The whole point being that in a kernel you don't necessarily need to compare
a counter value, nor branch when it reaches the final value. In notBD,
there are n rows, each done by identical code in consecutive banks. By
switching banks, the code keeps running, but the last bank has a "rts" just
after the switch. It's an interesting technique, used in notBD's new kernal
(worked on by Thomas and I) -- and without which, the kernel probably
wouldn't be possible.
In answer to Dennis, this particular code runs in BOTH RAM and ROM. It's a
bit weird, but the code is defined in ROM, and you (can) call the ROM
routine still. But it is also copied to multiple RAM banks, and the first
bankswitch will switch to the code running in RAM (because, in the
bankswitch scheme I am using, there is only one switchable bank -- in an
address area shared by both the ROM-switchable and RAM-switchable banks).
Another way to achieve the same effect as the rather unique 'tricky'
subroutine would be with self-modifying code, but it costs cycles. The
above technique is totally cycle-free in terms of detecting and forcing the
end of a loop. You do, of course, need the right memory architecture to
achieve this :)
Cheers
A
----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Jentzsch" <tjentzsch@xxxxxx>
To: <stella@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 9:07 PM
Subject: Re: [stella] programming teaser
Fred wrote:
> Maybe your bankswitching instruction swaps the code out after x=8 and
> finds
> an RTS where the ldy #21 was?
Bingo!
BTW: THAT one was solely Andrew's idea! ;-)
Have fun!
Thomas
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