Machine Language Tutorial!

[deSilva]

Finally - The first version! And thank you all for your support!

The most recent update is this: Still fighting typos and smaller issues - no serious need you upgrade!

Important note:
In posting # ?? this thread contains a spanish translation by Joe "BOT" Red (first 50% at the moment!)
In posting # 2 this thread contains Potatohead's evolving "Assembly Language for the Absolute Beginner"

Both update their postings regularly!

Post Edited (deSilva) : 8/25/2007 11:40:34 PM GMT

[potatohead]

From the PDF above:

"Just BTW – you English readers have no idea how privileged you are
to understand the excellent Parallax documentation written in your
mother language. Do use this privilege!"

Indeed!

At deSilvas request, here is the current revision of the beginner PDF, with some changes / edits incorporated from comments received. The latest work will appear here from now on. Version 09 is in progress, and is the latest. I'm catching up some typos and adding an appendix or two.

Version 09 now uploaded to the forum. New appendix information, and a few gotchas sent to me via e-mail. Addressing is a work in progress at the moment. The information added is useful, but not yet complete. As usual, gotchas, bugs and error corrections are more current in the latest version.

Older versions are still here because there are links to them and not the thread.

I'm giving Grahams tutorial a bit of love too --it's often missed. I got a lot out of this one! Helped me get a leg up at the beginning. Recommended.

You can find it here: http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=25&m=187621

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Propeller Wiki: Share the coolness!
Chat in real time with other Propellerheads on IRC #propeller @ freenode.net
Safety Tip: Life is as good as YOU think it is!

Post Edited (potatohead) : 12/9/2009 7:20:15 AM GMT

[deSilva]

I uploaded a version 1.01 - it turned out the PDF-renderer produced a very tiny underscore with the Courier font, visible at 150% magnification only, certainly recognizable when printing, but not in the standard view.

So I decided to remove underscores in the places where possible.
However the underscore is an essential character in the assembly language, for subroutine returns, conditional prefixes, number separation etc.

I have now substituted a minus for it in that places, which means you can no longer simply copy and paste some code! Sorry, maybe I shall find a better solution....

Post Edited (deSilva) : 8/19/2007 12:40:48 AM GMT

[potatohead]

That's a major bummer. Try the Lucida Console font for the code elements. It's got way better hinting than the Courier one does.

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Propeller Wiki: Share the coolness!

[Fred Hawkins]

Well done, indeed!
(Making do, we lack an applause emoticon)

Post Edited (Fred Hawkins) : 8/19/2007 4:53:52 AM GMT

[deSilva]

@Potatohead: Good hint! Works fine now, after 2 hours of stupid work :-(
But I improved it on the fly - found 4 inconsistencies, and also spell Fred's name right now


I think I could risk another update, as long as America is deep asleep - OT: Do you know this:
www.theonion.com/content/node/45792 Most ONION stuff is unreadeable, but this is one of their best

Changes:
- I left an unfnished appendix in the version 1.2:
"Pitfalls of SPIN" - all the funny things I encountered. I must really read through the sticky thread next month...
- A major misunderstanding wrt the MUX instrcution has been fixed.

This rendering issue with Courier turns up only, when having a background color in the boxes..
Wish Microsoft could make something like "WYSIWYG" as sported by the Macintosh since 1984...

Post Edited (deSilva) : 8/19/2007 12:22:19 PM GMT

[Coley]

deSilva,

Once again a BIG Thank You from me.

That's the best thing about this forum, the time and effort people are willing to put in to assist others!

Better than any other microcontroller forum I have been on.

It is a professional and well laid out document, this should definitely be made as a sticky.

Regards,

Coley

[potatohead]

I do know the onion!

Actually had not read that one. Thanks! Are those guys geniuses or what?

Nicely done!

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Propeller Wiki: Share the coolness!

[Franz Achatz]

i have contacted Dr. Kühnel a time ago about writing a Propeller Book.
Klaus told me that he will think about it but his Basicstamp books flopped a bit,
therefore he is a bit careful.
I think, after reading deSilva's nice made/written ASM PDF, that he will become our
new "Dr. Klaus Kühnel"

deSilva, very nice done and keep on going
Franz

[rjo_]

deSilva,

After I started reading through your Tutorial, I went to the German site. You guys are amazing. I was particularly happy to see that you are interested in the OpenEEG project... and am waiting to see what new and fabulous applications you create for the Propeller.

I would also like to say how lucky the German audience is to have you translating the important information about the Propeller from English to German.

Your tutorial is very clear... If I were you, I wouldn't worry about little editorial issues.
I find the occasional syntax error to be part of the fun in reading your work.

The only suggestion I would have is that you should define what "intermediate" level actually means... with reference to the major sections... for example.

"Chapter 1".... if you don't know what $FF is in binary... you should read something else and come back.

