user manual

Contents
I. Getting Started ...................................................................................................................5
What This Manual Covers .................................................................................................5
The Power Supply ..............................................................................................................6
What You See .....................................................................................................................7
Turning It On ......................................................... ......................................................7
II. COSMAC VIP Operation ..................................................................................................9
Using the Operating System .............................................................................................9
Memory Write ........................................................ .............................. ............................9
Memory Read ......................................................... ....................................................... 10
Tape Write .............................................................. .......................................................10
Tape Read ............................................................... .......................................................10
Testing Your Cassette System ............................... ....................................................... 11
III. CHIP-8 Language Programming .......................... ....................................................... 13
Branch Instructions ............................................... ....................................................... 13
How to Change and Use the Variables ................. ....................................................... 13
Using the Display Instructions .............................. ....................................................... 14
Applying CHIP-8 .................................................... ....................................................... 16
Some Program Ideas .............................................. ....................................................... 17
IV. Machine Language Programming ................................................................................. 19
VIP Machine Coding ....................................................................................... .............. 19
Putting Machine Coding and CHIP-8 Language Together ......... ............................... 19
Machine Language Programming Summed Up ........................... ............................... 20
V. Logic Description ............................................................................ .............. ................. 21
How Memory is Addressed ............................................................ ............................... 21
How the Input/Output Works ........................................................ ............................... 21
VI. Expansion Considerations and Connections ................................. ............................... 23
Using the Byte Input/Output .......................................................... ............................... 23
Using the Expansion Interface ....................................................... ............................... 24
Some Expansion Ideas .................................................................... ............................... 24
VII. Troubleshooting Hints ................................................................................................... 27
No Sound ......................................................................................................................... 27
No Display ....................................................................................................................... 27
Other Problems .............................................. ................................. .............................. 27
Signal Tracing ................................................ ............................................................... 27
Last Resorts .................................................... ...............................................................28
Appendix A - Test and Operating Data ................... ............................................................... 29
Byte Pattern for Displaying "COSMAC" .... ............................................................... 29
Beeper Program ............................................. ............................................................... 29
Cassette Attachment Diagram ...................... ............................................................... 30
Cassette Phase Test ........................................ ............................................................... 30
Cassette Data Test .......................................... ..................... .......................................... 31
Cassette Recording Guidelines ...................... ............................................................... 32
Memory Test Program.................................................................................................... 32