assembly has always a great appeal decision for such type of
devices.

Based on several research made around AVR, including Atmel statements, C can
only start to make sense, even with optimization code, when the code is
higher than 6k instructions or more.  Optimization process needs a bunch of
ready routines to be able to reuse them.  It is nearly impossible for a 2k
instructions C code being better (smaller and faster) than one written in
assembly.

In our company we use several assembly math functions that were polished
along the years, impossible to the same with C, that literally triples the
size and speed goes compromised.

Most end user small uC for small appliances and devices simply can not be
programmed in C, memory and speed cost money and when multiplied by millions
of devices it makes a huge cost difference.

Of course that there are programmers and programmers.  I personally know
some that can do a bunch of gross programming even in basic. Those will
never program well in C, much less in assembly, it really requires a great
use of gray matter.  Thanks God it works this way, so we can explain why our
programmers make 20k/year more than a non-assembly programmer, and better
than that, make the money to pay them. :)

When hiring programmers or developers at our company, one of the first
questions at the questionnaire is;

How many lines of assembly programming during the last 5 years (in
thousands): ___






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