Same for the video chapters... I think you need a little section at the top..."If you don't understand "this or that"... then go to "here or there" to study and then come back."

This is a minor point... but it will help the "wrong" reader from getting the idea that he/she will never understand what you are saying.

Very, very good reading.

Thanks,

Rich

[deSilva]

Thank you Rich!

If I only had time....
I started this in a German forum and translated it to English. The problem being: it is now out of sync. A re-translation is no good sport, I would "improve" it again, needing a re-translation to English ... Gosh!

Intermediate means in the first place: Not for beginners!
I become aware more and more - through this forum - that there are many misconceptions in the happy beginner wrt hardware features of the Prop. When you have worked some time with SPIN, these misconceptions will resolve one after the other. That's why I should like the reader to have gained some familiarity with SPIN first....

Also: Propeller Assembly is interwoven with the the PropellerTool, using CON and DAT elements known to the SPIN programmer

I had not the intention to walk through the hardware in the first place, but it's the merriment of most of this forum's clients.

Applications for micro controllers can have so many aspects!

I like your suggestion about "conditional reading". Thats how my "sidetracks" came into life.

But Potatohead is also doing fine, and he "starts at the beginning".

Post Edited (deSilva) : 8/20/2007 8:07:13 PM GMT

[rjo_]

You might consider posting German version here... who knows you might get some help with your work!

Ich don‘ spricht t Deutsch sehr gut, aber es gibt Russen, Spanier und Chinese hier, der macht.

AND you might enjoy the attempted translations:)

Thanks again.

Rich

[GeorgeCollins]

I have been reading this over the weekend. This is very helpful-- thank you do much.

[RinksCustoms]

rjo_ said...
You might consider posting German version here... who knows you might get some help with your work!

Ich don‘ spricht t Deutsch sehr gut, aber es gibt Russen, Spanier und Chinese hier, der macht.

AND you might enjoy the attempted translations:)

Thanks again.

Rich

" I don't speak Dutch for sure, never got Russian, Spanish or Chineese either, their match?! "
or was that a begining to a joke, "A German, a Rusky, a Spaniard, and a Chineese walk into a tavern... "

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E³= Thought

http://folding.stanford.edu/·- Donating some CPU/GPU downtime just might lead to a cure for cancer! My team stats.

[Joe "Bot" Red]

Great learning tool!!!.. I went to quickly check the forum late at night... I found this document and I was glued to the computer for 2 hours!!.. I love the way the document helps you to understand the basics and then leads you to more complex areas of Assembler... very important for the microcontroller/assembler newbies like me (I have no idea what POP and PUSH instructions are highly recommended reading for the ones who are hesitant to learn assembler because they feel Prop Assembly is difficult to learn…

DaSilva.. a HUGE HUGE THANKS from me…

BTW… if there is enough interest, I will gladly translate this document to Spanish (with DaSilva's blessing of course) … Ok Spanish speaking Propeller Heads, please let me know…··

Post Edited (Joe "Bot" Red) : 8/21/2007 3:01:54 PM GMT

[deSilva]

@Joe Red
(1) Thanks a lot!
(2) There must be a spanish speaking group! We just know of BTX, but that can't be all.. This Forum has more than 1.000 (quiet) members...
And be aware it is A LOT of work. I myself was absolutely astonished when I read: "39 pages". There will be 8 to 10 more to follow, but then it's completed... More or less

[Joe "Bot" Red]

Hey deSilva.... I understand it is a lot of work to translate, but if there is enough interest, it will be worth the effort.. anyway.. my translation offer is nothing compared to what you have done!.. you are right.. there are many Spanish speaking fellas in the forum... but the mayority is probably fluent in English too.. let see what their opinion is...

Thanks again!..

[Paul Baker]

deSilva said...
(2) There must be a spanish speaking group! We just know of BTX, but that can't be all.. This Forum has more than 1.000 (quiet) members...

Very true, the number of Guests (people who are reading but are not signed in) typically outnumber the signed in people by 5 to 1 or more and up to half of them·read this forum.

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Paul Baker
Propeller Applications Engineer

Parallax, Inc.

[Joe "Bot" Red]

Good point Paul.. Hey DeSilva... can you please IM me with a modifiable copy of the PDF?? , your posted PDF seems to be non-modifiable (locked by security settings) I would like to basically overwrite your original document paragraph by paragraph so I can keep the formatting and fonts (especially since you initially had fun with the fonts

Thanks!.. Jose

[deSilva]

I see no problems to post the word file. I have not yet decided the copyright/copyleft situation, but it is obvious that I cannot keep Pandora's box closed.

My main concern is, that the damn thing is not yet finished - But I am now quite confident that this can be done by adding rather than including what I have in mind...

Edit: Removed Attachment

Post Edited (deSilva) : 8/24/2007 7:48:49 AM GMT