is an introduction to Z80 assembly language programming. It explains commonly used instructions, elementary programming techniques and their applications, and the modular approach to software design.
The content is presented in a format similar to one for learning a foreign language. One approach to learning a foreign language is to begin with a few words that can form simple, meaningful, and interactive sentences. After learning a few sentences, one begins writing paragraphs that can convey ideas in a coherent fashion; then, by sequencing a few paragraphs, one can compose a letter. Chapters 6 to 11 are arranged in similar fashion-from simple instructions to applications.
. Chapter 6 presents the Z80 programming model and provides an overview of the Z80 instruction set and its capability. Chapter 7 deals with software development systems and Z80 assemblers. Chapters 8 and 9 are concerned primarily with the Z80 instructions that occur most frequently. The instructions are not introduced according to the six groups as classified in Chapter 6; instead, a few instructions that can perform simple tasks are selected from each group. Chapter 8 includes the discussion of instructions from three groups–data copy. Arithmetic, and branch-and their various applications. Chapter 9 introduces logic and bit manipulation instructions and their applications. Chapter 10 introduces the concepts of subroutine and stack, which provide flexibility and variety for program design. Chapter 11 synthesizes the programming concepts presented in earlier chapters by illustrating application programs and demonstrates the modular approach to software design.
PREREQUISITES
The reader is expected to know the following topics (refer to Chapters 1 and 2):
· Concepts in microprocessor architecture.
· Concepts related to memory and I/Os.
· Logic operations and binary and hexadecimal arithmetic.