HP 64000 Emulator?

[J. David Bryan]

On Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 8:44, geoffrey oltmans wrote:

> I have source code listings in HP64000 assembler format, so I figured
> maybe that might be a good way to generate binaries from the sources.

Wouldn't that just move the problem one step farther away?  The 64000 
assembler produces binaries in HP 64000 relocatable format, which, as far 
as I know, isn't used by any other system.  The 64000 linker reads 
relocatables produced by the assembler, but then it produces an HP 64000 
absolute format file.

There were a few non-HP systems that would read 64000 absolute -- the Data 
I/O 29B programmer comes to mind -- but I doubt that anything contemporary 
does.


> Are there any assembler tools (Z80 and MC6801 specific) that use
> HP64000 assembler/linker directives?

I'm not aware of any.  However, the 64000 used a fairly small set of 
assembler directives, and they're documented in the manuals for the 
processors in question.  The 6801 manual is HP number 64841-90905, which is 
available on Bitsavers.  I don't see a Z80 manual there, though I suspect 
that many of the directives would be cross-platform.  It may be a 
relatively simple matter to translate the 64000-specific directives into 
ones for a cross-assembler that runs on contemporary hardware.

                                      -- Dave