Assembler#
Given the extremely slow performance of Atari Basic, the go-to language for programmers writing games or other speed-critical programs was 6502 assembler.Shepardson Microsystems used a cross-compiler to write BASIC, and at the same time they began development of their own assembler which was later released as the Atari Assembler Editor in ROM cartridge format. Assembler/Editor lacked many features, and was only suitable for small programs, so Atari also released the disk-based high-end Atari Macro Assembler. Macro Assembler was glacially slow, as it was entirely disk based. This led to a thriving market for 3rd party assemblers and debuggers to fix the problems seen in one or the other.
Overview#
- 6502 OpCodes.xlsx
; Excel table with all opcodes and comparision between different Assemblers
Assembler for Atari Computers#
- Atari Assembler Editor
- Atari Macro Assembler and Program-Text Editor CX8121
- AMOEBA
- EASMD
- MAC/65
- BUG/65
- Dunion's Debugging Tool (DDT)
- Extended Dunion's Debugging Tool (ExDDT)
- Synapse Assembler
- Atmas I
- Atmas II
- Edit 6502
- Bibo Assembler
- 130XE+ Makroassembler V2.1 mit MyDOS 4.50 (1991)
- A65 Assembler
- MAE Assembler
- Alfasm
Cross-Assembler#
- ATASM
; Mac/65 compatible cross assembler
- MADS ; powerful and modern cross assembler under constant development
- XASM ; xasm is a 6502 cross-assembler with some syntax extensions. By default it generates binaries for Atari 8-bit computers.
- APX-20051 Cosmatic Atari Development Package ; cross-assembler for 1802 assembly language
Development IDE#
- WUDSN IDE ; smartest development environment available
Books#
- The Atari Assembler ; detailed and easy-to-read introduction to programming 6502-assembly on the Atari using Assembler/Editor.