How do I install the Tool Ticks skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add feilipu/tool-ticks in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Tool Ticks safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Tool Ticks?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Tool Ticks free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Tool Ticks?

feilipu (@feilipu) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Tool Ticks by feilipu — Agent Skill

Name: Tool Ticks
Author: feilipu

File contents

Tool — ticks


Binary	`z88dk-ticks`
Help	Run bare `z88dk-ticks` (NOT -h — treated as a filename)
Wiki (local draft)	`wiki/tools/Tool---ticks.md`

Agent essentials

Rule	Detail
CPU flag before binary	`z88dk-ticks -m8085 prog.bin`
TIMER	`-x map -start TIMER_START -end TIMER_STOP -counter …`
Default `-counter`	100000000. Whole-program `+test` PRINTF of n-body n≥~125 dies mid-loop; the `10000000x` line is the cap, not `%f`. Raise `-counter`.
Hotspots	debugger `hotspot on` → file `hotspots` in cwd
Models	`-m8080 -m8085 -mz80 -mz80n -mz180 -mgbz80 …`

Full A/B and bench recipes: methodology-measure.

Condensed reference (from wiki / tree)

Tool — ticks (`z88dk-ticks`)

Ticks is a command-line CPU emulator used to run small binaries and count T-states. Prefer it over wall-clock timing for library and benchmark work. It includes a debugger, hotspot histogram, and optional function profiler.

Quick start

zcc +test -vn prog.c -o prog.bin -m
z88dk-ticks -mz80 prog.bin

8085 binary (must match the CPU model):

zcc +test -clib=8085 -vn prog.c -o prog.bin -m -lndos
z88dk-ticks -m8085 prog.bin

Help path (important)

Do not use z88dk-ticks -h. The tool treats -h as an input file name and fails.

Run z88dk-ticks with no arguments to print usage.

Capability summary

Area	Live options (this tree)
CPUs	`-m8080`, `-m8085`, `-mgbz80`, `-mz80`, `-mz80_strict`, `-mz180`, `-mz80n`, `-mez80_z80`, `-mr800`, `-mkc160`, `-mkc160_z80`, Rabbit `-mr2ka` … `-mr6k`
Control	`-pc`, `-start`, `-end`, `-counter`, `-w`, `-trace`, `-d` / `-debug` debugger
Memory	`-l` load address, `-b` model, `-rom`, `-output` dump
Symbols	`-x` map/symbol file (use before `-start`/`-end` when symbols name those addresses)
I/O	`-iochar`, `-ide0`, `-ide1`

Wrong CPU model → wrong illegal-opcode behaviour and wrong timings. Always match -m… to the binary.

Corrected names (old wiki was wrong)

Old wiki text	Live tool
`-gbz80`	`-mgbz80`
`-mz80-zxn`	`-mz80n`
`-mr2k`	`-mr2ka`

… (full reference: in-tree wiki page and live tool help)

Driver front end: tool-zcc
Measurement: methodology-measure, tool-ticks

---name: tool-ticksdescription: z88dk-ticks cycle-accurate emulator: TIMER bounds, hotspots, debugger, CPU -m flags. Use for suite runs and library timing.---# Tool — ticks| | ||--|--|| Binary | `z88dk-ticks` || Help | Run bare `z88dk-ticks` (NOT -h — treated as a filename) || Wiki (local draft) | `wiki/tools/Tool---ticks.md` |## Agent essentials| Rule | Detail ||------|--------|| CPU flag **before** binary | `z88dk-ticks -m8085 prog.bin` || TIMER | `-x map -start TIMER_START -end TIMER_STOP -counter …` || Default `-counter` | **100000000**. Whole-program `+test` PRINTF of n-body n≥~125 dies mid-loop; the `10000000x` line is the cap, not `%f`. Raise `-counter`. || Hotspots | debugger `hotspot on` → file `hotspots` in cwd || Models | `-m8080 -m8085 -mz80 -mz80n -mz180 -mgbz80 …` |Full A/B and bench recipes: `methodology-measure`.## Condensed reference (from wiki / tree)# Tool — ticks (`z88dk-ticks`)Ticks is a command-line CPU emulator used to **run** small binaries and **count T-states**. Prefer it over wall-clock timing for library and benchmark work. It includes a debugger, hotspot histogram, and optional function profiler.## Quick start```textzcc +test -vn prog.c -o prog.bin -mz88dk-ticks -mz80 prog.bin```8085 binary (must match the CPU model):```textzcc +test -clib=8085 -vn prog.c -o prog.bin -m -lndosz88dk-ticks -m8085 prog.bin```## Help path (important)Do **not** use `z88dk-ticks -h`. The tool treats `-h` as an input file name and fails.Run **`z88dk-ticks`** with no arguments to print usage.## Capability summary| Area | Live options (this tree) ||------|---------------------------|| CPUs | `-m8080`, `-m8085`, `-mgbz80`, `-mz80`, `-mz80_strict`, `-mz180`, `-mz80n`, `-mez80_z80`, `-mr800`, `-mkc160`, `-mkc160_z80`, Rabbit `-mr2ka` … `-mr6k` || Control | `-pc`, `-start`, `-end`, `-counter`, `-w`, `-trace`, `-d` / `-debug` debugger || Memory | `-l` load address, `-b` model, `-rom`, `-output` dump || Symbols | `-x` map/symbol file (use **before** `-start`/`-end` when symbols name those addresses) || I/O | `-iochar`, `-ide0`, `-ide1` |Wrong CPU model → wrong illegal-opcode behaviour and wrong timings. Always match `-m…` to the binary.### Corrected names (old wiki was wrong)| Old wiki text | Live tool ||---------------|-----------|| `-gbz80` | **`-mgbz80`** || `-mz80-zxn` | **`-mz80n`** || `-mr2k` | **`-mr2ka`** |---… (full reference: in-tree wiki page and live tool help)## Related- Driver front end: `tool-zcc`- Measurement: `methodology-measure`, `tool-ticks`

Frequently asked questions

Tool Ticks