MAC/65
|
Screenshot of cartridge version | |
| Original author(s) | Steven D. Lawrow |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Optimized Systems Software |
| Last release | 4.20 disk, 1.02 cartridge[1] / 1994 |
| Operating system | Atari OS |
| Platform | Atari 8-bit family |
| Size | 16KB |
| Type | Assembler |
| License | Copyright © Steven D. Lawrow[2] Proprietary software |
MAC/65 is an assembler written by Stephen D. Lawrow and originally sold by Optimized Systems Software for the Atari 8-bit family of microcomputers. MAC/65 was first released on disk in 1982, requiring 16 KB RAM. A bank-switched "Supercartridge" came later, only occupying 8 KB RAM.
MAC/65 is notable for combining a line editor, assembler, and debugger into a single package, while being much faster than both Atari's similarly structured Assembler Editor cartridge and the standalone Atari Macro Assembler. It was used to write numerous commercial games and applications, and the majority of assembly language listings in ANALOG Computing were written using MAC/65.
Features
Like Atari BASIC, source code in MAC/65 uses line numbers and is tokenized as it is entered. This allows immediate reporting of syntax errors, shorter assembly times, and smaller data sizes (important when both the source and object code are in memory). Source files can be saved and loaded in either tokenized format or as text files.
Unlike the Atari Assembler Editor, MAC/65 provides true macro processing and conditional assembly.
The cartridge version added 65C02 op-code support as well as a condensed version of Dunion's Debugging Tool (DDT) by Jim Dunion, the full version of which was originally sold through the Atari Program Exchange. DDT replaced the BUG/65 debugger which shipped with the disk version of MAC/65.
MAC/65 ToolKit
The ToolKit was a floppy diskette filled with source code and examples for use with the MAC/65 assembler. The ToolKit required an Atari 8-bit with 48K of memory, a disk drive and the MAC/65 cartridge.
The following is example code for Hello World! using the MAC/65 ToolKit:
0100 .OPT NO LIST
0110 ;
0120 ; HELLO.M65
0130 ; ---------
0140 ;
0150 ; THE HELLO WORLD TEST USING
0160 ; THE MAC/65 TOOLKIT
0170 ;
0180 RUNAD = $02E0 ; RUN ADDRESS
0190 EOL = $9B ; END-OF-LINE
0200 *= $4000
0210 ;
0220 MSG .BYTE "HELLO WORLD!",EOL
0230 ;
0240 .INCLUDE #D:KERNEL.M65
0250 ;
0260 START
0270 PRINT 0,MSG ; CHANNEL 0
0280 RTS ; RETURN TO DOS
0290 ;
0300 *= RUNAD
0310 .WORD START
0320 .END
ASM ,,#D:HELLO.COM
DOS
HELLO.COM
Trivia
- According to Matthew J. Ratcliff of ANALOG Computing, MAC/65 was used by C64 programmers to assemble C64 projects on Atari computers.
- According to Stephen D. Lawrow, MAC/65 was used to compile not only itself, but BASIC XL and BASIC XE.
Aftermath
MAC/65 along with other OSS products became part of ICD's catalog of Atari products in January 1988. In 1994, Fine Tooned Engineering obtained limited rights to ICD's 8-bit products, including MAC/65.[3]
References
- ↑ According to Steven D. Lawrow there was a small bug in the Mac/65 compiler of the cartridge version 1.01
- ↑ In an e-mail Paul Laughton told me in 2015, he does not have the copyright for MAC/65
- ↑ http://atariage.com/forums/topic/104214-fine-tooned-engineering/
External links
- retrobits.net Dan's OSS Supercart Page
- AtariAge - Atari 800/XL/XE MAC/65 (OSS)
- MAC/65 Online - MAC/65 Assembler Cartridge (manual)
- Compute! Magazine - Review: MAC/65, Issue 43, Dec 1983
- Antic Vol. 2, No. 7 - Oct 1983 Nightmare Mission - MAC's the one for the job (Atari assemblers review)
- Antic Vol. 4, No. 1 - May 1985 Product Review - MAC/65 Toolkit
- INFOCOM Online Transcript Interview with Brian Moriarty, talks briefly about MAC/65