Forth Training Courses

Last updated 3 December 2001

Three UK companies and one university offer courses in Forth:

In addition, Paul Bennet writes:

I will, with enough notice and pre-arrangement, present a two-day training course on high integrity systems development. This is the same one I provide through Feabhas and while it has a very low Forth content (the example code is in Forth) it does provide a clear view on the way projects need to be set-up to ensure a very robust and resilient design that will continue to be safe despite failures or external adverse conditions and stimuli.

Normal reply:

Paul E. Bennett
HIDECS Consultancy
10 The Croft
Didcot
Oxon
OX11 8HR
Tel: 07811-639972
Email: peb@amleth.demon.co.uk
Web: http://www.amleth.demon.co.uk

Bournemouth University

Dr.Peter Knaggs pjk@bcs.org.uk

The University charges £1,000 + expenses per day for my services. The courses are taught at the client's site, with the client providing the teaching room and PC's. However, up to a maximum of 16 people can be on the course simultaneously.

Computer Solutions Ltd

Phone & Fax: +44 (0)1 932 829 460
1a New Haw Road, Addlestone,
Surrey, KT15 2BZ England
http://www.Computer-Solutions.co.uk

COMSOL have a number of courses available which are run "on demand" usually on the customers site. They are designed to support COMSOL's polyFORTH and chipFORTH sales but have, in the past, been tailored to provide courses based on other systems.

Getting Going with FORTH - 2 days

A two day course aimed at users who have just bought a polyFORTH or chipFORTH. The course is designed to "hold your hand" as you take your first steps into the FORTH environment. The course will make you aware of the facilities provided and introduce you to the capabilities of the tools you have purchased. To assist you, software and hardware techniques are explained which will help you solve your development problems.

FORTH Programming Course - 2 days

This course is to assist those people who are already using a polyFORTH or chipFORTH system and want to learn more.

Target Compiling - 1 day

The idea of this short course is not to teach you how the cross-compiler or target compiler works, but how to use them to generate a ROMable code image of the application.

This course will cover the knowledge required to operate the target compiler as well as identifying those items that may require special attention when generating ROM based code.

Multitasking FORTH - 1 day

This one day course will teach you how multitasking can be used in your applications. The course is designed for the more experienced FORTH user and shows how to build a multitasking application from the ground up.

You will be taught how the partitioning of the application into tasks can simplify both its design and testability. The mechanisms for creating tasks will be covered and you will be shown how to implement communications between tasks.

You will learn how to schedule tasks with software, as well as how to make hardware control the operation of tasks. Details of how to integrate multitasking and interrupts to achieve a real time response to external events will be discussed. The lecture material will be supplemented with class exercises and demonstrations.

FORTH Application techniques - 4 days

This four day course provides a detailed study of the operation of the FORTH compiler and operating system. For the latter it contrasts the implementations on different CPUs and hardware configurations. On completion of the course the student will be able to apply the knowledge gained to a wide spectrum of systems and applications problems. The course is approximately 50% practical with one student per machine.

The course material provided includes notes, figures from lectures, and a copy of Thinking FORTH by Leo Brodie. It is recommended that students should have had significant experience (6-9 months programming subsequent to a FORTH Programming Course) before attending this course.

MicroProcessor Engineering Ltd - More Real, Less Time

133 Hill Lane, Southampton SO15 5AF, England,
Tel: +44 1703 631441, fax: +44 1703 339691
Web: http://www.mpeltd.demon.co.uk

MPE has two standard Forth courses, which are usually run every six months, or on demand if two or more people are to be trained.

  1. AIF - Architectural Introduction to Forth

    For software literate people who need to convert to Forth. This is based on ProForth for Windows, but is generally applicable to any Forth.
  2. ESHE - Embedded Software for Hardware Engineers

    For electronics engineers and embedded systems programmers who need to learn how to use cross compilers. This course is based around our cross compilers, but is generally applicable to Forth cross compiler development.

Triangle Digital Services Ltd

Email: Development@TriangleDigital.com
Web: www.TriangleDigital.com

TDS do not offer Forth training courses. Instead they suggest purchase of a TDS9092 Forth Computer Starter Pack. It has the computer, PC development environment and Technical Manual. TDS ask clients to also buy Starting Forth or ANS Forth programmer's Handbook, both of which are stocked.

Then, TDS suggest the clients direct their learning towards the application they have in mind, offering unlimited telephone support. TDS encourage a new customer to call several times a day if necessary.

This route has proved very successful. Most newcomers are very grateful to have found Forth after the frustrations of cross-compiling C onto embedded micros. TDS regularly see them shipping a prototype within 14 days of purchase of the Starter Pack, even with no prior knowledge of Forth.

For potentially large users, TDS also offer a free on-site morning or afternoon technical training to show clients all the tricks they have missed.


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