Re: A92: serious help here please
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Re: A92: serious help here please
{{You need to download the fargo toolkit to be able to program in 92
assembly.
It contains an assembler and a linker (among other things). You can't
just
type in the assembly code and send it, you have to assemble + link it
first.
Theoretically you could do it in a hex editor, type in the opcodes, find
out
all the relative addresses and hardcode them in, but you'd still have to
make
your brain output (compressed?) relocation data. In short, you'd waste
all
your time if you memorized the numbers of the opcodes and typed them in
like
that, and you wouldn't be getting yourself anywhere. So use assembly
language, not machine code, and you probably will never need to know the
opcode numbers, unless you write a debugger or something like that. The
fargo
docs (they come with the fargo toolkit) detail the format of .asm files
you
need to use, as well as how to make library calls (which include rom
calls, as
rom calls are treated as calls to the tios lib (which isn't really a
lib, but
you use it like one...just read the docs to see)). The VAT is very hard
to
use, and certainly not for a beginning programmer. No matter how
experienced
you are with other languages, assembly is an almost completely new and
different adventure from them, and you can't assume that just because
you can
do file access in C that you can do it in 92 assembly. Also, file
access
under Fargo will not be stable until Fargo 0.3.0, which I suspect will
be
released simultaneously for the 92 and for the 92+ (I think that's why
it
hasn't come out yet). Anyhow, in 92 assembly data can be stored in the
executable and will be retained from one run to the next. Then you
quote
something about making a romcall, which you then pass off as being badly
written, and non explanatory. This it may be, I don't know, because
that is
detailing making a rom call for a TI-8X calc (I couldn't tell you which,
I've
never programmed one). HL is something on a z80, hence not for the 92.
You
might be less confused if you only read docs about assembly on the 92.
Rom
calls on the 92 are made by pushing the parameters backwards onto the
stack,
and then doing a "jsr tios::romcallname", then popping the parameters
back off
the stack. As a side note, rom calls often destroy registers d0, d1,
a0, and
a1, so you should prepare for that before calling one. However, you can
learn
all this from the docs that come with fargo, and the tutorials (the one
I used
was 68kguide.txt I don't know if it has been updated for fargo II.
However,
the only difference for a beginning is the file format...the explanation
of
the individual instructions and other programming issues is still very
helpful). After you get these, you can also download some simple code
from
the TI-92 assembly source directory on ticalc.org. Reading source
always
helps in learning the language (although it can be very hard to read
uncommented assembly source...try to find some that is commented.)
Finally, I
would like to advise you that assembly language has a very steep
learning
curve. On one hand I want like to say don't give up, but on the other
hand if
you're getting impatient with it before even getting an assembler, maybe
it
just isn't the thing for you.}}
Actually, I downloaded all the 92 stuff off of ticalc.org's pub site. I
unzipped all the learning packages and found the file I've been hoping
was there, "68kpm.pdf" (or something similar). It shows the command,
it's binary equivelant, and all combinations. I have also read up on
some old commodore material, and what a coincidence, they both have
similar codes. I guess I didn't need that much help after all. BUT the
thing is, I know PCasm, so I appreciate you not telling me what "isn't
the thing for [me]." To be precise in what I'm about to do is: (a) make
an assembler on the PC like a68k.exe, (b) make a shell using the
assembler I make, (c) build an external unit sort of like the E2 (but
with more crap like time, date, 4-calc-link, cpu to run code, and extra
memory), and finally (d) make a program to talk with the external unit.
I started this little "venture" last night and completed 2 commands
already. I'll probably do it every once in a while (when I get bored),
so I'm unsure of when this will be complete (but unlike some of you
people--I have no school AND no work to go to).
I figure (a) will be complete by the end of this month, (b) by the end
of the next month, (c) by the end of this year, and (d) by the end of
january. I'm saying this to give me enough time--before, it was set to
not be done until the end of next year anyway (army and me having to
learn it), but since I got a medical discharge and I've learned 92asm in
one day, I moved my plans up a little.
Yes, I do have a lively imagination, but that doesn't mean I'm not a
"doer."
-Rob
p.s. don't steal my plans either (because if you do, I'll just make
whatever you make better...=)
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