Running "c.exe" also reports GCC8:
GNU C Compiler for 8 bit devices.
Release date : 15/06/20
(880) invalid number of parameters. Use "GCC8 --HELP" for help
Early versions of FMD IDE apparently used Hi-Tech compiler:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/fremont-micro-devices-microcontroller-programming/msg3446374/#msg3446374
That was probably fishy license-wise so they moved to GCC.
Can't recommend which compiler is better. It seems that only c.exe (GCC) works now.
if you see xclm.exe inside the compiler directory that's actually XC8 Compiler from Microchip! they repacked the compiler with a custom-made UPX packer to avoid getting their compiler detected as XC8! for copyright reasons probably! I wrote about this some time ago here or in another thread. from my analysis some time ago, I remember the IDE just invokes the compiler with command line arguments to produce the HEX file and the assembly listing file, BUT it doesn't use the HEX file. it uses the assembly listing file and starts performing some changes based on the OPCODE if I remember correctly, then the IDE reproduces the HEX file based on the new listing file and adds the config bytes at the end. this verifies the theory that the FMD-like MCUs are actually PIC clones with modified OPCODE values (they perform exactly the same instructions as PICs except for the hex code for an OPCODE is different which is no big deal and also the registry and RAM bank addresses and behaviors are a bit different). My guess is that they went through all this problem just because of copyright reasons. other than that, the Chinese engineers actually cloned the PICs...
anyways, I wanted to clone the programmer and make a cheaper version but I never had the time! if anyone has the time PM me.
we already have pictures of the programmer (both the bridge and the one with the LCD but not the newer Type C version)
it is possible the debugger and the programmer logics are similar as well(the working voltage isn't). if that is the case, we can fully integrate the FMD ICs into MPLabX and use all the features of the modern IDE.
also if you have the newest 3.1.0 IDE please share it.