I am trying to create a semi-pre-emptive (co-operative) RTOS for PIC x16 microcontrollers. In my previous question, I've learnt that accessing hardware stack pointer is not possible in these cores. I have looked at this page in PIClist, and this is what I am trying to implement using C.
My compiler is Microchip XC8 and currently I am working on a PIC16F616 with 4MHz internal RC oscillator selected in the configuration bits.
I have learnt that I can access PCLATH and PCL registers with C, looking at the header file of my compiler. So, I tried to implement a simple task switcher.
It works as wanted in the debugger if I pause the debugger after restart, reset, and set PC at cursor when the cursor is not on the first line (TRISA=0;) but on an another line (for example ANSEL=0;). In the first start of the debugger I get these messages in the Debugger Console:
Launching
Programming target
User program running
No source code lines were found at current PC 0x204
Edit: I don't know what made it work, but debugger now works perfectly. So, omit the above output and paragraph.
Edit: Changing the main definition like this makes the code below work. This starts the main function at program address 0x0099. I don't know what causes this. This is not a real solution. I am now guessing that there is a compiler specific error.
void main(void) @ 0x0099
{
Here is my C code:
/*
* File: main.c
* Author: abdullah
*
* Created on 10 Haziran 2012 Pazar, 14:43
*/
#include <xc.h> // Include the header file needed by the compiler
__CONFIG(FOSC_INTOSCIO & WDTE_OFF & PWRTE_ON & MCLRE_OFF & CP_OFF & IOSCFS_4MHZ & BOREN_ON);
/*
* INTOSCIO oscillator: I/O function on RA4/OSC2/CLKOUT pin, I/O function on RA5/OSC1/CLKIN
* WDT disabled and can be enabled by SWDTEN bit of the WDTCON register
* PWRT enabled
* MCLR pin function is digital input, MCLR internally tied to VDD
* Program memory code protection is disabled
* Internal Oscillator Frequency Select bit : 4MHz
* Brown-out Reset Selection bits : BOR enabled
*/
/*
* OS_initializeTask(); definition will copy the PCLATH register to the task's PCLATH holder, which is held in taskx.pch
* This will help us hold the PCLATH at the point we yield.
* After that, it will copy the (PCL register + 8) to current task's PCL holder which is held in taskx.pcl.
* 8 is added to PCL because this line plus the "return" takes 8 instructions.
* We will set the PCL after these instructions, because
* we want to be in the point after OS_initializeTask when we come back to this task.
* After all, the function returns without doing anything more. This will initialize the task's PCLATH and PCL.
*/
#define OS_initializeTask(); currentTask->pch = PCLATH;\
currentTask->pcl = PCL + 8;\
asm("return");
/*
* OS_yield(); definition will do the same stuff that OS_initializeTask(); definition do, however
* it will return to "taskswitcher" label, which is the start of OS_runTasks(); definition.
*/
#define OS_yield(); currentTask->pch = PCLATH;\
currentTask->pcl = PCL + 8;\
asm("goto _taskswitcher");
/*
* OS_runTasks(); definition will set the "taskswitcher" label. After that it will change the
* current task to the next task, by pointing the next item in the linked list of "TCB"s.
* After that, it will change the PCLATH and PCL registers with the current task's. That will
* make the program continue the next task from the place it left last time.
*/
#define OS_runTasks(); asm("_taskswitcher");\
currentTask = currentTask -> next;\
PCLATH = currentTask->pch;\
PCL = currentTask->pcl;
typedef struct _TCB // Create task control block and type define it as "TCB"
{
unsigned char pch; // pch register will hold the PCLATH value of the task after the last yield.
unsigned char pcl; // pcl register will hold the PCL value of the task after the last yield.
struct _TCB* next; // This pointer points to the next task. We are creating a linked list.
} TCB;
TCB* currentTask; // This TCB pointer will point to the current task's TCB.
TCB task1; // Define the TCB for task1.
TCB task2; // Define the TCB for task2.
void fTask1(void); // Prototype the function for task1.
void fTask2(void); // Prototype the function for task2.
void main(void)
{
TRISA = 0; // Set all of the PORTA pins as outputs.
ANSEL = 0; // Set all of the analog input pins as digital i/o.
PORTA = 0; // Clear PORTA bits.
currentTask = &task1; // We will point the currentTask pointer to point the first task.
task1.next = &task2; // We will create a ringed linked list as follows:
task2.next = &task1; // task1 -> task2 -> task1 -> task2 ....
/*
* Before running the tasks, we should initialize the PCL and PCLATH registers for the tasks.
* In order to do this, we could have looked up the absolute address with a function pointer.
* However, it seems like this is not possible with this compiler (or all the x16 PICs?)
* What this compiler creates is a table of the addresses of the functions and a bunch of GOTOs.
* This will not let us get the absolute address of the function by doing something like:
* "currentTask->pcl=low(functionpointer);"
*/
fTask1(); // Run task1 so that we get the address of it and initialize pch and pcl registers.
currentTask = currentTask -> next; // Point the currentTask pointer to the next pointer which
fTask2(); // is task2. And run task2 so that we get the correct pch and pcl.
OS_runTasks(); // Task switcher. See the comments in the definitions above.
}
void fTask1(void)
{
OS_initializeTask(); // Initialize the task
while (1)
{
RA0 = ~RA0; // Toggle PORTA.0
OS_yield(); // Yield
RA0 = ~RA0; // Toggle PORTA.0
}
}
void fTask2(void)
{
OS_initializeTask(); // Initialize the task
while (1)
{
RA1 = ~RA1; // Toggle PORTA.1
OS_yield(); // Yield
RA1 = ~RA1; // Toggle PORTA.1
}
}
And here is the disassembly listing file that my compiler created. Starts at line 74.
I have programmed the actual chip, and no change on PORTA at all; it doesn't work.
What is the reason my program doesn't work?
