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Shareware Overload Trio 2
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Shareware Overload Trio Volume 2 (Chestnut CD-ROM).ISO
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TS6811.HLP
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1993-04-01
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@@NO HELP
No help is available for this selection. Please
refer to the TimeStack User's Guide for
additional help
@@File
The File menu lets you manipulate all files in
TimeStack. This includes loading the hex file,
saving and restoring the node list, and getting
and putting the configuration to disk.
@@File Load
This prompts the name of the hex file. The hex
file is given a default extension of .HEX if no
extension is entered. If an extension is not
desired then enter the name as NAME. with a
period on the end.
The hex file may be Motorola or Intel hex format.
The hex file is automatically loaded if a
configuration file is loaded and there is a hex
filename specified in its configuration.
@@File Save
This name is used to write out the special node
list file. The node list filename entered here
is the same name used in the menu File | Restore.
The node list file is given a default extension
of .NOD if no extension is entered. If an
extension is not desired then enter the name
as NAME. with a period on the end.
The node list file is automatically loaded if a
configuration file is loaded and there is a node
list filename specified.
@@File Restore
The node list filename is entered here. This
name is used to read in the special node list
file. Any name entered here will also be used
by the menu File | Save.
The node list file is given a default extension
of .NOD if no extension is entered. If an
extension is not desired then enter the name
as NAME. with a period on the end.
The node list file is automatically loaded if a
configuration file is loaded and there is a node
list filename specified.
@@File Get
The configuration of TimeStack is read in from
here. Any name entered here will also be used
by the menu File | Put.
The configuration file is given a default
extension of .CFG if no extension is entered.
If an extension is not desired then enter the
name as NAME. with a period on the end.
If the configuration file xxxxxx.CFG, where
xxxxxx is the name of the program, is found
when TimeStack starts up, that configuration
is loaded.
@@File Put
The current TimeStack configuration is saved in
this file. The configuration filename entered
here is the same name used in the menu
File | Get.
The configuration file is given a default
extension of .CFG if no extension is entered.
If an extension is not desired then enter the
name as NAME. with a period on the end.
@@Analysis
The start and stop addresses of the analysis to
be done are entered here. The cursor starts out
on the top line which is the start address. The
hexadecimal start address obtained from a
program listing is entered here.
Pressing ENTER moves to the stop address on
the next line. A hexadecimal stop address
determined by inspecting the program listing
is entered.
If the analysis is on a procedure that finishes
with a return from subroutine instruction, enter
a hexadecimal value that contains all F's such
as FFFF. The analysis will automatically stop
when it finds a return from subroutine instruction.
Pressing ESC from this line restores the
previous value and moves the cursor back up
to the start address line.
@@Analysis Abort Yes
The analysis may be aborted by pressing ESC
while it is running.
Choosing 'Yes' at this time will stop the
analysis from completing.
@@Analysis Abort No
The analysis may be aborted by pressing ESC
while it is running.
Choosing 'No' at this time will allow the
analysis to continue running.
@@Edit
Edit the instruction at the address entered.
The instruction must be a conditional branch,
a jump to subroutine, an indexed jump, or
an indexed jump to subroutine. The type of
instruction will determine which menu is
displayed.
@@Edit Take
The choices for conditional branches are Take,
Fall, Normal, or Clear.
This selection asks how many times to take the
conditional branch before it is allowed to
fall through.
A value of zero indicates that the branch should
always be taken (ie. it never falls through).
Example:
LDAA #5
LOOP: NOP
DECA
BNE LOOP ; TAKE 4
RTS
In this example, it is correct for the conditional
branch BNE to be set to TAKE 4 times. The fifth
time through the loop it falls through.
@@Edit Fall
The choices for conditional branches are Take,
Fall, Normal, or Clear.
This selection asks how many times to fall through
the conditional branch before it is allowed to
be taken.
A value of zero indicates that the branch should
always fall through (ie. it is never taken).
Example:
LDAA #6
LOOP: DECA
BEQ DONE ; FALL 5
NOP
BRA LOOP
DONE: RTS
In this example, it is correct for the conditional
branch BEQ to be set to FALL 5 times. The sixth
time through the loop it is taken.
@@Edit Normal
Treat the conditional branch as you would a normal
forward branch. Both paths of the branch are
analyzed.
@@Edit Delete
Delete the branch from the special node list.
@@Edit JMP IND
The menu for jumps indirect first displays the
option to handle the jump indirect exactly as it
would a return from subroutine instruction. If
this is not chosen then the address that should
be jumped to is requested.
@@Edit Clear JSR
The time and stack that was entered for this
jump subroutine may be cleared.
Yes - clears this information.
No - leaves the information.
@@Clear
It is possible to clear nodes in the Special
Nodes window one at a time using the Edit menu
but this is time consuming. This option allows
clearing all nodes from the given starting
address through the given ending address,
inclusive.
@@Disasm
The Disassembly window needs to know where to
start when it disassembles a portion of the
program. Enter the starting address for
disassembly here.
@@Options
There are many different options available so
that TimeStack may be customized.
Look at each option individually to find out
more about it.
@@Options Type
The type of processor can have an effect on what
opcodes are illegal and how many clock cycles an
opcode uses. Some processor families have a
large number of choices. This may mean a
difference in timing characteristics or it may
just allow that specific name to be chosen for
display purposes.
Any time a processor is picked, the clock divisor
value is reset to a default value for that
processor.
@@Options Clock
This is used to specify the clock rate of the
processor. It is used to calculate how many
microseconds the maximum and minimum execution
times are in the Analysis Results window.
The number entered is in megahertz. It must be
between 0 and 200 MHz. It is a floating point
number with at least five digits of accuracy.
It may be entered as a regular number or using
scientific notation.
