The book Introduzione alla programmazione Assembly 8 bit – Volume I: MCS 65XX is a fundamental guide for those who want to learn assembly programming for MOS 65XX processors. Written by Daniele Lanzillo, also known as M.A.W. 1968 (András Vajda), the book is a tribute to retrocomputing and is aimed at anyone who wants to delve into low-level programming. This special edition has been created specifically for the www.valoroso.it blog and can be downloaded for free at the bottom of this page. The book is abailable in Italian only.
Which computers does it apply to?
The Mos Technology processors of the Seria 65XX were used in the most famous computers, such as the Commodore 64 (Mos 6510), the Commodore Vic20 (Mos 6502), the Apple Iie (Mos 6502), the Acorn BBC Micro (Mos 6502) and the Atari 800xl (Mos 6502).
Daniele Lanzillo, the author of the Assembly book for the Mos 65xx processors
The author of the book Introduzione alla programmazione Assembly 8 bit – Volume I: MCS 65XX, Daniele Lanzillo, è nato nel 1968. Fa parte di quella generazione di nerd e geek che ha vissuto l'adolescenza negli anni Ottanta, protagonisti dell'avvento degli home computer e della rivoluzione del personal computing. Con una carriera che abbraccia tutte le fasi dell'IT, dalle BBS ai moderni user groups, ha condiviso il suo know-how tecnico come studente e professionista nel campo dei sistemi embedded distribuiti. Conosciuto come "Master Assembly Wizard" per la sua competenza in Assembly e il raggiungimento di traguardi significativi, oggi continua a nutrire una passione per il retrocomputing, affiancata da una visione matura e ampia del settore.
Assembly for MOS 65XX Processors, Chapter 1: Introduction
Il libro inizia con una panoramica sulla programmazione in Assembly per i processori MOS 65XX, evidenziando come questo linguaggio, pur essendo considerato "difficile" da molti programmatori, sia in realtà lo strumento ideale per chi desidera ottenere il massimo dall'hardware del computer. Il libro è specificamente rivolto ai principianti.
Chapter 2: Very brief notes on the history of automatic calculation
This chapter introduces the origins of the automatic calculation, from the Binary System of Leibniz to the evolution of the first 8 -bit microprocessors. The author also explores the architecture von Neumann and that Harvard, central elements to understand the differences between the various types of microprocessors.
Chapter 3: Elements of Arithmetic for Digital Calculation
Daniele Lanzillo provides the basics of digital arithmetic, explaining the binary system and how microprocessors handle numbers and logical operations. Boolean logic is introduced, which is essential for understanding how Assembly Language works for MOS 65XX processors and other microprocessors. These notions are essential for anyone who wants to program at a low level.
Chapter 4: The MCS65xx CPU Family
The fourth chapter represents the technical heart of the book, focusing on the MOS 65XX family of microprocessors. The author analyzes the instruction set and explains in detail how to address it. Particular attention is paid to the management of registers and memory, fundamental concepts to understand the operation of these processors.
Chapter 5: Assembly Programming Examples
Daniele Lanzillo describes the tools necessary to program in assembly for the Mos 65XX processors. The author talks about the most useful assemblies, emulators and debuggers, also explaining how to configure a modern development environment to program on vintage machines.
Practical tips and examples are provided to help you get the most out of these tools and start coding immediately. These examples cover a wide range of operations: register control, memory management, arithmetic operations, and input/output routines.
The code is progressively structured, starting from simple operations such as loading a value in a register, up to more complex procedures, such as sending string to a generic display or monitor via kern. The examples are written in a clear and detailed way, with comments that explain step by step the operation of each segment of code. This approach makes the book also accessible to beginners.
Assembly for MOS 65XX processors, download
Are you passionate about retrocomputing?
Thanks to Daniele Lanzillo, this special edition for the www.valoroso.it blog (and for the @ValorosoIT channels) can be downloaded for free:
Introduction to the Assembly 8 Bit programming - Volume I
(the book is available in Italian)