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--- sd-8516_programmer_s_reference_guide [2026/01/29 18:47] – appledog
+++ sd-8516_programmer_s_reference_guide [2026/01/30 02:03] (current) – appledog
@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 The **Stellar Dynamics SD-8516** represents a categoretroical reimagining of microprocessor architecture. This 16-bit CPU, implemented in AssemblyScript for the VC-3 computer system, delivers performance exceeding conventional silicon constraints through advanced cross-boundary resonance microcascades.
-<blockquote>This SD-8516 PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE GUIDE has been developed as a working tool and reference source for those of you who want to maximize your use of the built-in capabilities of your VC-3 Computer System. This manual contains the information you need for your programs, from the simplest example all the way to the most complex. The PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE GUIDE is designed so that everyone from the beginning BASIC programmer to the professional experienced in SD-8516 machine language can get information to develop his or her own creative programs. At the same time this book shows you how clever your SD-8516 really is.
+The SD-8516 is intended to be an easy to learn architecture which remains era-authentic.
-This REFERENCE GUIDE is not designed to teach the BASIC programming language or the SD-8516 machine language. There is, however, an extensive glossary of terms and a "semi-tutorial" approach to many of the sections in the book. If you don't already have a working knowledge of BASIC and how to use it to program, we suggest that you study the SD-8516 USER'S GUIDE that came with your computer. The USER'S GUIDE gives you an easy to read introduction to the BASIC programming language. If you still have difficulty understanding how to use BASIC then turn to the back of this book (or Appendix N in the USER'S GUIDE) and check out the Bibliography.
-The SD-8516 PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE GUIDE is just that; a reference. Like most reference books, your ability to
-apply the information creatively really depends on how much knowledge you have about the subject. In other words if you are a novice programmer you will not be able to use all the facts and figures in this book until you expand your current programming knowledge.
-What you can do with this book is to find a considerable amount of valuable programming reference information written in easy to read, plain English with the programmer's jargon explained. On the other hand the programming professional will find all the information needed to use the capabilities of the SD-8516 effectively.
-WHAT'S INCLUDED?
-* Our complete "BASIC dictionary" includes Stellar BASIC 1.0 language commands, statements and functions listed in alphabetical order. We've created a "quick list" which contains all the words and their abbreviations. This is followed by a section containing a more detailed definition of each word along with sample BASIC programs to illustrate how they work.
-* If you need an introduction to using machine language with BASIC programs our layman's overview will get you started.
-* A powerful feature of all VC systems is called the KERNAL. It helps insure that the programs you write today can also be used on the VC-3 system of tomorrow.
-* The Input/Output Programming section gives you the opportunity to use your computer to the limit. It describes how to hook-up and use everything from disk drives, to telecommunication devices called modems.
-* You can explore the world of SPRITES, programmable characters, and high resolution graphics for the most detailed and advanced animated pictures in the microcomputer industry.
-* You can also enter the world of music synthesis and create your own songs and sound effects with the best built-in synthesizer available in any personal computer.
-* If you're an experienced programmer, the soft load language section gives you information about the SD-8516's ability to run C and other high level languages. This is in addition to BASIC.
-Think of your SD-8516 PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE GUIDE as a useful tool to help you and you will enjoy the hours of programming ahead of you.</blockquote>
+^ CPU ^ Opcodes ^ Assembler ^ Notes ^
+|
+| SD-8516 | 56 opcodes | 105 opcodes | |
+| 6809 | 59 opcodes | 154+ | "the most elegant 8 bit CPU ever designed" |
+| 8086 | 117 opcodes | 117 | standard of the era |
+| 6502 | 151 opcodes | 151 | standard of the era |
+| Z80 | 158 opcodes | hundreds | prefix machine--158 base opcodes |
+| 8080 | 244 opcodes | | |
@@ Line 39: / Line 29: @@
 * Sound system overhead: < 5% CPU time
 * Video refresh: 60 Hz (16.67ms frame time)
-=== Optimization Notes:
-* Batch instruction execution (787,401 instructions per batch at 100 MIPS target)
-* MessageChannel-based scheduling for low-latency loops
-* Time-debt throttling maintains consistent clock rate
-* Sound updates triggered by register writes (not polling)
 == Technical Implementation
@@ Line 53: / Line 37: @@
 * **Video Backend:** 9 mode Text and Graphics pixel-perfect render engine
-== System Lore
+== Lore
 Since the days of the first minicomputers, Stellar Dynamics has been at the forefront of microarchitecture design. The SD-8516 is not simply an iteration upon its predecessors; it is a categorical reimagining of what a "processor" can be when unshackled from quantum locality.
@@ Line 59: / Line 43: @@
 These advancements position the Stellar Dynamics SD-8516 as the definitive architecture for next-generation computation: a bridge between classical logic engines and the emergent technologies of multidimensional processing.
+<blockquote>This SD-8516 PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE GUIDE has been developed as a working tool and reference source for those of you who want to maximize your use of the built-in capabilities of your VC-3 Computer System. This manual contains the information you need for your programs, from the simplest example all the way to the most complex. The PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE GUIDE is designed so that everyone from the beginning BASIC programmer to the professional experienced in SD-8516 machine language can get information to develop his or her own creative programs. At the same time this book shows you how clever your SD-8516 really is.