@@Options Divisor
Every processor has a factor that the external
clock input is divided by. The external clock
is divided by this value to obtain an internal
clock that is referred to as the cycle time.
Most processors have a fixed value for this
internal divisor but it may be changed here.
The number entered must be between 0 and 256.
It is a floating point number with at least
five digits of accuracy. It may be entered as
a regular number of using scientific notation.
@@Options Get
Gets additional information on the current state
of TimeStack.
This includes filenames, current processor type,
clock rate, clock divisor, and memory available.
@@Options Config Auto
This allows the configuration to automatically be
saved when Quiting.
Yes - sets up TimeStack to automatically save the
configuration when Quiting.
No - does not allow automatic saving of the
configuration when Quiting.
@@Options Node Auto
This allows the node list to automatically be
saved when Quiting.
Yes - sets up TimeStack to automatically save the
node list when Quiting.
No - does not allow automatic saving of the
node list when Quiting.
@@Print
The information obtained from the analysis may be
saved in a file on disk or sent to a printer.
@@Print Comments
A line at the top of the printed information may
optionally contain a comment. That line is
entered here and remains until replaced with
another line.
@@Print Save
Outputs the current analysis results to a file.
This file is usually saved for printing later.
@@Print Output
Outputs the current analysis results to a printer.
The output is sent to the DOS print device PRN.
Be sure the printer is turned on, loaded with
paper, and on-line.
@@Print Opening
There is a problem opening this file for printing.
@@Print Error
There is a problem trying to communicate with
the printer. This could be caused by a couple
of different things.
1. Be sure the printer is plugged in and turned
on. Make sure all of the printer cables are
connected correctly.
2. Check that it has not run out of paper.
3. Look to see that is it on-line.
@@Quit
Quit the TimeStack program. If the Special Nodes
have been modified in any way and the 'save
special nodes automatically' feature is not active,
a prompt is given to ask if the information should
really be saved.
If the special nodes are to be saved and no
filename has been entered then it will be prompted.
@@Quit Node
The current special nodes will be saved if you
choose 'Yes' at this time.
Any changes made to the special nodes will be
lost if 'No' is chosen.
@@Quit Configuration
The current configuration will be saved if you
choose 'Yes' at this time.
Any changes made to the configuration will be
lost if 'No' is chosen.
@@Config Error Reading
The configuration file that was entered was not
found while trying to open it for the first time.
@@Config Header
The first line of information in the configuration
file is bad. It probably means the file is not
a valid TimeStack configuration file.
@@Config Version
The configuration file version is greater than the
program reading it.
@@Config Revision
The configuration file revision is not the same as
the program reading it.
@@Config Size
The configuration file is too big. This indicates
some problem with the file.
@@Config Error Writing
The configuration file that was entered had an
error while trying to open it for writing.
@@CPU Error
The processor type in the configuration file was
not a valid choice for this program. A default
will be selected as the processor type.
@@CPU Not Found
The processor type in the configuration file was
not found. A default will be selected as the
processor type.
@@CPU Selection
Choose one of the given processors. These are
the only processors this version of the program
will recognize.
Some of the processors may operate identically
but have been given their own entry to allow for
more specific documentation.
@@Error
No help is available. Refer to the TimeStack
User's Guide.
@@Infinite Loops
Infinite loops in the program will eventually
cause the analysis to reach an internal limitation
and stop.
If a memory limitation is reached, it is up to
the user to determine if or how the program entered
into a large or infinite loop. In general, it is
not a good idea to try and time loops that run for
more than a couple of hundred iterations.
Also, it may be that one of the conditional
branches in the program has not been set up or
set up correctly. It may be possible to narrow
down the area that is the problem by changing the
start and stop addresses to analyze a smaller
portion.
A solution to timing loops that run for a large
number of times is to time the loop when it is
taken only once. Then time the loop when it
is taken twice. Calculate the difference
between these results and you have how long each
iteration of the loop takes.
@@Hex Files
Some common problems with hex files are as
follows.
Not all address ranges are valid. The
given address may not exist in the hex file
that was loaded.
@@Illegal Opcodes
An illegal opcode means that the value in memory
at the indicated address was not a valid
instruction for the current processor type.
It may be that the current processor type is set
incorrectly or the hex file that was loaded was
for another processor or the starting address was
incorrectly specified or the program is in error.
@@No Time
This opcode is not able to be included in the
timing analysis for this program.
For some reason, the instruction is too difficult
to logically be analyzed by TimeStack.
@@Indirect Addressing JSR
The cycle time and worst stack depth must be
entered for a jump subroutine indirect instruction.
If this information is not known then do an
analysis of the subroutine that is to be the
destination of this instruction.
@@Indirect Addressing JMP
A destination address is needed for a jump
indirect instruction.
@@Backwards Branching
If a backwards branch is encountered it is
possible for a loop structure to exist.
The option to edit conditional branches is
given at this time so that if this is part of
a loop it can be set up.
@@Stack Mismatch
The stack depth when this conditional branch
is taken and when it falls through is different.
This MIGHT indicate a path where the stack
could become unbalanced based on the logic.
@@Difficult Structures
Some loop structures are too difficult for
the analysis to calculate correctly. The
conditional branch that should be modified
to help the analysis out is indicated.
@@Stop Address
The stop address that was entered for the
analysis was never reached. Probably the
address entered was less than the starting
address, or it may have been greater than
the last return from subroutine instruction
in the subroutine.
@@Branch Past
A branch inside the analysis range branched
past the specified stop address.
This could mean the stop address indicated was
shorter than intended.
@@Internal Error
An internal error has occurred that should not
have happened under normal circumstances.
Please report this to BE, Inc.
@@Help Files
The help files were not found in the search path.
The search path is the current directory of the
current drive followed by each directory in the
PATH environment variable.