Hi all,

I'm writing my own clone of the Z80 in vhdl, and I'm using asz80 / aslink to perform regression testing. One of the problems I have stems from my confusion over the .area directive.

Basically I have a load of tests which I have said are relocatable. (using ".area _CODE")

Then I have hardcoded interupt vector positions 0x38, 0x66 etc. These cannot be moved from these addresses. ( marked ".area VECTORS (ABS)" )

When I compile the hardcoded data is overwritten, by a different area of relocatable code!

Can anyone explain what function the .area command is performing, just so I'm clear in my head. Then explain what each of the parameters is doing. Then explain how one area is able to overwrite another!

Hehehe!

TIA

Paul

What assembler are you porting the syntax from that has a .area directive? I know that we mostly use TASM and derivative assemblers, and I've never seen the .area directive. I can think of .block and .align... If you could share what assembler that syntax is for, it would help.

Yup what elf said!

Reading the TASM documentation I see



So there is no equivelent in TASM. Sorry.

From what I can figure out from documentation, relocatable code for the asz80 merely means you can include the objectified code in other programs before the final assembly without mucking about with lots of .orging and .including.