STM8 eForth (stm8ef)

STM8 eForth is a lightweight self-hosted Forth system for STM8 µCs with a good "feature-to-binary-size" ratio. It provides a binary release, easy configuration, a plug-in system for board support, a library infrastructure, and uCsim based binary level simulation. With the help of e4thcom it can be used as a semi-tethered embedded Forth.

STM8 eForth is based on Dr. C.H. Ting's eForth for the STM8S Discovery. With the kind permission of the original author, it comes with a permissive FOSS license.

The Wiki on GitHub covers various topics, e.g. using breakout boards, or the conversion of low-cost Chinese thermostats, voltmeters, or DC/DC-converters into Forth powered embedded control boards.

STM8 eForth can be configured for a range of Forth features and different STM8 devices: a full featured binary requires betwenn 4.7K and 5.3K, a basic interactive Forth fits in about 3.5K, and building even smaller interactive cores is possible. The unique ALIAS feature provides temporary access to unlinked words.

The interactive Forth console can use any single GPIO, a pair of GPIOs, or the STM8 UART for 2-wire or 3-wire communication. Up to two serial interfaces can be used with vectored I/O. It's possible to configure the console to use other types of I/O (e.g. keyboard and display), even at runtime.

Generic targets

Generic target binaries are provided for a quick start:

STM8S Low Density devices (e.g. STM8S103x3, STM8S003x3, or STM8S001J3)
- CORE, a basic configuration for STM8S Low Density devices, some features are disabled (e.g. no background task)
- SWIMCOM, a full feature set, and 2-wire communication through PD1/SWIM (i.e. ICP pins)
- DOUBLECOM console through the SWIM interface, the UART can be used, e.g. for background tasks
- STM8S001J3 like SWIMCOM but with console through PD5/UART_TX in half-duplex mode (not limited to STM8S devices in SO8N package)
STM8S105K4 for STM8S Medium Density devices (Value Line / Access Line)
STM8S207RB initial support for STM8S High Density devices (Performance Line)
STM8L051J3 initial support for STM8L Low Density devices (see issue)

Various STM8 Discovery boards and breakout boards for Low-, Medium-, and High-Density devices can be used. Initial support for STM8L Medium Density devices is available.

Board support:

TG9541/STM8EF provides board support for several common "Chinese gadgets" like the following:

MINDEV for the STM8S103F3P6 $0.65 "minimum development board"
W1209 $1.50 thermostat board w/ 3 digit 7S-LED display, full- or half-duplex RS232
W1219 low cost thermostat with 2x3 digit 7S-LED display, half-duplex RS232 through PD1/SWIM
W1401 (also XH-W1401) thermostat with 3x2 digit 7S-LED display, half-duplex RS232 through SWIM
C0135 "Relay-4 Board" - it can be used as a Nano PLC
DCDC hacked DCDC converter with voltmeter

The Wiki lists other supported "Value Line Gadgets", e.g. voltmeters & power supplies, breakout boards, and thermostats.

Feature Overview

Even though the binaries are very small, STM8 eForth offers many features:

Subroutine Threaded Code (STC) with improved code density
- native BRANCH (JP), and EXIT (RET)
- relative CALL with two bytes where possible
- pseudo-opcode for DOLIT using TRAP: literals in 3 instead of 5 bytes
- ALIAS words for indirect dictionary entries
compile Forth to NVM (Non Volatile Memory) with IAP
- Words NVM and RAM switch between volatile (RAM) and non volatile (NVM) modes (REMEMBER execute RAM before a power recycle or executing COLD if you want the words added to NVM to be available in future terminal sessions)
- RAM allocation for VARIABLE and ALLOT is transparent in NVM mode (basic RAM management)
- autostart feature for embedded applications
Low-level interrupts in Forth
- lightweight context switch with SAVEC and IRET
- example code for HALT is in the Wiki
preemptive background tasks with fixed cycle time
- configurable cycle (default: 5ms)
- INPUT-PROCESS-OUTPUT task indepent of the Forth console
- robust and fast context switch with a "clean stack" approach
- concurrent interactive Forth console, e.g. for setting control process parameters
- in background tasks ?KEY reads board keys, and boards with 7Seg-LED UI can simply EMIT to the LED display
cooperative multitasking with 'IDLE
- code can be executed in an idle task while the console waits for user input
configuration options for serial console or dual serial interface
- UART: ?RX and TX!
- any GPIO or pair of GPIOs from ports PA through PD can be used as a simulated COM port
- GPIO w/ Port edge & Timer4 interrupts: ?RXP .. TXP!
- half-duplex "bus style" communication using simulated COM port or UART
- option for TX! .. ?RX on simulated COM port, and ?RXP .. TXP! on UART
configurable vocabulary subsets for binary size optimization
- configuration possible down to the level of single words
- export of ALIAS definitions for unlinked words
Extended vocabulary:
- CREATE ... DOES> for defining defining words
- Vectored I/O: 'KEY? and 'EMIT
- Loop structure words: DO .. LEAVE .. LOOP, +LOOP
- STM8S ADC control: ADC!, ADC@
- board keys, outputs, LEDs: BKEY, KEYB?, EMIT7S, OUT, OUT!
- EEPROM, FLASH lock/unlock: LOCK, ULOCK, LOCKF, ULOCKF
- native bit set/reset: B! (b a u -- ), [ .. ]B!
- 16bit STM8 timer register access: 2C@, 2C!
- compile to Flash memory: NVR, RAM, WIPE, RESET
- autostart applications: 'BOOT
- EVALUATE for interpreting text strings (even in the idle task!)
board support for STM8S based very-low-cost boards:
- STM8S103F3P6 "$0.65" breakout board
- Termostats, e.g. W1209, W1219, or W1401
- Low cost power supply boards, e.g. XH-M188, DCDC w/ voltmeter
- C0135 Relay Board
- configuration folders for easy application to new boards

Other changes to the original STM8EF code:

"ASxxxx V2.0" syntax (the free SDCC tool chain allows mixing Forth, assembly, and C)
hard STM8S105C6 dependencies removed (e.g. RAM layout, UART2)
flexible RAM layout, basic RAM memory management, meaningful symbols for RAM locations
conditional code for different target boards with a subdirectory based configuration framework
bugs fixed (e.g. COMPILE, DEPTH, R!)
significant binary size reduction

Disclaimer, copyright

TL;DR: This is a hobby project! Don't use the code if support, correctness, or dependability are required. Additional licenses might apply to the code which may require derived work to be made public!