CCS PCM 3.206 broken

[Trampas]

I am having a bad day....

First off a couple of weeks ago I upgraded my PCH compiler. Then I tried to use the PCM compiler today to find a wonderful access viloation. So tech support was kind enough to upgrade the PCM from 3.173 to 3.206, no more errors and life was good.

So I compiled my code and was happy, except my code would not run. I changed processors, debugged the hardware, etc. I figured it was a hardware problem since this code has been working perfect for last 6 months with over 60 units. So after pulling my hair out all day I finally got an old unit which was working and flashed the code generated by new compiler into processor. Guess what! You guessed it, it does not work.

Thank God and CDRs that I have a back up of the old code and listing file from 3.173. Thus maybe this problem can be fixed...

Trampas

[valemike]

[Trampas]

I put the new code in a working unit. Which made it a non working unit.

Trampas

[Mark]

And the problem with the new compiler is.......???

[PCM programmer]

CCS did a major change to the compiler beginning with vs. 3.200.
The bugs are still being worked out. In my case, I emailed them
about how I didn't like the new method of using multiple BSF and BCF
statements to load the A/D registers, instead of just doing MOVLW
and MOVF. This won't stop the code from working, but it's not
desireable behavior, from my point of view.

When you had the chance, you should have downloaded vs. 3.191.
http://www.ccsinfo.com/download.shtml
Maybe you can request for them to let you do that.

Also, it's possible that you could back off on the optimization level
and make it work. Look at posts by C-H Wu. He has done a lot
of testing on how to get rid of bugs by reducing the #opt level.
http://www.ccsinfo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19490&highlight=opt

[Guest]

Thanks for the help I was not sure when the change occured...

I downloaded 3.191 and it appears to work!

Man I tried for hours to call and get tech support. Cheryl at CCS was most helpful and got to reconize my voice as that I called so many times.

I had to leave the office early and expected to have a response from tech support by this morning. I was really dissappointed when I did not get a response.

I have about decieded that I need to give up on the PIC processors and go with the MSP products from TI.

Trampas

[Mark]

Can't really see why CCS's compiler would cause you to give up on the PIC's. There are other compilers out there ya know.

[valemike]

Our company goes to the TI MSP only for low power/low voltage applications. And for the MSP430, I use the IAR compiler. Never ever had any problems. Other than that, I believe that if you weigh the prices and functionality, the PIC is the best general purpose processor out there.

You shouldn't give up on a microcontroller just because a certain compiler's version won't suddenly work. I hope that CCS one day realizes that its customers/users are not mere hobbyists lighting up an LED. It should understand that some applications actually drive motors, control temperatures, etc. People can get hurt, fires can get started, or machinery can get damaged when software malfunctions.

Fortunately, CCS's bugs in its versions manifest themselves right away, and are reproducible. Either it works or it doesn't.

You can go to another compiler. Yet they don't offer the libraries that CCS offers. If you were to take CCS's compiler and not use its libraries, then you probably won't experience any bugs. The other competitors only give you a compiler that lets you write C code, without the libraries.

I've felt pissed off like you at times after wasting a whole day only to realize later that it was all due to a version upgrade. With other problems i've had, i've asked in this forum or looked in the archives. I have to tell you - This forum is the best support forum i've ever participated in!

Oh well, I really don't know what to tell you. You can go to another compiler, but there will be a learning curve and a lot of code rewriting. You can also save your CCS versions that work good for your app.

In my case, I have a personal license for CCS, another license here at work for CCS, and a personal license for one of the competitors. I find CCS easy to use, and if I ever have problems with a newer version, I just instinctively rewind back to 3.187.

Just my 2 cents.
Mike

[Guest]

The problem is not CCS, it just is one more feather on the camel's back.

The problems I have are all stupid problems, like I can not get the ICD2 to work with any of Microchip's products. I am sure you guys can appericate the problems that occurs when you can not step through your code. That is I am not above making stupid mistakes, like over running a buffer. However it is hard to catch these mistakes with out stepping through the code.

I just keep running into stupid problems with the PIC processors, like MPLAB crashing all the time, the editor not working, etc. Combined with all the other problems leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

Trampas

[Mark]

ICD2 works great for me. Might be your circuit. As for the editor, yeah it use to crash all the time. Now it rarely does. It has come a long way and I like it.

[valemike]