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Elite on the BBC Micro and NES

Loader 2 source

[6502 Second Processor version]

6502 SECOND PROCESSOR ELITE I/O LOADER (PART 2) SOURCE 6502 Second Processor Elite was written by Ian Bell and David Braben and is copyright Acornsoft 1985 The code on this site is identical to the source discs released on Ian Bell's personal website at http://www.elitehomepage.org/ (it's just been reformatted to be more readable) The commentary is copyright Mark Moxon, and any misunderstandings or mistakes in the documentation are entirely my fault The terminology and notations used in this commentary are explained at https://www.bbcelite.com/terminology The deep dive articles referred to in this commentary can be found at https://www.bbcelite.com/deep_dives
This source file produces the following binary file: * ELITEa.bin after reading in the following files: * P.DIALS2P.bin * P.DATE2P.bin * Z.ACSOFT.bin * Z.ELITE.bin * Z.(C)ASFT.bin
INCLUDE "1-source-files/main-sources/elite-build-options.asm" _SOURCE_DISC = (_VARIANT = 1) _SNG45 = (_VARIANT = 2) _EXECUTIVE = (_VARIANT = 3) GUARD &4000 \ Guard against assembling over screen memory
Configuration variables
CODE% = &2000 \ The address where the code will be run LOAD% = &2000 \ The address where the code will be loaded D% = &D000 \ The address where the ship blueprints get moved to \ after loading, so they go from &D000 to &F200 \ \ [Show more]
\ \ This variable is used by the following: \ \ * MVE \ \ This list only includes code that refers to the \ variable by name; there may be other references to \ this memory location that don't use this label, and \ these will not be mentioned above
OSCLI = &FFF7 \ The address for the OSCLI routine \ \ [Show more]
\ \ This variable is used by the following: \ \ * Elite loader (Part 1 of 2) \ \ This list only includes code that refers to the \ variable by name; there may be other references to \ this memory location that don't use this label, and \ these will not be mentioned above
Name: ZP [Show more] Type: Workspace Address: &0090 to &0093 Category: Workspaces Summary: Important variables used by the loader
Context: See this workspace on its own page Variations: See code variations for this workspace in the different versions References: No direct references to this workspace in this source file
ORG &0090 .Z1 SKIP 2 \ Temporary storage, used when moving code \ \ [Show more]
\ \ This variable is used by the following: \ \ * MVBL \ * MVE \ \ This list only includes code that refers to the \ variable by name; there may be other references to \ this memory location that don't use this label, and \ these will not be mentioned above
.Z2 SKIP 2 \ Temporary storage, used when moving code \ \ [Show more]
\ \ This variable is used by the following: \ \ * MVBL \ * MVE \ \ This list only includes code that refers to the \ variable by name; there may be other references to \ this memory location that don't use this label, and \ these will not be mentioned above
ELITE LOADER
ORG CODE%
Name: MVE [Show more] Type: Macro Category: Utility routines Summary: Move a one-page block of memory from one location to another
Context: See this macro on its own page References: This macro is used as follows: * Elite loader (Part 1 of 2) uses MVE

The following macro is used to move a block of memory from one location to another: MVE S%, D%, PA% It is used to move the component parts of the loading screen into screen memory, such as the dashboard background and Acornsoft copyright message.
Arguments: S% The source address of the block to move D% The destination address of the block to move PA% Number of pages of memory to move (1 page = 256 bytes)
MACRO MVE S%, D%, PA% LDA #LO(S%) \ Set Z1(1 0) = S% STA Z1 LDA #HI(S%) STA Z1+1 LDA #LO(D%) \ Set Z1(1 0) = D% STA Z2 LDA #HI(D%) STA Z2+1 LDX #PA% \ Set X = PA% JSR MVBL \ Call MVBL to copy X pages from S% to D% ENDMACRO
Name: Elite loader (Part 1 of 2) [Show more] Type: Subroutine Category: Loader Summary: Move loading screen binaries into screen memory and load and run the main game code
Context: See this subroutine on its own page References: No direct references to this subroutine in this source file
.ENTRY MVE DIALS, &7000, &E \ Move the binary at DIALS (the dashboard background) to \ locations &7000-&7DFF in screen memory (14 pages) \MVE DATE, &6000, &1 \ This instruction is commented out in the original \ course, but it would move the binary at DATE to \ locations &6000-&60FF in screen memory (1 page), \ which would display the following message on the \ loading screen: "2nd Pro ELITE -Finished 13/12/84" MVE ASOFT, &4200, &1 \ Move the binary at ASOFT (the "Acornsoft" heading) to \ locations &4200-&42FF in screen memory (1 page) MVE ELITE, &4600, &1 \ Move the binary at ELITE (the "ELITE" heading) to \ locations &4600-&46FF in screen memory (1 page) MVE CpASOFT, &6C00, &1 \ Move the binary at CpASOFT (the Acornsoft copyright \ message) to locations &6C00-&6CFF in screen memory \ (1 page) LDX #LO(MESS2) \ Set (Y X) to point to MESS2 ("R.I.CODE") LDY #HI(MESS2) JSR OSCLI \ Call OSCLI to run the OS command in MESS2, which *RUNs \ the main I/O processor game code in I.CODE LDX #LO(MESS3) \ Set (Y X) to point to MESS3 ("R.P.CODE") LDY #HI(MESS3) JMP OSCLI \ Call OSCLI to run the OS command in MESS3, which *RUNs \ the main parasite game code in P.CODE, returning from \ the subroutine using a tail call
Name: MESS2 [Show more] Type: Variable Category: Loader Summary: The OS command string for running the I/O processor's main game code in file I.CODE
Context: See this variable on its own page References: This variable is used as follows: * Elite loader (Part 1 of 2) uses MESS2
.MESS2 EQUS "R.I.CODE" \ This is short for "*RUN I.CODE" EQUB 13
Name: MESS3 [Show more] Type: Variable Category: Loader Summary: The OS command string for running the parasite's main game code in file P.CODE
Context: See this variable on its own page References: This variable is used as follows: * Elite loader (Part 1 of 2) uses MESS3
.MESS3 EQUS "R.P.CODE" \ This is short for "*RUN P.CODE" EQUB 13
Name: MVBL [Show more] Type: Subroutine Category: Utility routines Summary: Move a multi-page block of memory from one location to another
Context: See this subroutine on its own page References: This subroutine is called as follows: * MVE calls MVBL

