The 8-bit Z80 microprocessor has been a popular choice for early computer designs and continues to see some use in embedded systems today. When I was 14 years old, my Dad purchased a Commodore 128 as an upgrade to our C64, which contained both a 6510 and a Z80 microprocessor. In the 128, it was intended to be used as a platform to run CP/M, an OS intended for business computing, which the C128...
In December 1982, Santa delivered a Commodore 64, which became an obsession for me during my childhood and teen years. I quickly discovered that most of the graphic operations I wanted to perform were not possible using the BASIC interpreter built into the OS. Fast, smooth animations were only possible using assembly language routines either natively run or called from BASIC programs. I...