+This REFERENCE GUIDE is not designed to teach the BASIC programming language or the SD-8516 machine language. There is, however, an extensive glossary of terms and a "semi-tutorial" approach to many of the sections in the book. If you don't already have a working knowledge of BASIC and how to use it to program, we suggest that you study the SD-8516 USER'S GUIDE that came with your computer. The USER'S GUIDE gives you an easy to read introduction to the BASIC programming language. If you still have difficulty understanding how to use BASIC then turn to the back of this book (or Appendix N in the USER'S GUIDE) and check out the Bibliography.
+The SD-8516 PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE GUIDE is just that; a reference. Like most reference books, your ability to
+apply the information creatively really depends on how much knowledge you have about the subject. In other words if you are a novice programmer you will not be able to use all the facts and figures in this book until you expand your current programming knowledge.
+What you can do with this book is to find a considerable amount of valuable programming reference information written in easy to read, plain English with the programmer's jargon explained. On the other hand the programming professional will find all the information needed to use the capabilities of the SD-8516 effectively.
+WHAT'S INCLUDED?
+* Our complete "BASIC dictionary" includes Stellar BASIC 1.0 language commands, statements and functions listed in alphabetical order. We've created a "quick list" which contains all the words and their abbreviations. This is followed by a section containing a more detailed definition of each word along with sample BASIC programs to illustrate how they work.
+* If you need an introduction to using machine language with BASIC programs our layman's overview will get you started.
+* A powerful feature of all VC systems is called the KERNAL. It helps insure that the programs you write today can also be used on the VC-3 system of tomorrow.
+* The Input/Output Programming section gives you the opportunity to use your computer to the limit. It describes how to hook-up and use everything from disk drives, to telecommunication devices called modems.
+* You can explore the world of SPRITES, programmable characters, and high resolution graphics for the most detailed and advanced animated pictures in the microcomputer industry.
+* You can also enter the world of music synthesis and create your own songs and sound effects with the best built-in synthesizer available in any personal computer.
+* If you're an experienced programmer, the soft load language section gives you information about the SD-8516's ability to run C and other high level languages. This is in addition to BASIC.
+Think of your SD-8516 PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE GUIDE as a useful tool to help you and you will enjoy the hours of programming ahead of you.</blockquote>
 == CPU Architecture
@@ Line 83: / Line 88: @@
 | R15 | Z | General Purpose |
-**Note:** The SD-8516 does not use register pairing except for multiplication operations, which store results in the AB register pair.
+== Register Encoding
+=== Byte Access
+Each register's high and low bytes are individually addressable using H/L suffixes: AH/AL, BH/BL, XH/XL, etc.
+=== 32-bit Pairs
+Adjacent registers can be combined for certain 32-bit operations using concatenated names:
+- AB = A (high) + B (low)
+- CD = C (high) + D (low)
+- EF, GI, JK, LM, TY, XZ
+This is simulated 32 bit access; changing the value of a 32 bit pair will corrupt the underlying 16 bit registers, and so forth. Secondly, access is only marginally faster than 16 bit access; for memory loads, stores and compares it is usually faster to use native 16-bit mode.
+=== 24-bit Pointers
+Memory addressing uses a bank byte plus 16-bit offset. The naming convention is `[low-byte][offset]`:
+- BLX = BL (bank) + X (address)
+- ELM = EL (bank) + M (address)
+- FLD = FL (bank) + D (address)
+- GLK = GL (bank) + K (address)
-=== Register Encoding
+Eight bank registers (BL, EL, FL, GL, IL, JL, LL, TL) each pair with eight address registers (A, C, D, K, M, X, Y, Z), yielding 64 possible 24-bit pointer combinations.
-Registers are encoded as 4-bit values (0-15), allowing two registers per byte:
-* Low nibble: First operand
-* High nibble: Second operand
-Example: {{{ADD A, B}}} encodes as {{{0x01}}} (A=0, B=1)
+=== Register Overlap
+As with their 32-bit counterparts, 24-bit pointers share components. ELM and ELD both use the EL bank byte. FLD and GLD both use the D address register. Modifying one affects the other -- a common source of bugs. Always verify pointer independence when using multiple pointers simultaneously.
 === Flags Register
@@ Line 331: / Line 351: @@
 | SEV | Set overflow flag |
 | CLV | Clear overflow flag |
+=== Other
+|= Instruction |= Description |
+| TSX | Transfer SP to register* |
+| TXS | Transfer register to SP* |
+* (*) these opcodes were suggested by stackminer from the Fantasy Console 2.0 discord. Thank you, stackminer!
 === System Operations
@@ Line 475: / Line 503: @@
 ---
-**SD-8516 Technical Manual** - Revision 1.0
+**SD-8516 Technical Manual** - Revision 1.0\\
-**Copyright © 2025 Appledog Hu**
+**Copyright © 2025 Appledog Hu**\\
 **All specifications subject to change as quantum resonance research continues.**