z88dk / techdocs

Reference documents for z88dk

Z88DK - The Development Kit for Z80 Computers

Z88DK is a collection of software development tools that targets the 8080 and z80 family of machines. It allows development of programs in C, assembly language or any mixture of the two. What makes z88dk unique is its ease of use, built-in support for many z80 machines and its extensive set of assembly language library subroutines implementing the C standard and extensions.

INSTALLATION

There are several ways to install z88dk.

1. Use the Most Recent Official Release. Follow these installation instructions.
2. Get the Nightly Build. Every night we build complete binary packages for windows and osx and generate source packages for everyone else. The same installation instructions apply. Using a nightly build means you can keep up with bugfixes and new features rather than having to wait an entire year for a release to occur.
3. Use the Snap package on Linux
4. Use the Docker image
5. Use GitHub and build it yourself. The z88dk repository uses git submodules, these are not automatically downloaded by git by default so you will have to either adjust your clone line, or retrieve them manually. To clone with submodules use git clone --recursive https://github.com/z88dk/z88dk.git. To add the submodules to an already existing clone use git submodule update --init --recursive. To build, the following instructions should be followed.

The Tools

Many tools have a z88dk- prefix to distinguish them from tools from other packages that may be installed with the same name. The documentation generally omits the prefix when referring to them.

• zcc is the toolchain's front end. zcc can generate an output binary out of any set of input source files.
• z88dk-sccz80 is z88dk's native c compiler. sccz80 is derived from small c but has seen much development to the point that it is nearly c90 compliant.
• z88dk-zsdcc is z88dk's customization of the sdcc compiler. Our patch makes sdcc compatible with the z88dk toolchain, gives it access to z88dk's extensive assembly language libraries and ready-made crts, addresses code generation bugs where present and improves on sdcc's generated code.
• z88dk-z80asm (not to be confused with several external projects called z80asm) is a fully featured assembler / linker / librarian implementing sections.
• z88dk-z80nm is z80asm's companion archiver. It can provide a listing of functions or data encoded in an object or library file.
• z88dk-appmake processes the raw binaries generated by the toolkit into a form suitable for specific target machines. For example, it can generate intel hex files, tapes, ROMs, etc.
• z88dk-ticks is a command line emulator that can be used to time execution speed of code fragments. Ticks includes a debugger and disassembler.
• z88dk-gdb provides the debugger interface from ticks and connects to a gdbserver to permit line-by-line debugging of software in emulators or on real hardware.
• z88dk-dis is a command line disassembler for 8080, 8085, GBZ80, Z80, Z180, Z80N, EZ80, R800 and Rabbit 2000/3000. It can additionally read map files generated by z80asm to provide a more symbolic output.
• z88dk-lib is an installer for third party libraries. It manages installation, removal and listing of available libraries.
• z88dk-zx0 and z88dk-zx7 are PC side data compression tools with companion decompression functions in the z80 library.
• z88dk-dzx0 and z88dk-dzx7 are PC-side decompressor counterparties to the z88dk-zx0 and z88dk-zx7.

These tools are not normally directly invoked by the user:

• m4 acts as z88dk's macro preprocessor and can optionally process files ahead of the c preprocessor or assembler.
• z88dk-ucpp is the c preprocessor invoked for sccz80 and for zsdcc.
• z88dk-zpragma is used by the toolchain to process pragmas embedded in c source.
• z88dk-copt is a regular expression engine that is used as peephole optimizer for sccz80 and as a post-processing tool for both sccz80 and zsdcc.

Benchmarks

The assembly language libraries supplied by z88dk give it performance advantages over other z80 compilers. For details please look at the Benchmarks section in the Wiki.

• Dhrystone 2.1 Dhrystone was a common synthetic benchmark for measuring the integer performance of compilers in the 1980s until more modern benchmarks replaced it. It attempts to simulate typical programs by executing a set of statements statistically determined from common programs.
• Pi Mainly measures 32-bit integer performance.
• Sieve of Eratosthenes Popular benchmark for small machine compilers because just about everything is able to compile it. As a benchmark it doesn't reveal much more than loop overhead.
• Whetstone 1.2 Whetstone is a common synthetic floating point benchmark.
• Program Size Program size has great importance for small machines. A collection of test programs were compiled for the common cp/m target and resulting binary sizes were compared.

