Microsoft Basic for 6502

Nigel Goodwin

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As there's not a Microprocessor forum, I'm putting this here, as it's not a Microcontroller.

Many of us come from the 6502 days, Apple, C64, KIM1 etc, or in my case Microtan 65 - and a good while back now, Microsoft posted all the original BASIC source code on Github.

So I've been following a guy on YouTube, who's been breadboarding his own 6502 based simple computer, and he's just recently got round to implementing the original Microsoft BASIC on it:


Earlyierepisodes show him implementing WOZMON on it, something I wasn't familiar with, but it's incredible how little code WOZMON takes

It makes me want to build a 6502 board to play with - but then reality kicks in, and a little cheap PIC has far better specs. for a fraction of the cost, and almost nothing else required other than the PIC.

It takes you back!
 
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Nigel Goodwin said:
It takes you back!
Click to expand...

The 6502 is the unsung hero of the microcomputer revolution. Note that there was a 6501 for only a very brief period of time because Motorola literally sued it to death. It was a 6800 clone that way outperformed the original. I still have both original datasheets.

ak
 
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Hardly 'unsung' it was massively successful in the hobbiest and home computer market, far more so than other processors like the Z80.

It was basically the processor that started the home computer market.
 
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Loved the 6502, first encountered in the C64, BBC and later a modified version in the NES and later a 16 bit version in the SNES. We even copied self modifying code into page zero to enable faster execution. First encountered the Z80 in the Sinclair (ZX81 and Spectrum).

Did MS really write BBC basic or have I misunderstood which I seem to do a lot these days.

Mike.
Edit, obviously get MS Basic and BBC basic mixed up. Forget the last question. Anyone know who did write BBC Basic?
 
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As far as I'm aware, BBC BASIC was nothing to do with MicroSoft, and was entirely different and a much more modern BASIC.
 
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If you want to play with a decent basic, buy a Pico and download MMBasic, they even have a VGA version so you can make a lil computer. BUT!! there is a 6502 emulator for the Pico anyway
Its based on the Microsoft basic..

BTW. I think the micro controller section can host these types of posts.
 
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Ian Rogers said:
If you want to play with a decent basic, buy a Pico and download MMBasic, they even have a VGA version so you can make a lil computer. BUT!! there is a 6502 emulator for the Pico anyway
Its based on the Microsoft basic..
Click to expand...

I built some, just because I could Just sent the Gerbers off to JLCPCB, and only paid for slow delivery, so it cost very little.

To be fair, the Pico (or even the previous PIC32 MMBASIC) makes the 6502 look incredibly slow and limited.
 
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If I'm not mistaken, BBC Basic was developed by Acorn Computers.
 
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paulSH said:
If I'm not mistaken, BBC Basic was developed by Acorn Computers.
Click to expand...
Probably so, as the BBC Micro was an Acorn machine.

I mentioned previously, that I had a MicroTan 65, and I also purchased the MicroSoft BASIC for it (in 10K of EPROM's) when it became available. But later on Tangerine announced (in their magazine, the Tansoft Gazette) a forthcoming enhanced BASIC similar to the BBC BASIC, and were taking deposits. I was well up for that, and paid my deposit, but unfortunately the product never materialised - and in the end they provided a 6502 version of Forth, which I received, but never really liked
 
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