mevawall@girtab.usc.edu (Shehzad Mevawalla) (09/15/90)
Is it possible to write ROMable code using Turbo Pascal, Turbo C and Turbo Assembler? That is how can I prevent DOS and BIOS system calls in the executables? I am currently working on a '286 board and would like to be able to use one of the above packages to program it. Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thank You. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shehzad Mevawalla University of Southern California mevawall@castor.usc.edu WE ARE ... 'SC (818) 788-4286 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ftpam1@acad3.fai.alaska.edu (MUNTS PHILLIP A) (09/15/90)
In article <11972@chaph.usc.edu>, mevawall@girtab.usc.edu (Shehzad Mevawalla) writes... >Is it possible to write ROMable code using Turbo Pascal, Turbo C and Turbo >Assembler? That is how can I prevent DOS and BIOS system calls in the >executables? It has been my (small) experience that C compilers have no OS dependance built into the compiler. If you rewrite the library modules, and especially the run-time startup routine, you are set. (I haven't tried Turbo C.) On the other hand, Turbo Pascal has OS calls liberally strewn throughout the run-time support, and in fact generated by the compiler in-line, as well. This makes it difficult to use Turbo Pascal on a "bare machine." One possibility which I have read about but not actually tried, is a minimal DOS emulation package. One such package costs $495 and includes licenses for 5 or 10 units. It can provide as much DOS emulation as you need (from simple console I/O to files) and whatever you don't need you can trim off. It's called ROM-DOS or something like that; if anybody is interested I can dig through the literature pile and find the details. Philip Munts N7AHL NRA Extremist, etc. University of Alaska, Fairbanks
nkraft@crash.cts.com (Norman Kraft) (09/16/90)
In article <1990Sep15.054458.20518@hayes.fai.alaska.edu> ftpam1@acad3.fai.alaska.edu writes: >In article <11972@chaph.usc.edu>, mevawall@girtab.usc.edu (Shehzad Mevawalla) writes... >>Is it possible to write ROMable code using Turbo Pascal, Turbo C and Turbo >>Assembler? That is how can I prevent DOS and BIOS system calls in the >>executables? >> >Philip Munts N7AHL responds : > On the other hand, Turbo Pascal has OS calls liberally strewn throughout >the run-time support, and in fact generated by the compiler in-line, as well. >This makes it difficult to use Turbo Pascal on a "bare machine." In reference to ROM'ing Turbo Pascal, I recently interviewed a programmer who had done just that, even though Borland had claimed the task "impossible". I saw some of the code, though not enough to know just how he did it (He claimed that the code was proprietary to his previous employer). Anyway, he did have a ROM'ed application, in Turbo Pascal, running on a "bare" 286 board. Just thought you might like to know it can be done! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Norman R. Kraft "Things should be as Director, Software Development simple as possible, Postal Buddy Corp., San Diego, CA but not simpler." INET nkraft@crash.cts.com - Albert Einstein UUCP {hplabs!hp-sdd ucsd nosc}!crash!nkraft --------------------------------------------------------------------------