Comparison of commercially available software tools for microprocessor programming

The software tools used to develop a microcomputer-based product can have a substantial effect on the development costs, development time cycle, and reliability, of that product. The power and the appropriateness of the commercially available software tools for programming microprocessors vary significantly. Hence, in addition to evaluating the appropriateness of a microprocessor for a particular product, the systems designer must also evaluate the software tools available for that microprocessor. This paper describes the various kinds of software support tools that are commercially available for programming microprocessor. The functions and features of the tool categories of editors, assemblers and compilers, loaders, simulators, and debuggers are discussed. Tradeoffs between cross-computer and resident tools are presented. Finally, an itemized fist of assembler features which support good program design is presented and six commercially available microprocessor assemblers (Fairchild´s F8 assembler, Intel´s 8080 assembler, Motorola´s 6800 assembler, National´s IMP-16 assembler, Rockwell´s PPS-8 assembler, and Signetics´ 2650 assembler) are compared on the extent to which they provide these features.