Arguments: Z1(1 0) The source address of the block to move Z2(1 0) The destination address of the block to move X Number of pages of memory to move (1 page = 256 bytes)
.MVPG \ This subroutine is called from below to copy one page \ of memory from the address in Z1(1 0) to the address \ in Z2(1 0) LDY #0 \ We want to move one page of memory, so set Y as a byte \ counter .MPL LDA (Z1),Y \ Copy the Y-th byte of the Z1(1 0) memory block to the STA (Z2),Y \ Y-th byte of the Z2(1 0) memory block DEY \ Decrement the byte counter BNE MPL \ Loop back to copy the next byte until we have done a \ whole page of 256 bytes RTS \ Return from the subroutine .MVBL JSR MVPG \ Call MVPG above to copy one page of memory from the \ address in Z1(1 0) to the address in Z2(1 0) INC Z1+1 \ Increment the high byte of the source address to point \ to the next page INC Z2+1 \ Increment the high byte of the destination address to \ point to the next page DEX \ Decrement the page counter BPL MVBL \ Loop back to copy the next page until we have done X \ pages RTS \ Return from the subroutine
Name: Elite loader (Part 2 of 2) [Show more] Type: Subroutine Category: Loader Summary: Include binaries for loading screen and dashboard images
Context: See this subroutine on its own page References: No direct references to this subroutine in this source file

The loader bundles a number of binary files in with the loader code, and moves them to their correct memory locations in part 1 above. There are five files, all containing images, which are all moved into screen memory by the loader: * Z.ACSOFT.bin contains the "ACORNSOFT" title across the top of the loading screen, which gets moved to screen address &4200, on the second character row of the mode 1 part of the screen (the top part) * Z.ELITE.bin contains the "ELITE" title across the top of the loading screen, which gets moved to screen address &4600, on the fourth character row of the mode 1 part of the screen (the top part) * Z.(C)ASFT.bin contains the "(C) Acornsoft 1984" title across the bottom of the loading screen, which gets moved to screen address &6C00, the penultimate character row of the top part of the screen, just above the dashboard * P.DIALS2P.bin contains the dashboard, which gets moved to screen address &7000, which is the starting point of the eight-colour mode 2 portion at the bottom of the split screen * P.DATE2P.bin contains the version text "2nd Pro ELITE -Finished 13/12/84", though the code to show this on-screen in part 1 is commented out, as this was presumably used to identify versions of the game during development. If the MVE macro instruction in part 1 is uncommented, then this binary gets moved to screen address &6000, which displays the version message in the middle of the top part of the screen
.DIALS INCBIN "1-source-files/images/P.DIALS2P.bin" .DATE INCBIN "1-source-files/images/P.DATE2P.bin" .ASOFT INCBIN "1-source-files/images/Z.ACSOFT.bin" .ELITE INCBIN "1-source-files/images/Z.ELITE.bin" .CpASOFT INCBIN "1-source-files/images/Z.(C)ASFT.bin"
Save ELITEa.bin
PRINT "S.ELITEa ", ~CODE%, " ", ~P%, " ", ~LOAD%, " ", ~LOAD% SAVE "3-assembled-output/ELITEa.bin", CODE%, P%, LOAD%