New Site URL
- Added 25th April 1999 - 19:30 BST
With the posting of Release 6 I have decided that it was high time I moved this web site from my employers bandwidth to that of my excellent ISP, Global Internet. The correct URIs for the site are now: http://www.users.surfaid.org/~fiddes/coldfire/ for the main site and http://sca.uwaterloo.ca/coldfire/ for my Canadian mirror(thanks to Eric Praetzel and the University of Waterloo). - DJF
Gcc-m68k Release 6 available
- Added 22nd April 1999 - 23:29 BST
The latest release of my GCC compiler binaries for Win32 systems is now available. This is a fairly major release with lots of new functionality including support for assembling the new ColdFire MAC and hardware divide instructions. There have been a large number of bug fixes in this compiler which is based on EGCS-1.1.2 so it should be the most reliable version yet. The linux compiler (glibc based systems only) and RTEMS compilers for both host platforms will be available soon as will updated docs... I want to sleep now ;) - DJF
ColdFire GCC Mailing List
- Added 20th April 1999 - 13:28 BST
I have just created a new mailing list for anyone wishing to be notified when a new release of the GNU C compiler binaries is made. It is a closed list and should be immune from spam although I will be making two or three announcements per year ;) To subscribe just send an email message (no subject or body required) to coldfire-gcc-subscribe@fiddes.surfaid.org. To unsubscribe send a message to coldfire-gcc-unsubscribe@fiddes.surfaid.org. The list is implemented on my dialup machine so a reply might take a little bit longer than usual! - DJF
New MCF5206e Eval Board
- Added 12th April 1999 - 14:40 BST
Motorola have released a new low-cost evaluation board for their MCF5206e processor. The new board features a 54MHz MCF5206e with 1MB of FLASH and SRAM and a 72pin SIMM socket for 3.3v or 5v DRAM. Other features of the board include an I2C based real time clock, a 7-segment LED display and 8 bits of general purpose IO (with high current drive capability). The evaluation package comes with a Macraigor BDM "wiggler" (which is software compatible with the P&E Micros BDM cable) and a selection of demo real-time OSs, compilers, debuggers, etc. The whole package is available for $199 (or £125) and more details can be found on Motorola's ColdFire site. Support for this board will be available in Release 6 of my ColdFire gcc distribution and in the next snapshot of my RTEMS Board Support Package. Before anyone asks - yes I have one of these and they are very nice ;) - DJF
Linux for ColdFire
- Added 12th April 1999 - 14:22 BST
Greg Ungerer of Moretonbay has ported the uC/Linux project to the ColdFire processor.
"A lot of things are up and running now, and the whole environment seems very stable. Networking (ethernet, ppp, etc) is working really well, and appears to be stable and reliable. NFS file-systems can be mounted, and you can run Coldfire binaries from other systems (like your host development system!). RAM file systems are also going now for local temporary storage."
A full set of binaries and source for the port can be found at his site. This is fantastic news for anyone wanting to develop network appliances and servers with the ColdFire. - DJF
RTEMS V4.0 Released
- Added 12th November 1998 - 12:00 BST
OAR announced today that RTEMS 4.0.0 is available to the general public.
Gcc-m68k Release 5 available
- Added 11th October 1998 - 01:08 BST
It hardly seems like 6 months since Release 4 of the compiler came out, time has gone so fast. However the
bugs have not been slow in coming. This release of gcc for Linux and Win32 fixes all the ones I know about.
This is the first true joint Win32 and Linux release with both compilers having the same set of ColdFire
example programs. It is also the first release to target more than one ColdFire eval board. Since March I have
been loaned a SBC5307 and SBC5206E by Motorola which
amongst other things has allowed the example programs to work on these exciting new boards. With RTEMS V4.0,
complete with ColdFire support, on the horizon I hope to have an addon to the compiler for RTEMS available by the
start of November (release timetables permitting). - DJF
Gcc-m68k Release 4 available
- Added 10th March 1998 - 21:41 GMT
At long last I've finished Release 4 of my Win32 GCC cross compiler for m68k processors. The compiler
is based on a recent copy of the Experimental GNU Compiler System(
EGCS) source code which is particularly
suited to the building Win32 hosted ColdFire cross-compilers. The support for Win32 AND ColdFire,
whilst complete, is still in the beta stages of development and as such this compiler MAY contain bugs.
If you've downloaded a previous release of my compiler before please read UPGRADE.TXT
for some important information. Read the gcc page for details.
Next target: roughly working RTEMS for the end of March. - DJF
Cygwin32 Beta 19 Released
- Added 1st March 1998 - 18:49 GMT
On Friday, Cygnus Solutions released the long awaited Beta 19 of their
Cygwin32 environment. Cygwin32 is the wrapper which allows GNU C cross compilers to be built for Win32(Win95/NT)
systems. This release has perversely delayed Release 4 of my GNU C binaries whilst I evaluate the new release
and build new binaries. So far things are looking pretty good, things are considerably more stable and quicker
than they used to be with Beta 18 and I hope to have a "new" new release out soon. I'm also holding back on a
new Linux version until I can get both compilers singing the same tune... - DJF
Linux on ColdFire?
- Added 1st March 1998 - 18:49 GMT
The uCLinux project has been formed to produce a version of Linux that runs on m68k series processors
without Memory Management Units(MMUs). Whilst the project is still in its early stages, 3Com Palm Pilots
and old Atari STs and their simulators have already booted Linux and run small user mode programs. ColdFire
processors share a lot in common with the 68000 and 683xx processors that already boot Linux so it should
be possible to bring Linux up on ColdFire. It might make an interesting college or evening project for those
less "real time" inclined. Visit the uCLinux page for more
information and patches to Linux-2.0.33. - DJF