Using cmake to build z88dk projects

CMake can be used to build Z88DK projects (a toolchain is provided). Please refer to CMake wiki.

Using z88dk

Some things to know:

• There are two c libraries in z88dk. These are referred to as the classic c library and the new c library.
• There are two c compilers in z88dk. Projects built using the classic library can mix object files generated by the both compilers. Projects built with newlib must use only one of the compilers.

When you form a compile line you must decide which compiler you will use and which c library you will link against. You will make that decision based on which targets you want to compile for and what features you need.

The classic c library is z88dk's main c library and has crts that allow generation of programs for over 100 different z80 family machines. The level of support for each is historically determined by user interest. Documentation begins here and example programs can be found in z88dk/examples with compile lines most often appearing at the top of .c files. Over time it has replaced non-standard implementations with those that exist with new library.

The new c library was z88dk's rewrite aiming for a large subset of C11 conformance. The bulk of the standard library has now been incorporated into classic, however it still supports some targets not supported by classic: hbios, rc2014, scz180, yaz180 as well as some incorporating 3rd party libraries for some duplicated targets: sega master system, zx spectrum, and zx spectrum next. Additionally, a bare bones target for the z180, z80 can be used to compile programs for any z80 machine. Documentation begins here and example programs can be found in z88dk/libsrc/_DEVELOPMENT/EXAMPLES with compile lines most often appearing at the top of .c files.

Quick links

Z88DK Home Page Includes a link to the nightly builds where you can get an up-to-date package.

Install Instructions

Bug Reporting

Introduction to Compiling Using the Classic C Library Examples in z88dk/examples

Introduction to Compiling Using the New C Library Examples in z88dk/libsrc/_DEVELOPMENT/EXAMPLES

Using z88dk with the rc2014 target, covers cpm, hbios, and rc2014 subtypes.

Using z88dk with zx, covers the zx target, and by extension the zxn target.

techdocs's Issues

M100 font files are missing

The source code which is supposed to compile for the M100, K85, and M10, refers to font files for inclusion, but the files are not in this repository.

; FONT: 5 bytes for 0..127 (ASCII), 6 bytes for 128..255 (GRAPHICS), total 1248 bytes
FONT:
IF M10

; 480 bytes for ASCII FONT
  BINARY  "M10FONT_L.BIN"
  
; 588 bytes (98*6) for both ASCII and GFX symbols
  BINARY  "M10FONT_H.BIN"
  
ELSE
; KC85 and M100 GFX fonts are identical.

; 480 bytes for ASCII FONT
  BINARY  "FONT_L.BIN"

; 768 bytes for GFX SYMBOLS
  BINARY  "FONT_H.BIN"

ENDIF

Not yet supported Z80 targets

Not Yet Supported Targets

In this page we're listing those z80 targets platforms which might be included in future.

Links are provided to help in studying them.

Research Machines

380Z

COS (Cassette Operating System) support is missing, but this machine can be used with the generic CP/M port.

LINK 480Z

ROS (Resident Operating System) was mostly compatible to COS, a resident BASIC interpreter was available as well as CP/M on the expanded systems.

Graphic modes: 640 x 192 monochrome, 320 x 192 (4 colours), 160 x 95 (8 colours)

AC1 Amateur Computer

Self-built computer project invented by a HAM radio group in Berlin.

www.ac1-info.de

ACCESS / ACTRIX

Transportable computer (like OSBORNE, KAYPRO and OTRONA)

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=359
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actrix_(computer)

ALTOS

ACS-580

Z80A CPU, 800x325 graphics rez.

PDA 600

A pen-pad computer. Old rusty page with little technical insights

< 1 million units sold.

