Newbie trying assembly: help please!

[Dr Do]

** EDIT: Problem described below now solved **

 

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post newbie questions like the one that follows.  I've been trying to learn 6502 assembly, but it hasn't taken me long to get stuck.

 

I was trying one of the examples from "Machine Language for Beginners", which was supposed to put ten "A"s on the screen.  I soon  realised that the code in the book needed tweaking to work, and so after a bit of trial and error came up with this...

 

		*=20000

        ldy #10
loop	lda #33
	   sta (88),Y
	   dey
	   cpy #0
	   bne loop
        brk

(Excuse the tab spacing, it was lined up properly in the code edit window!)

 

If I compile this in ATasm and then attempt to run the object code in the Atari800Win emulator using DOS Option L, it will display 10 "A"s as intended but then crash straight away.  Changing the compile address from $4E20 (for example to $0600) or changing the last instruction to "brk" (or removing it completely) leads to the emulated machine crashing as soon as the object code is started.

 

But switching to WUDSN (with the opening statement changed to "org" for the MADS compiler) makes the code behave differently; there, it causes nothing to happen except the debugger opening with a message about an "illegal operation".  Sometimes, if I run it and then start Altirra separately then it will behave the same way as Atari800Win did.  Changing "brk" to "rts" though will cause WUDSN to open up Altirra automatically, which will then display the As but immediately reboot into BASIC - which makes sense...I think?

 

All this is leaving me scratching my head, but I'm guessing there's a simple solution.  Any suggestions please?

Edited April 3, 2021 by Dr Do

[vitoco]

You need to change the BRK instruction to something else, such as an endless loop ("completed jmp completed") or a jump to another location to give the control back to, for instance DOS.

 

I think that using RTS with a 

  *=$2E2
  .word 20000

might return control to DOS, but it will depend on the DOS or the loader you use.

 

If you are just creating an XEX and run it from the PC with a double click or from your developing framework, probably the best option is the endless loop for tests.

Edited April 2, 2021 by vitoco
typo

[Dr Do]

12 hours ago, vitoco said:

You need to change the BRK instruction to something else, such as an endless loop ("completed jmp completed") or a jump to another location to give the control back to, for instance DOS.

 

I think that using RTS with a 

  *=$2E2
  .word 20000

might return control to DOS, but it will depend on the DOS or the loader you use.

 

If you are just creating an XEX and run it from the PC with a double click or from your developing framework, probably the best option is the endless loop for tests.

Now why didn't I think of that? Thanks vitoco, problem solved.

[Rybags]

For what it's worth - the lda #33 could stay outside the loop start to save cycles.

The cpy #0 isn't needed.   Practically any instruction that modifies a register or memory location (RTI being one exception) will modify some of the P flags to reflect what's happened.

So for a DEY, the Z and N flags will reflect zero or negative state.

Edited April 3, 2021 by Rybags

[+skr]

Make sure to checkout the tutorials JAC! made:

 

http://www.wudsn.com/index.php/productions-atari800/tutorials

 

They are a big help in getting started with assembly.