An Introduction to GA-Tools: Alternative Tools for the GA144 Multi-Computer Chip
If you are looking for alternative tools to work with the GA144 multi-computer chip, look no further than GA-Tools. Designed to simplify the process of programming the GA144 chip, these tools offer a CLI script and Python3 library to assist you in assembly, bootstream generation, and program loading.
Installation and Getting Started
To begin using GA-Tools, simply install the package using pip3 install ga-tools. Alternatively, you can clone the repository and run python setup.py install. Once installed, you can use the ga CLI script and the ga_tools library.
To verify that everything is working correctly, connect your GA144 eval board or chip and run the fibonacci.ga example using the command ga examples/fibonacci.ga --port /dev/ttyUSB0. Replace /dev/ttyUSB0 with the correct serial port for your setup. This example will print out the first 15 numbers of the Fibonacci series.
Assembly Syntax
GA-Tools supports two forms of assembly: aforth and ASM. The default form, aforth, is similar to arrayforth and is designed to be compatible with the output of the chlorophyll compiler. On the other hand, the ASM syntax is closer to traditional assembly language, with one line of source for every machine word. Both forms support the same basic instruction set.
Boot Streams
One of the primary features of GA-Tools is its support for boot streams, which are instruction streams used to load programs into the GA144 chip. GA-Tools provides different boot stream types, including 708 (alias async) for asynchronous serial boot, 708-300 (alias target) for loading code into node 300 via another ga144, and 300 for 2-wire synchronous boot. The boot stream type can be specified using the --bootstream option.
Documentation and Example Code
Comprehensive documentation is available for GA-Tools, including valuable resources from Greenarrays. The GA144 Product Brief and the F18a Product Brief provide a quick introduction to the GA144 chip. For more advanced programming, the F18A Technology Reference and the GA144 Chip Reference are invaluable resources.
Furthermore, GA-Tools offers a collection of example code in the examples/ directory, showcasing various programs for the GA144 chip. A summary of each example is provided in examples/README.md.
GA144 Simulation
While GA-Tools does not currently provide a simulator, it offers support for the emacs-based GA144 simulator. After installing the simulator, you can run it using the command ga FILENAME --sim. The simulator can simulate the loading of the entire boot stream if the --bootstream option is provided.
Other GA144 Tools
In addition to GA-Tools, there are other tools available for working with the GA144 chip. Notable examples include:
- ga144tools: An assembler similar to the ASM supported by GA-Tools, featuring interesting examples and a virtual machine for VGA.
- Chlorophyll: A high-level C-like language with automatic partitioning for the GA144 chip.
- Arrayforth: The official arrayforth tools provided by Greenarrays.
Conclusion
GA-Tools provides software engineers and solution architects with alternative tools for working with the GA144 multi-computer chip. By leveraging Python3, GA-Tools simplifies the process of assembling programs, generating boot streams, and loading code onto the GA144 chip. With comprehensive documentation, extensive example code, and support for different assembly syntax options, GA-Tools empowers developers to unlock the full potential of the GA144 chip.
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