Re: KEil bought by ARM


"John Devereux" <jdREMOVE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:87mzkrdzxj.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "larwe" <zwsdotcom@xxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
>> Chris Hills wrote:
>>
>> > Actually Open Source is no match for good commercial compilers in so
>> > many ways.

> Also, even if you accept that the commercial compilers are "better" at
> code generation (I have not seen this):

You probably haven't used professional compilers then... Yes, in the
8 and 16-bit space some commercial compilers are worse than open
source ones. However 10 year old ARM compilers _still_ generate better
code than the latest GCC...

> - gcc is getting better and better. Presumably there is a limit to how
> good a commercial compiler can be, so any gap should be closing.

GCC is definitely getting better, but is it narrowing the gap? If you
consider large C++ applications then the scope for improvement is
enormous - I guess a factor 2 of improvement is achievable.

> - code space and MHz are getting cheaper and cheaper, so it makes less
> and less difference anyway as time goes on.

Applications grow about as fast as memory and performance do, so any
improvements are immediately swallowed.

> - It is getting easier and easier to justify using 32 bit parts (like
> ARM) in new designs. I would expect the architecture of these parts
> to more closely match gcc's abilities than, say, the 8051 where Keil
> have been the leader.

Interestingly in the 32-bit RISC space GCC is furthest behind. If you look
at EEMBC or Spec for example you don't see (m)any uses of GCC.

Wilco


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