Argo (USSR)

The MESS emulator emulates it, another Russian computer with the same name existed but it was a zx Spectrum clone.

M.A.I. Basic Four series

M.A.I. S10 Basic Four

BCS 3

Eckard Shiller's BCS microcomputers

Casio FX-9000P

Compucorp 600 Series

Proprietary operating system

Datec

Electronic Notebook

NSC-800. Battery powered, raised membrane keyboard with audio feedback (numpad and 11PF keys), 2 LCD text lines (40 columns), barcode reader, rs232, BASIC interpreter.
48K->504K RAM

Epson

Epson / QX-10 / QX-16

Already supported as a CP/M system but deserving specific extras
High rez vector graphics engine (μPD7220).

QX-10 CP/M Plus Supplied by MML Systems Ltd, supports GSX

Fujitsu

FM-16 Beta

Already supported as a CP/M system but deserving specific extras

Micro 16s

Already supported as a CP/M system but deserving specific extras

GSX-80 - CP/M Graphics Extension

GSX described in Wikipedia

recently written drivers and APIs for FORTRAN: https://www.mh-aerotools.de/hp/

Few CP/M systems, were able to support graphics.
In the GSX documentation a GDOS software substrate is mentioned, but it leads to confusion because the same name was often used.

GSX (Graphics System eXtension) is a set of 32 "system calls" that get added to the BDOS and BIOS calls of a CP/M system, thus "extending" it (like CP/NET extends CP/M to provide Local Area Network capabilities).
It was available for CP/M (both 2.2 and 3.1), CP/M-86 (2.2 and 3.1), and MS-DOS and sort of portable, depending on the device drivers affinity. The skeleton driver was built around the "Tektronix 4010" graphics terminal showing that any CP/M computer could virtually be capable of graphics if improved. GSX eventually evolved into a GUI called GEM.

GSX Programmer's Guide

GSX described in the John Elliott's web site

At bottom of this page in z80.de, GSX unofficial disassembly + others

Jonos Anaheim

CP/M portable systems

Janos Escort C1100

Janos Escort C2100

Kyber Minus

Kyber Minus presented in computerhistory.it

Dual Z80 "Lynx"

μPD7220 based video hardware.
Japanese website describing the Lynx

Micro Source

M6000P

Transportable CP/M system with a 9" display (80x24 characters) and an ancient boot procedure via MONITOR commands.

NANO

SKS 2500

German portable computer, 1982
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=211&st=1

SKS 2502 Nano

SKS 252 Pico

Ontel Amigo / Cortex C/WP

An article.. yes it is greek !
The C/WP at old-computers.com

SEMI TECH - Pied Piper

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=193

SMC CompuCase

Z80 or 8085 ??

CP/M computer in a briefcase.
40x12 plasma screen

Sperry Univac UTS series

Televideo TS-803 (TS-803H TVTS-803), TPC-1. Teletote I, TS-800,

A YouTube Video showing the GSX-80 capabilities

This should be a portable version of the TS-803

TPC1 shown in an online museum

TPC1 console BIOS src

TPC1, Teletote I, TS-80x and Televideos' BIOS source

Televideo Teleportable

Visual Technology 1050

The Visual 1050 at old-computers.com

Amstrad 6128+

Amstrad models and emulator drivers overview

Husky Hunter

Wikipedia page about the Husky Hunter

Some Husky 2 tech infos

Misc HomeBrew Z80 projects

Link to www.z80.info

digitarworld.uw.hu: a recent project, emulated by MESS

No way to load software onto the machine using Mame

Self Built ISA board for the IBM PC

Gyro adds a homebrew Z-80 to his 486 PC..

Luxor

The ABC800 support is still at an earlier stage. Target specific extensions could be interesting.

ABC802

ABC806

Mael Idea

They were mostly CP/M systems, but the model 1080 had a resident program only.

