How do I disassemble?

[thasatelliteguy]

I keep reading posts on the web that say go to mplab, import your hex file, then goto View->Disassembly Listing but it doesn't work. Nothing ever comes up inside the window... just blankness. I am supposed to see basically the same thing as my whatever.lst file right? So how do I get it to do that? I must be missing a step somewhere...

[Demon]

I never used MPLAB. Does it have a Help feature, or forum?

Robert

[Acetronics2]

I think you can't get this from a single Hex file ...

here you only can see .asm disassembly file ( W/o comments nor source )
FILE/IMPORT ... Then VIEW/Program file

if you want the VIEW/ disassembly window ... you need the whole project to have been compiled before !

Alain

[thasatelliteguy]

I understand that I will not be able to decompile, but everywhere I look, it says I should be able to disassemble. I know I'm gonna get assembly language back, but I can read assembly, I cannot read hex...

[Dave]

Use MPLAB to look at the Program memory after loading the hex file.

[Demon]

You shouldn't need anything else besides the hex file.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decompiler

The problem is that decompilers don't all translate back to the same version of assembler.

You can do it, you just need all the proper tools.

Robert

[thasatelliteguy]

You shouldn't need anything else besides the hex file.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decompiler

The problem is that decompilers don't all translate back to the same version of assembler.

You can do it, you just need all the proper tools.

Robert

Ok, we seem to be mixing terms tho... I was under the impression that when it comes to MC programming, that there is a distinct difference betwteen disassemble and decompile. Correct me if I am under the wrong idea, but I thought the reason disassembly is possible is because assembly is standardized more than with normal type programming for software. The way I understand it, we are really kind of double translating or double compiling on pic unless we want to learn to write in assembly. ie.. PBP3--> assembly--> hex or C--> assembly--> hex or Proton --> assembly--> hex, and this is why disassembly is usually possible even if decompile probly wont be....

[Demon]

A quick google to jog my memory:

"Each assembly language is specific to a particular computer architecture..."

So you can quickly guess there are numerous versions of what we call assembler.


Also, programming is programming, doesn't matter if on microchips, PCs or mainframes. A decompiler will generate source code (PBP in this case) and a disassembler will generate some version of assembler (MPLAB assembler in this case).

You could contact PBP or MPLAB support and ask if such tools are available. I wouldn't hold my breath.

You could use another disassembler, go through that and migrate over manually to MPLAB assembler. This would probably be your best option.

Good luck getting another disassembler (if you're not buying one from a reputable source). I wouldn't know which download to trust in this world of hackers.

Maybe if you ran it on a standalone PC not connected to your network or the internet, it couldn't call home, infect/damage a critical PC or browse through your "stuff".

Yes, I lean on the paranoid side of the fence when it comes to downloads.

Robert

[Demon]

Use MPLAB to look at the Program memory after loading the hex file.

Dave, does this show contents in hex?

If yes, is there a way to export and then convert into MPLAB assembler?

(a tool could already be available for all I know)

Robert

[Dave]

It does show it in assembly.

[Demon]

So who's volunteering for a Assembler-PBP decompiler?

But then we get into the issue of PBP v2.6c versus v3.

Robert

[towlerg]

There is a decompiler for Windows. Its called IDA. It costs a skrillion Deutsche Marks. It will disassemble a PIC executable (but not of course decompile - to do that it needs to know about the compiler).

I believe the Oshonsoft line of simulators will disassemble - they have a trial version.

If you Google for "PIC disassembler" you will find myriad on and off line PIC disassemblers but not decompilers, and if you did find one it would be to C.

All things considered unless you only need to make tiny changes to the device in question, better of understand its function (as a black box) and write that up in Basic.

George

[Demon]

All this talk of Assembler makes me wish I had kept it fresh. Unfortunately I worked in COBOL and graduation dates back to 1984. I dabbled in various BASICs over the years but that was it.

BR is Branch Register, and that sums what I've retained. Was in top 3 in Assembler class too.

I am curious if a decompiler is within our reach. Each PBP command breaks down into one or more Assembler statements. Could we catalog these Assembler "groups", scan for matches and spit out corresponding PBP?

Or am I missing something obviously more complicated?

Robert

[thasatelliteguy]

All things considered unless you only need to make tiny changes to the device in question,
George

That is EXACTLY what I need! I have an auto-acquire satellite dish system that is run by a PIC32, and I need it to shift itself just a few degrees left, and possibly a couple up or down, of where it wants to be now... that's it. Depending on how it's coded now, and what I can learn, I can either re-write it to lock onto the proper satellite, or lock onto the current satellite, and move to the desired satellite from that point. Either way, the changes I need to make are relatively minute....

[thasatelliteguy]

Ok, this is a PIC32MX440F256H.... Does this make it more complicated somehow?