Astrobe

RISC5 Feature Summary

This list is a summary of the features of Astrobe for RISC5. Further details of the features can be found in the Help file and the document titled "Oberon Programmers Guide - Astrobe for RISC5" which are included in the distribution.

IDE / Editor
  • Standard Windows, programmer-oriented, text-editing features
  • Fast and responsive interactive operation
  • Tabbed multi-document interface for editing multiple source files (modules)
  • Split-screen editing
  • Regular expression support in Find / Replace
  • Bookmarks
  • Line modification indicators
  • Optional line numbers, printing features etc. etc.
  • The module in the current window is the target of the compiler / linker / builder
  • User-customisable Tools menu for integrating batch files, Windows commands or 3rd-party applications
  • Desktop HTML Help
Oberon Language-oriented Editing
  • Automatic syntax colouring of language elements as you type
  • Auto-capitalisation of keywords as you type
Code Navigation
  • Alphabetical auto-indexed list of procedures. Click on the name to go to the procedure in the source code.
  • Auto-indexed list of imported modules. Click on the module name to open the file.
Language Features
  • Oberon is a general-purpose programming language first published in 1987.
  • Conforms to the 2016 Standard Oberon Language,
  • Integer, Boolean, Char, Set, Array, Record and 32-bit IEEE Real data types and operations
  • Pointers to records for dynamic memory allocation
  • Constant, Type, Variable and Procedure declarations
  • Open array parameters
  • For, While, Repeat loops and Case (switch) statements
  • Nested procedures
  • Direct assignment of structured types (arrays and records)
  • Type-extension capabilities for Object-Oriented programming
  • Assertions for validating input / output parameters
  • Type-checking / consistency validation across modules
  • Read-only access to external global variables
  • Nested comments
Embedded Programming Features
  • Leaf procedures allow runtime checks to be disabled locally for optimum performance
  • Interrupt procedures
  • Low-level SYSTEM functions GET, PUT, ADR, BIT etc. for accessing the RISC5 control, status and peripheral registers
  • Language extensions including bitfield functions BFI and BFX
Low-level Language Extensions
  • Direct access to CPU registers using SYSTEM.REG and SYSTEM.LDREG
  • Byte-level addressing of all built-in and user-defined data types and structures
  • Type casting using SYSTEM.VAL
Fast Native-code Compilation
  • Fast single-pass modular compilation
  • Generates Project Oberon-compatible symbol files and native RISC5 object code
  • One-click to compile the module in the current window
  • Only the current module needs to be compiled if the interfaces of imported modules are unchanged
  • Pre-compiled symbol files are used for fast access to imported modules
  • Compilation continues to the end to find as many errors as possible
  • Compilation errors are displayed in a separate window
  • Click on an error line to take you to the actual line in the source
Building and Linking
  • Automated Build feature identifies and recompiles all outdated dependent modules before compiling the target module.
  • There is no need to maintain separate 'make' files. The names of all imported modules are known at compile time.
  • Modules are dynamically loaded and linked at execution time. There is only ever a single copy of a module in memory at any one time.
  • Link updated core operating system modules into a new boot file
  • Interfaces of imported modules are validated as they are linked to ensure consistency and eliminate obscure runtime errors.
  • Compile and build options are stored in configuration files.
  • Multiple projects for the same target can share a single configuration file.
  • Configuration file settings for multiple library search paths
Debugging and Error trapping
  • Language support for validation of procedure parameters, pre- and post-conditions using assertions
  • Compilation warnings for unused constants, types, variables, procedures and imported modules
  • Automatic array index bounds checking
  • Runtime library Out can be used to send trace output to the Astrobe terminal window via a UART serial connection
  • Trapped runtime errors and failed assertions are identified by module name and source code position
Uploading and Running
  • No special hardware programming tool is required
  • Upload via UART connected via a COM / USB serial port
  • Integrated terminal emulator communicates via a UART with a program running on the target device
Project Oberon Library Modules
  • Kernel - Low-level memory allocation, disk sector allocation, tasks etc.
  • Modules - Dynamic linker and loader
  • Oberon - User command interface (modified for embedded system control via UART)
  • FileDir, Files - The Project Oberon file system
  • System - User interface toolbox module
  • Texts - Read and write functions
  • Tools - Low-level file inspection and display commands
  • Upload - File uploading via the UART serial interface
Additional Library Modules
  • Out - Formatted ASCII text output of chars, strings and integers
  • Strings - General text string processing
  • Convert - Convert Integers to and from strings
  • Reals - Convert real numbers to and from strings
  • DateTime - Convert Date and time to and from strings
  • Timer - Millisecond time measurement and delays
  • RTC - access the time components of the Maxim DS3234 Real Time Clock
  • HCDrive, HCDir, HCFiles - The SDHC filesystem
  • I2C - control serial RAMs and EEPROMS, LCDs, accelerometers, temperature and pressure gauges, compasses etc.
  • SPI - Serial Peripheral Interface: control LCD displays, SD cards, 7-segment LEDs, and digital sensors such as accelerometers, magnetometers, etc.
  • GPIO - General Purpose I/O Control
  • HCDrive, HCDir, HCFiles - The SDHC filesystem
  • Bits - Perform bitwise operations on INTEGERs
  • Math - Mathematical and trigonometrical functions
  • Graphics - Device-independent drawing of lines, circles and ellipses
  • Random - Random number generation
  • Put - String handling helper functions
  • BootFile - load the pre-linked boot file onto the boot area of the SD card
Source Code of Library Modules
  • Full source code of all Embedded Project Oberon runtime and additional library modules
Source Code Examples
  • Example modules illustrating the use of the library modules including full source code
Commercial Applications
  • Develop and deploy commercial applications with no runtime fees
Disassembler
  • Display the RISC5 assembler instructions generated for a module