Where I compare the execution speeds of different combinations of boards and languages. I will continue to update this post with other languages and processor combinations.
| ucontroller/Speed(MHz) | Method* | frequency | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATSAMD21/48Mhz | Integral | .6kHz | CircuitPython |
| ATSAMD21/48Mhz | Integral function | .7kHz | CircuitPython |
| ATSAMD21/48Mhz | Library | .7kHz | CircuitPython |
| RP2040/133Mhz | Integral function | 1.0kHz | CircuitPython |
| RP2040/133Mhz | Library | 1.44kHz | CircuitPython |
| ATmega328/16MHz | struct/function pointer | 6.1kHz | Arduino C++ |
| ATmega328/16MHz | words in an infinite loop | 27KHz | FlashForth |
| ATmega328/16MHz | struct/function pointer | 55kHz | C |
| ATmega328/16MHz | struct/function pointer | 56kHz | Arduino C++ w/ native toggle |
| ATmega328/16MHz | Assembly language toggle | 108kHz | FlashForth |
| ATmega328/16MHz | Assembly language toggle inlined | 444kHz | FlashForth |
| RP2040/133Mhz | struct/function pointer | 578.7kHz | C |
| RP2040/133Mhz | words in an infinite loop | 2.841 MHz | Mecrisp Forth |
| *See text for an explanation of method. |
While writing about CircuitPython and the FIDI board, I was curious as to the execution speed of CircuitPython on a extremely powerful (relative to the AVR ATmega328) ARM M0+ microcontroller. The M0+ is a modern RISC 32-bit processor with a considerable amount of memory, while the ATmega is 20 year old RISC 8-bit processor with a limited amount of memory. That said, one can’t run CircuitPython on ATmega processors, one must use C or Forth.
As I got back into Forth after about 35 years of other languages, programs and technical stuff, I’ve been asked, Why Forth?
The most personal reason is that I’ve had a life-long passion for the language and kept a bookshelf full of Forth books for over 40 years. However, once I began to use it again, I realized its perfect for embedded processors. I’m surprised how well it works with today’s microcontrollers. And how relatively easy it is to find a port of Forth for many popular microcontrollers. I still think its a good question to ask, so I start this blog with the question:
Here are links to Forth tutorials, books or products.
The content on this site is intended to inspire, teach or to simply help with specific topics or concepts in Forth. This page provides a list of resources for a more formal learning as to Forth. Many of the people that have created the content below have been writing or teaching Forth for many years, they are the experts.
A set of entries which comprise a course for learning how develop Forth programs for the ATmega328 or RP2040.