Spectrum Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner
Spectrum Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner

Author: William Tang

Publisher: Andrews UK Limited

Published: 2022-03-31

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1789829534

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First published in 1982, William Tang’s Spectrum Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner is generally considered to be the best introduction to 8-bit machine code programming ever written. With many great game writers crediting this as the book that got them started, there still is no better way to learn the language at the heart of the ZX Spectrum. * * * As the original publisher Melbourne House wrote: If you are frustrated by the limitations of BASIC and want to write faster, more powerful, space-saving programs or subroutines, Spectrum Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner is the book for you. Even with no previous experience of computer languages, you will be able to discover the ease and power of the Spectrum's own language. Each chapter includes specific examples of machine language applications which can be demonstrated and used on your Spectrum as well as a self-test questionnaire. At the end of the book, all this is brought together in an entire machine language program - from design right through to the complete listing of an exciting, original arcade game. * * * Acorn Books is proud to present its Retro Reproduction Series, a collection of classic computing works from the 1980s and 90s, lovingly reproduced in the 21st century. From standards of programming reference no self-respecting microcomputer programmer would be without, to obscure works not found in print anywhere else, these modern reprints are perfect for any connoisseur of retro computing.

The ZX Spectrum ULA
The ZX Spectrum ULA

Author: Chris Smith

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 9780956507105

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This book takes the reader through the design and implementation of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum's custom chip, revealing for the first time the decisions behind its design and its hidden secrets. By using it as case study, the techniques required to design an 8-bit microcomputer are explained, along with comprehensive details of the Ferranti ULA manufacturing process. If you have ever wanted to design your own computer or wondered what was behind the most successful microcomputer of the 1980s, then this is the book for you. For the first time, the inner working of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum's custom chip and heart of the computer, the Ferranti ULA, is exposed in minute detail. Packed with over 140 illustrations and circuit diagrams, this book takes the reader through the cutting edge technology that was the Ferranti ULA and the design of the ZX Spectrum home computer, illustrating the principles and techniques involved in creating a cost effective computer that required nothing more than a television set and a cassette recorder. The ZX Spectrum ULA is an essential read for the electronics hobbyist, student or electronic engineer wishing to design their own retro-style microcomputer or anyone with an interest in historical micro-electronic and digital design. All topics are explained in simple yet precise terms, building on their careful introduction towards the full functionality presented by the Sinclair computer. Some of the topics covered are: The architecture of the standard microcomputer, Ferranti and their ULA, manufacturing process and structure, The functional layout of the ZX Spectrum ULA, Video display generation, Memory contention and timing, ZX Spectrum design bugs such as "The Snow Effect," Hidden features, ULA version differences.