A page related to the Idea computer at computerhistory.it

Micro Office 100 / RoadRunner

http://vintage-laptops.com/?page_id=48&lang=en

NEC

Already supported as CP/M and S-OS systems but deserving specific extras

NEC systems overview

NEC Compo BS/80

Made in 1978, 7K RAM

PC-8001

PC-9801 family

PC-8005

A great CP/M based portable

PC-8401 / PC-8500

LCD Display, CP/M portable

The PC-8300 is a Kyocera project, rebranded also by Olivetti and Tandy Radio Shack, the CPU shoulud be 8085 compatible (not Z80).

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=350
This document about the display of the PC-8201 could be valid also for the PC-8401: https://www.masswerk.at/rc2016/01/04.html

Micronique Victor / Hector

Two series were made, tbe "Victor II" had more memory and better graphics.

Micronic 1000

Micronic 1000 is a handheld terminal with infrared port and a small LCD display, 8 lines by 20 characters (160x64 dots) based on an Hitachi HD61830 controller.
Micronic was the UK subsidiary of Swedish Datronic AB; eventually Tandy acquired it.

MYCOM Z80-A

Japan Electronics College MYCOMZ-80A. MC6845 based.

Blocked on understanding tape format.

Nuova Elettronica Z80NE

Z80NE WebSite

SORD

Some SORD systems had CP/M optionally but had their own "Sord DOS" too (the M5 is already supported by z88dk).

M-100ACE

M-170

M203 / M223

M23

Supported via the CP/M target port but featuring math and graphics extras

M243

As above

IS 11

Peaturing the PIPS spreadsheed as operating system, optional ROM could be added.

Tesla SAPI 1Z

SAPI models description at www.oldcomputers.wz.cz

...Lots of infos at sapi.cz, this is relevant

Orion

Orion PRO

Conitec Datensysteme - PROF 80 / 180

This one was compatible with the TRS80, but it'd be nice to add support for its GRIP (Graphical IO-Processor)

Robotron / VEB Mikroelektronik

Robotron produced computers in the eastern Germany. Their systems were powered by a Z80 CPU clone called U880.

The The Java KC-Emulator is probably the more stable and advanced tool, at the moment. The website includes also lots of information.

The KCemu emulator in another powerful and advanced emulation suite, even if at the moment it is a step backwards compared to the one written in Java. Moreover the Windows port is still slightly unstable.

Ulrich Zander hobby pages. Lots of technical information and software.

K1520-Computer Standard

Most of such systems were from Robotron, but some are from different manufacturers.

list of computers of the K1520 standard family

BIC A5105

The "A 5105" mounts a uPD7220 clone, called U82720. It normally had floppy disks and a CP/M like OS

A5105 page

PC1715 page (a slightly compatible system)

Computerserie Mansfeld MPC (Mansfeld Prozess Controller)

CP/M compatible, low and high resolution graphics might be supported

MPC related page

UDOS Operating System

UDOS related page, German

Samsung

SPC-1500

Very close to the Sharp X1 rather than to the SPC-1000

Korean website about SPC-1500 (if in trouble, use Google Translator)

S-100 cards

There's plenty of them, probably all the Z80 cards support CP/M, but there's space for native support here and there.

A lot of expansions existed (video boards, I/O stuff, etc..): a possible approach is to provide tiny lib modules to link-in in a customized way.

Sanyo

PHC-10, PHC-20, PCH-25

PCH-10: (Built-in 1-line LCD screen)
PCH-20: 4K of RAM, Tiny BASIC, 32-character by 16-line text display, 64- by 64-pixel graphics.
PCH-25: 16K of RAM, GFX 64 x 48 (8 colors) / 192 x 128 (4 colors) / 256 x 192 (4 colors)

(the Hino Electronics CEFUCOM 21 looks like a PCH relative)

MBC-xxx

..various CP/M models, WIP

Seiko MAP-1010

Japanese page about MAP-1010

Sharp

PC-1600, PC-1600K

SC7852 / 3,58 MHz / Z80A compatible
LH5803 / 1,30 MHz / for compatibility with PC-1500
LU57813P / 0,3 MHz / auxiliary CPU
32x156 pixel graphics

Sharp MZ-80B (MZ-2000)

Already supported as CP/M and S-OS systems but deserving specific extras.

