Assembly programming on an XEGS

[Stella'sGhost]

Hi, what software do I need to do some assembly coding on an XEGS. I have heard of the Atari Assembler Editor and the MAC 65, and I know there are or were others, some on discs and some on cart, however I can not find anything on line, and ive checked countess atari sites and on ebay? I really want the Atari Assembler cart, but where can I find one? Are they rare? Is it worth hunting down? Do most developers use a PC emulator? I prefer to use the Atari itself for now. I have a 1050 disc drive. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'd be willing to buy the software or carts off anyone. Thanks.....

[Bruce Tomlin]

Perhaps you might do better to run an assembler on a PC and use an SIO2PC cable to make the PC pretend to be a disk drive for your XEGS?

[SmileyDude]

MAC/65 was the more capable editor, but the Atari Assembler Editor cart should be easier to find. I have one myself (not selling though, sorry) and it wasn't that hard to get. I have a copy of the Assembler Editor cart on a floppy disc as well -- the only problem is that for some reason, you need to run it under the translator on the XL/XEs.

 

I could send you a disc image if you wanted, or if necessary, I could probably get a real disc out to you for the price of postage and an floppy disc mailer.

[Stella'sGhost]

Well, that would be great - what's a translator? I think I have one. I'm new to programming on an Atari, I grew up using 8 bit computers but I never owned an XL/XE or 400/800 until last year so Ive been programming basic ( which I know well) but now I want to get into assembly. The thing is, where I am it's difficult to find Atari computer software and online, I have yet to see an assembler cart for sale? Any ideas of websites that may have one? I tried all the ones I know, about 80 of them and ebay.

 

My email is [email protected]

[zenassem]

I'm not quite certain of differences between the xegs and say the 65xe, but I believe they are pretty close. I am sort of in the same situation as you, in that I just now began assembly programming on an atari 8-bit. (although I did own both an atari 600xl and 65xe about over 15 years ago).

 

I can however recommend reading "Atari Roots" at www.atariarchives.org This book has finally made it easy for me to make the transition from basic to assembly on the atari. It not only covers 6502 assembly but it gives clear examples for using BOTH mac/65 and the Atari Assembler Cartridge; carefully noting any differences between the two through out the text. It also doesn't share the discussion with other microcomputers that use the 6502 (ie. apple, commodore etc..) The book covers how to use the different tools fro both packages including the editor, monitor/debugger, as well as loading, saving, running, and calling assembly programs from basic. Even though I already programmed in assembly for the 8086 using masm, I really didn't understand how to use the assembler packages for atari. I really wish that I would have known about this book years ago. Obviously, after this book goes well with "De Re Atari" and "Mapping The Atari", both of which can also be found at the site.

 

Many of the people here I'm sure know about, own, or at least have read these books. I seem to be one of the few just discovering some of these books. Years ago my public library ony had a few books about Atari Basic. Well sorry if you have read and know about these books already. Perhaps though it will help someone else. Good luck with your assembly language coding. Perhaps someday we'll share some discoveries. Now go and make some fun games for us to play!

 

~zen

[SmileyDude]

Well, that would be great - what's a translator?

 

The translator was a program for the XL/XEs that replaced the OS that came with the machine to the OS that the 400/800 used. It lasted until you power-cycled the machine, and allowed you to run programs that were incompatible with the XL/XE.

 

I have a few different versions of the discs for the translator, so I can include a copy of that as well, if needed.

 

I'll also attempt to dump the cart that I have tonight as well -- I might just have a flaky dump, and that's why it requires the translator.

[Wrathchild]

Shameless plug

 

Get a Flash Cart from Steve @ atarimax.com

 

Images for most of the development carts are available

from the forums on his site, e.g. Mac/65 & Action!

[Stella'sGhost]

I'm not quite certain of differences between the xegs and say the 65xe, but I believe they are pretty close. I am sort of in the same situation as you, in that I just now began assembly programming on an atari 8-bit. (although I did own both an atari 600xl and 65xe about over 15 years ago).

 

I can however recommend reading "Atari Roots" at www.atariarchives.org  

 

~zen

 

Hi, thanks, and yes I have printed out that book from atariarchives, its very good especially for beginners. I think that the 65XE and the XEGS are essentialy the same. Both run the XL OS I think. Well, I'm actually learning assembly because I plan on using a 6502 to control a synth that Im building, but yes games are definitely on the agenda. I'm doing some basic games right now. But assembly is where the action is and eventually, maybe I will write a 2600 game, sometime before I turn 40 would be nice.

 

I will eventually post all my progress with games and my synth on one of my websites, probably www.neongraphics.com , which is not up right now, will be up soon. For people who have nothing better to do than to see what I'm wasting my time with. I also write alot of games in Macromedia Director, you should try that software, its great.

 

Well, that's all for now.. see ya!

[Stella'sGhost]

Well, that would be great - what's a translator?

 

The translator was a program for the XL/XEs that replaced the OS that came with the machine to the OS that the 400/800 used. It lasted until you power-cycled the machine, and allowed you to run programs that were incompatible with the XL/XE.

 

I have a few different versions of the discs for the translator, so I can include a copy of that as well, if needed.

 

I'll also attempt to dump the cart that I have tonight as well -- I might just have a flaky dump, and that's why it requires the translator.

 

Thanks, I thought that's what a translator meant, the assembler software was written for the original 800 not the XL series I take it....

 

Whatever you can do I would greatly appreciate, as I know no one personally who programs 8 bit computers anymore or who has usefull information on the subject. Only on-line can I get any decent info these days....

[zenassem]

Yeah, The translator disk was made availbale because of the xl operating system and the inclusion of basic on the rom. To bypass the (pseudo basic cartridge) xl owners normally held down the option button. Not all third party developers followed Atari's guidelines for programmers even afterr th xl OS was released and some older games would fail to boot properly. Hence the translator disk. I have a notice from atari that was included in my 1050 Disk Drive Owners Guide stating this.

 

I remember having two different translators as the above post mentions. Some games would load from one, some from the other, and some for both. I always intended to make a log of which disk needed which translator.

 

~zenassem