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A FORTH ASSEMBLER FOR THE 6502
A FORTH ASSEMBLER FOR THE 6502

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!! AN EXAMPLE
As a practical example, here's a simple call to the system monitor, via the NMI address vector (using the BRK opcode).
{{{
CODE MON ( exit to monitor )
BRK,
NEXT JMP,
END-CODE
}}}
The word CODE is first encountered, and executed by Forth. CODE builds the following name "MON" into a dictionary header and calls ASSEMBLER as the CONTEXT vocabulary.
The "(" is next found in FORTH and executed to skip til ")". This method skips over comments. Note that the name after CODE and the ")" after "(" must be on the same text line.
!! OP-CODES
BRK, is next found. in the assembler as the op-code. When BRK, executes, it assembles the byte value 00 into the dictionary as the op-code for "break to monitor via "NMI".
Many assembler word names end in ",". The significance of this is:
# The comma shows the conclusion of a logical grouping that would be one line of classical assembly source code.
# "," compiles into the dictionary, thus a comma implies the point at which code is generated.
# The "," distinguishes op-codes from possible hex numbers ADC and ADD.
!! NEXT
Forth executes your word definition under control of the address interpreter, named NEXT. This short code routine moves execution from one definition, to the next. At the end of your code definition, you must return control to NEXT or else to code which returns to NEXT.
!! RETURN OF CONTROL
Most 6502 systems can resume execution after a break, since the monitor saves the CPU register contents. Therefore, we must return control to Forth after a return from the monitor. NEXT is a constant that specifies the machine address of Forth's address interpreter (say $0242). Here it is the operand for "JMP,". As "JMP," executes, it assembles a machine code jump to the address of NEXT from the assembly time stack value.
!! SECURITY
Numerous tests are made within the assembler for user errors:
# All parameters used in CODE definitions must be removed.
# Conditionals must be properly nested and paired.
# Address modes and operands must be allowable for the op-codes
These tests are accomplished by checking the stack position (in CSP) at the creation of the definition name and comparing it with the position at END-CODE. Legality of address modes and operands is insured by means of a bit mask associated with each operand.
Remember that if an error occurs during assembly, END-CODE never executes. The result is that the "smudged" condition of the definition name remains in the "smudged" condition and will not be found during dictionary searches.
The user should be aware that one error not trapped is referencing a definition in the wrong vocabulary:
i.e., {{{0=}}} of ASSEMRLER when you want {{{0=}}} of FORTH
(Editor's note: the listing assumes that the figFORTH error messages are already available in the system, as follows:
?CSP issues the error message "DEFINITION NOT FINISHED" if the stack position differs from the value saved in the user variable CSP, which is set at the creation of the definition name.
?PAIRS issues the error message "CONDITIONALS NOT IMPAIRED" if its two arguments do not match.
3 ERROR prints the error message "HAS INCORRECT ADDRESS MODE".)
!!SUMMARY
The object code of our example is:
{{{
3059 83 4D 4F CE CODE MON
305D 4D 30 link field
305F 61 30 code field
3061 00 BRK
3062 4C 42 02 JMP NEXT
}}}
!!OP-CODES, revisited
The bulk of the assembler consists of dictionary entries for each op-code. 6502 one mode op-codes are:
BRK,
CLC,
CLD,
CLI,
CLV,
DEX,
DEY,
INX,
INY,
NOP,
PHA,
PHP,
PLA,
PLP,
RTI,
RTS,
SEC,
SED,
SEI,
TAX,
TAY,
TSX,
TXS,
TXA,
TYA,
When any of these are executed, the corresponding op-code byte is assembled into the dictionary.
The multi-mode op-codes are:
ADC,
AND,
CMP,
EOR,
LDA,
ORA,
SBC,
STA,
ASL,
DEC,
INC,
LSR,
ROL,
ROR,
STX,
CPX,
CPY,
LDX,
LDY,
STY,
JSR,
JMP,
BIT,
These usually take an operand, which must already be on the stack. An address mode may also be specified. If non is given, the op-code uses z-page or absolute addressing. The address modes are determined by:
|| Symbol || Mode || Operand
| .A | accumulator | none
| # | immediate | 8 bits only
| ,X | indexed X | z-page or absolute
| ,Y | indexed Y | z-page or absolute
| X) | indexed indirect X | z-page only
| )Y | indirect index Y | z-page only
| ) | indirect | absolute only
| one | memory | z-page or absolute
!! EXAMPLES
Here are examples of Forth vs. conventional assembler. Note that the operand comes first, followed by any mode modifier, and then the op-code mnemonic. This makes best use of the stack at assembly time. Also, each assembler word is set off by blanks, as is required for all Forth source text.
{{{
.A ROL, --> ROL A
1 # LDY, --> LDY #1
DATA ,X STA, --> STA DATA,X
DATA ,Y CMP, --> CMP DATA,Y
6 X) ADC, --> ADC (06,X)
POINT )Y STA, --> STA (POINT),Y
VECTOR ) JMP, --> JMP (VECTOR)
}}}
This page (revision-7) was last changed on 03-Feb-2023 15:21 by Carsten Strotmann  Top