The Sharp MZ80B is also partially supported natively using appmake extras to convert the monitor calls. This would work only after loading a monitor, though.

MZ-80B series on Wikipedia

MZ-1500/2500 and MZ-2800 series

Already supported as CP/M and S-OS systems but deserving specific extras.

See above.

MZ-3500

Dual z80 system. uPD7220 graphics controller.
Already supported as a CP/M system but deserving specific extras.

Sunrise

C8/16

NSC800A, 40x8 characters LCD display, microcassette.

FP8/16

Dual CPU, 8088 + Z80, 5.25 FDD,

Texas Instruments

TI 73

TI Avigo 10 PDA

Wikipedia page about the Avigo 10

Telcon Zorba

a.k.a. Modular Computer Zorba
http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/zorba/index.htm

Teleram

https://www.1000bit.it/js/web/viewer.html?file=%2Fad%2Fbro%2Fteleram%2Fteleram%2D3000portablecomputer%2Epdf#zoom=page-fit

Teleram produced 3 CP/M compatible models: 3000, 4000 and 5000 respecively with 4, 8 and 16 rows LCD display.
The display text oriented, 80 columns.

Toshiba Pasopia / T100

There were two models : the PA7010 with the T-BASIC built-in, and the PA7012 with the OA-BASIC built-in.

The optional 40-character by 8-line LCD display and battery-backed 16K and 32K RAM cartridges made the T100 a semi-portable system (the power cord was still necessary).

Already supported as CP/M and S-OS systems but deserving specific extras.

Universal Data - UDI 500

Two 3.5 inches drives, 40x8 LCD display, little information available.

Video Technology

Laser CompuMate 1..4

Laser PC4

Very small systems

The platforms listed here could be supported in expanded versions only.

Soviet computer replica

https://github.com/thatoddmailbox/computer-emu
https://thatoddmailbox.github.io/2019/02/04/computer

Babbage-2nd

The "Babbage-2nd" is a single-board Z80 computer designed by Mr. Aihara Takafumi.
It is described in his book about IC circuits published by Gijutsu Hyoron Sha in 1986.

Elettra Computer System

This was a kit computer which was part of an electronics course sent via regular postal services.
In Italy the course came by "Scuola Radio Elettra", in France it was known as "Eurotechnique".

General Processor - Child Z

Child Z at computerhistory.it

LLC-1 / LLC-2

A WEB page about the LLC-2

Dataman Designs MENTA

40 keys keyboard, rs232, tape and TV interfaces but only 1K RAM (hopefully expandable)

MENTA page in old-computers.com

MultiTech - Micro-Professor MPF-I

MPF-I on Wikipedia
20 'characters' on 7 segments LED display, 8K ROM monitor, 4K RAM, 49 keys keyboard

Martin Research

Mike 8 Computer

1977, Base Configuration: Z80 CPU, 4K RAM, 1K ROM, LED readout, integral hex keypad, EROM programmer, power supply

Practice Z80

Protec Pro-80

Savia 84

Savia 84 details

SGS-ATES - Nanocomputer Z80

SLC-1

Talking Electronics TEC-1

TEC-1 on Wikipedia

YS-6464A

Shinko Sangyo YS-6464A

SHARP SM-B-80T

Tiny z80 board, max 3K (4k?) ram, built in Tape interface

http://www.retropc.net/ohishi/museum/80t.htm

Robotron - VEB Mikroelektronik

Lern computer family

LC-80

Poly-Computer 880

VEB Polytechnik

VCS-80

Z80 Trainer - SEL / DAG

Z80 Evaluation Boards

There is plenty of them (more or less historical).
List of Boards, Modules and Sub-Systems at www.z80.info

Z80 add-on boards / Mixed CPU systems

Computer Designed Systems - Adviser Micro Plus

Apple II

(i.e. Microsoft SoftCard)

Already supported as CP/M but deserving specific extras (graphics, native access to the z80 CPU..)

