Thread: Zx81
View Single Post
Old 25th Mar 2020, 6:51 pm   #183
SiriusHardware
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 11,482
Default Re: Zx81

Quote:
Originally Posted by emeritus View Post
My recollection is that the ZX81 manual encouraged you to PEEK into the memory and see what was in the various locations. A good way of getting an insight into to what was going on. Data for machine language programs usually had to be stored in REM statements.
In common with all computers of that era you got a very decent manual with the ZX81 which encouraged you to try to program the machine, at least in BASIC. Once the 16/32 bit home computers faded away and the PC became dominant that whole culture very nearly died altogether and has only been kept alive by a few hardcore enthusiasts who continue to write demos and come up with new hardware for their beloved machines. The resurgent 'Maker' scene owes a lot to Eben Upton and his Raspberry Pi, and other programmable platforms like Arduino and the Micro:Bit.

I think if I was trying to write assembly language code on the ZX81 now I would come up with some system of injecting the assembled code directly into the RAM through the rear edge connector - getting the Z80 to then run it automatically would need some extra trickery. No doubt someone has already done it.
SiriusHardware is online now