6502 Microprocessor Kit

[pitcalco]

Still trying to get my head around machine language at an intuitive level and - dare I say it - at a cross-platform level.

Anyone have experience in working with a 6502 microprocessor kit, such as this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/6502-Microproc ... Swxg5X1BKd

Any point in getting into this in order to better my machine-language skills? I would be interested in hearing about any experiences.

[Mike]

[...] - dare I say it - at a cross-platform level.

Discussion about using (6502) SBCs is probably more suited to the 'Other Systems' section, indeed.

Any point in getting into this in order to better my machine-language skills? I would be interested in hearing about any experiences.

Quite some years ago, I had my share with an 68K experimental board that was programmed over a serial link (source text editor and assembler would sit on a PC and send Intel HEX to the board) - that was quite interesting and fun.

However, when it comes to writing ML programs ultimately intended for the VIC-20, you not only need to know the 6502 instruction set by heart, but also the memory map, I/O (VIC and VIA) and BASIC/KERNAL (at least, the calls of the KERNAL jump table) - knowledge about the latter ones which would still be missing if you used a 6502 SBC in-between and then came back.

With a VIC-20 + VICMON you can easily start out on programs up to a size of around 1 KB. Beyond that size, using a direct assembler alone at least becomes rather interesting - especially if you find yourself in need to insert new instructions in existing code. Such (monitor written) code can often be identified by use of code 'knapsacks' or NOP paddings.

You might take a look at the thread "A sample programming session in VICMON", how 'serious' work with VICMON looks like.

Bigger code almost always requires the use of a (cross-)assembler. DASM, ACME, ca65 on the PC - VICE to test - and a reliable means to transfer code and data between PC and VIC-20 (like a SD2IEC) ... and then we can continue this discussion in the "Emulation and Cross Development" section.

[cbmeeks]

You may want to check out the 6502 forums too. Lots of activity and great knowledge there.

http://forum.6502.org/