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Category: Programming

Programming the Spectrum Next

Programming the Spectrum Next

There are various ways to writing computer programs for the Spectrum Next ranging from developing on the machine itself, to writing the code on a separate PC and copying it across when done. The three main languages that can be used, in order of difficulty are: Here are some notes on these options. Programming in BASIC There are a few options for writing BASIC for your Spectrum Next. Sinclair BASIC This is the version of BASIC that came with original…

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Z80 Assemblers on Linux for RC2014

Z80 Assemblers on Linux for RC2014

Here’s a quick post on how I got some Z80 assembly code onto my Z80 SC114 SBC from Linux. This is using the fantastic Small Computer Monitor software that comes pre-installed. First, install the necessary packages. Be sure to use z80asm and z80dasm from the repositories rather than the one that comes with z88dk if you have that installed. From Linux: –   sudo apt install z80asm z80dasm srecord Or from MacOS: –   brew install z80asm z80dasm srecord Here’s…

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Programming in C on the ZX Spectrum

Programming in C on the ZX Spectrum

Back in the 1980’s, if you were writing code for the ZX Spectrum, you could use the built-in basic interpreter or Z80 machine code for better performance. Now there are other options, including higher level languages such as C. z88dk is a great project that allows you to compile C for the ZX Spectrum and ZX Spectrum Next. It also includes some libraries to make doing common things easier. There’s a great getting started guide here and I’ve included my…

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Compiling Z88DK on the Raspberry Pi

Compiling Z88DK on the Raspberry Pi

The Z88DK project provides C compilers and libraries for over 100 Z80 machines, including the RC2014, ZX Spectrum and ZX Spectrum Next. Here are some quick notes showing how I got Z88DK working on my Raspberry Pi 4. Just installing z88dk via apt resulted in an old version, so I opted to install from source instead. Dependencies First I installed some dependencies: – Code Download Then I downloaded and uncompressed it: – Compilation Here is how I compiled the software…

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Resources for Programming the Z80

Resources for Programming the Z80

Books on Z80 Programming The classic book is Rodney Zaks’ Programming the Z80 from 1979-1981. It is freely available (with the author’s blessing) here. Another Z80 book from the late 70’s is “Z80 Assembly Language Programming” by Lace A. Leventhal. You can download a copy from the internet archive here. A more modern book for Z80 programming is “Jumpstart Z80 Machine Code” from 2016. It has mixed reviews on Amazon and focuses on the Ti-83 calculator but it may be…

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Starting Emulator Development

Starting Emulator Development

Writing an emulator for a CPU or entire system is a great programming project. Some of the old 8-bit CPU’s can be emulated fairly easily and running them at a decent speed isn’t a problem for modern PC’s. In addition to the CPU, code will be needed to emulate any graphics and sound hardware too. Here are some notes on where to start. CHIP-8 Chip 8 is usually the first place to start – its actually an interpreted programming language…

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Write 8-bit code in your Browser

Write 8-bit code in your Browser

8bitworkshop is a fantastic website that lets you write and test code for a wide range of retro 8-bit computer systems within your browser. It has a great IDE with memory browser, disassembly etc. The ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, MSX, Atari 2600, NES and Sega Master System are among the supported systems. The functionality is amazing, a lot of hard work has obviously gone into this project. The owner of the website has also released a range of books. These…

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