Assembly?

[Chris Savage]

I promise, when you graduate to the Z80, I will be able to help you much more. While I have done ASM on the P1, it's a whole different beast. The P1 was fast enough that I often only wrote short little routines where timing was important, and relied on SPIN for the rest.

[JKnightandKARR]

I promise, when you graduate to the Z80, I will be able to help you much more. While I have done ASM on the P1, it's a whole different beast. The P1 was fast enough that I often only wrote short little routines where timing was important, and relied on SPIN for the rest.

Ok. I keep forgetting to get thick paper to make the cardiac... too much todo not enough time...

[JKnightandKARR]

I have mentioned this before (possibly not here,) but the best way for a total beginner to learn assembly is CardIAC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CARDboard_Illustrative_Aid_to_Computation.) I received one back in the mid-70s in high school, and actually have one still. I credit Bell Labs CardIAC for my understanding of assembly, and deep (electron-chasing level) knowledge of computer operations.

Michael Gardi (re-creater of many old systems) wrote an Instructable on building the CardIAC (https://www.instructables.com/CARDIAC-CARDboard-Illustrative-Aid-to-Computation-/.)

Start by downloading the excellent manual, from the 'Ible, and thoroughly reading all 63 pages (including covers, blank pages and lots of pictures.) After you have read the manual, build the CardIAC re-creation for yourself. Once you have built the "computer," go through the manual again, following all of the examples on your system.

Once you have done that, you could download an emulator (but not before you do the actual work on the cardboard computer - that is essential to the good understanding of assembler) and play around with some of the programs in the CardIAC manual. Next go to Drexel University's outstanding CardIAC page by Professor Stuart (https://www.cs.drexel.edu/~bls96/museum/cardiac.html.) Go through Professor Stuart's page for some more advanced topics, like subroutines, recursion and others.

When you have gone through these things, you will have a pretty solid understanding of assembly, machine code and how a computer processes code. From that foundation you can go on to more advanced stuff like the Z-80 (an excellent CPU.)

Trying to print the Cardiac, but my desktop is currently being really stupid, so gotta download files on mt laptop n print from there...

[JKnightandKARR]

Managed to get the files printed out, just need to assemble n figure out how to deal with some of the many holes... lol

[granz]

Managed to get the files printed out, just need to assemble n figure out how to deal with some of the many holes... lol

I ignored the holes for the Lady Bug in the memory. It's easy enough to just place the Lady Bug next to the proper memory location.

[JKnightandKARR]

Managed to get the files printed out, just need to assemble n figure out how to deal with some of the many holes... lol

I ignored the holes for the Lady Bug in the memory. It's easy enough to just place the Lady Bug next to the proper memory location.

Ok, I guess whatever works. lol

[granz]

Managed to get the files printed out, just need to assemble n figure out how to deal with some of the many holes... lol

I ignored the holes for the Lady Bug in the memory. It's easy enough to just place the Lady Bug next to the proper memory location.

Ok, I guess whatever works. lol

I read that one person mounted the memory section on a piece of steel, and then attached tiny magnets to the Lady Bug, so that it wouldn't move when he placed it in a memory location.

[JKnightandKARR]

Managed to get the files printed out, just need to assemble n figure out how to deal with some of the many holes... lol

I ignored the holes for the Lady Bug in the memory. It's easy enough to just place the Lady Bug next to the proper memory location.

Ok, I guess whatever works. lol

I read that one person mounted the memory section on a piece of steel, and then attached tiny magnets to the Lady Bug, so that it wouldn't move when he placed it in a memory location.

Thats a good idea.

[Chris Savage]

I read that one person mounted the memory section on a piece of steel, and then attached tiny magnets to the Lady Bug, so that it wouldn't move when he placed it in a memory location.

Magnetic Lady Bug. Interesting. I have this mental image of a simulator that moves the Lady Bug automatically like the magnetic chess games do. 

[Chris Savage]

I ignored the holes for the Lady Bug in the memory. It's easy enough to just place the Lady Bug next to the proper memory location.

How goes the assembly language learning?

[JKnightandKARR]

I ignored the holes for the Lady Bug in the memory. It's easy enough to just place the Lady Bug next to the proper memory location.

How goes the assembly language learning?

Been busy lately, tried reading today at work, and eyes too tired.

[JKnightandKARR]

Managed to get the files printed out, just need to assemble n figure out how to deal with some of the many holes... lol

I ignored the holes for the Lady Bug in the memory. It's easy enough to just place the Lady Bug next to the proper memory location.

Happen to know the assembly ins for the kit?? I couldn't find them at all.

[Chris Savage]

Happen to know the assembly ins for the kit?? I couldn't find them at all.

Not sure what you mean? 

[JKnightandKARR]

Happen to know the assembly ins for the kit?? I couldn't find them at all.

Not sure what you mean? 

To assemble the Cardiac when printed out

[granz]

Happen to know the assembly ins for the kit?? I couldn't find them at all.

That Instructable that I mentioned above (https://www.instructables.com/CARDIAC-CARDboard-Illustrative-Aid-to-Computation-/) has complete assembly instructions. Is there something that you don't understand there?