Possibly the Korean Sambo (Trigem) Busicom (SE-6003) is a clone of such configuration.

Applix 1616

The main CPU is a Motorola 68000 but the disk controller CPU can be activated to run software.

Atari 1600

Already supported as a CP/M machine but deserving specific extras

BBC Micro

Already supported as CP/M but deserving specific extras

Commodore 64

Already supported as CP/M but deserving specific extras

Article about the C64 CP/M cartridge

Data Tecnology Industries / GNAT

Important Options: 6502 coprocessor (Apple II emulation), enhanced video board

Digital

DECMATE II / III

Rainbow 100+

Epson

QX-16

Not to be confused with the PX-16 (which in turn is a NEC V20 MSDOS only system), the QX-16 features both a Z80 and an 8088 CPU. Graphics is based on the uPD7220 GCD chip (see the RSX section).

Fujitsu FM-7 / FM-8 / FM-77

Already supported as CP/M and S-OS systems but deserving specific extras.

Micro Solutions

Z80 coprocessor ISA card for the IBM PC

UNIDOS

NCR Decision Mate V

This is, in its base version, a CP/M system. By the way many extensions are available: more RAM, 8086 or Motorola CPUa and high rez vector graphics engine (μPD7220).

Italian article about the DecisionMate V

P8000 compact build from EAW

East Germany 1998. Multiple CPU, the first is a Zilog Z80 derivate (U880) and the second is a Zilog Z8001 derivate (U8001).
You can connect up to 8 serial terminals and its runs a multiuser UNIX compatible system named WEGA.

Here some details:
CPU 1: 8-bit 4MHz U880 (Zilog Z80 clone)
CPU 2: 16-bit 4MHz U8001 (Zilog Z8001 clone)
RAM: 4 MB
Floppy disk: 2 x 5,25″ 320k
HDD: 2 x 50MB MFM harddisk
Screen: up to 8 serial terminals 80×25 chars monochrome (green)
OS: OS/M, IS/M and UDOS on the 8Bit U880 CPU
WEGA (Unix) on the 16bit U8001 CPU
build in: 1989
price: 172.000 Mark

Microlog

Baby Blue Z80 coprocessor card for the IBM PC

Baby Blue II

NorthStar Advantage

This one had an optional i8088 add-in board and nice CP/M graphics extensions.
GDOS is mentioned: is it the same of the GSX ? Doesn't seem so.

NorthStar Graphics CP/M

NorthStar Addendum to Graphics CPM Preface

Emulator

Seequa Chameleon

SMT Goupil

Goupil G3

this computer came with 3 cpu options, 6809, z80, or 8088

Sord M68

Vector Graphics

Vector 4

Z80C (CP/M) + 8088 CPU, high rez graphics.

Vector ZCB

https://opencores.org/projects/vg_z80_sbc
http://www.retroarchive.org/cpm/cdrom/SIMTEL/SIGM/VOLS000/VOL026/VEGAS.ASM

Xerox

1800 portable

Clone of the Sunrise C 8/16

80x3 characters LCD display

1810

NSC800 (Z80 clone), CP/M. The 1810 has an 80-character, three-line liquid crystal display with graphics ability as well as a built-in speaker phone, tape recorder, teletypewriter, text editor and a four-function calculator.
When connected to the 1850 base station, it could run programs written for MS-DOS.

1850

Z80 & 8088 dual CPU, CP/M

Gaming consoles

Being ROM based the gaming consoles need a slightly different software architecture; part of the z88dk functions need a valid RAM work area space.

Bally family

VideoGame cabinets

The Tetris game written with the z88dk for the 'Pacman' cabinet shows it can be done.
There's plenty of pieces of history which can be insanely twisted, out there..

Various

CIDCO MailStation (AKA Mivo)

CIDCO MailStation on Wikipedia

A WEB page related to the CIDCO MailStartion insights and firmware replacement

Probably > 120000 units sold.