Free Software
Swordfish Compiler
Swordfish is a highly structured, modular PIC® BASIC compiler for the PIC18 family of PIC® microcontrollers. Swordfish is a true compiler that generates optimised, stand alone code which can be programmed directly into your microcontroller. Extensive library support is provided with full source code, some of which include LCD, GLCD, EEPROM, ADC, software and hardware SPI, software and hardware I2C, software UART, USART, string manipulation, USB and math libraries. Support for strings, arrays, structures, boolean, bit, unsigned and signed 8, 16 and 32 bit ordinal types and 32 bit floating point is also provided. Swordfish is supplied with a powerful and flexible Integrated Development Environment (IDE) which includes an advanced code explorer, full syntax highlighting, third party programmer integration, serial communicator and integrated boot loader application. Just a single mouse click, or key press, will compile, assemble and program your project into the target microcontroller.
Digital Works
Digital Works is a graphical design tool that enables you to construct digital logic circuits and to analyse their behaviour through simulation. Circuits can be composed of simple gates (AND, OR, NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR, NOT) and simple flip-flops (D, RS and JK). You can also use tri-state and memory devices to construct systems with buses. Digital Works also provides mechanisms for detecting race conditions and bus contention. Input to the circuit can be achieved using switches, clocks, sequence generators and interactive input devices. Output can be viewed using LED, 7 segment LED and numeric devices. You can also view a history of logic events using the logic history window. Counters, shift registers, data registers, drivers and more are available from the parts centre.
One of Digital Works most powerful features is the ability to create macros and add them to the parts centre. This enables you to convert a circuit into a logic element itself. The new logic element can be used as a building block in the construction of more complex circuits. The complex circuit can also be converted into a new logic element, and so on. This enables you to create a hierarchy of digital objects, with each new level hiding the complexity of its implementation. Some examples of macros include: counters, shift registers; data registers. You can even create integrated circuits e.g. a 74HC08.
This version of the software has had all the licensing restrictions removed and is now free for anyone to use.