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.
8085 extended flags (pastraiser)
Do not emulate these with Z80 CB rotate macros. Those macros write Z. Silicon does not.
| Op |
Flags (SZKAPVC) |
Wrong ticks path |
rl de (RDEL) |
-----VC |
CB RL e / RL d |
sra hl (ARHL) |
-----0C |
CB SRA h / RR l |
A jp z after either op uses a stale Z. Implement in i8085_rl_de / i8085_sra_hl.
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
1---2name: tool-ticks3description: z88dk-ticks cycle-accurate emulator: TIMER bounds, hotspots, debugger, CPU -m flags. Use for suite runs and library timing.4---56# Tool — ticks78| | |9|--|--|10| Binary | `z88dk-ticks` |11| Help | Run bare `z88dk-ticks` (NOT -h — treated as a filename) |12| Wiki (local draft) | `wiki/tools/Tool---ticks.md` |131415## Agent essentials1617| Rule | Detail |18|------|--------|19| CPU flag **before** binary | `z88dk-ticks -m8085 prog.bin` |20| TIMER | `-x map -start TIMER_START -end TIMER_STOP -counter …` |21| 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`. |22| Hotspots | debugger `hotspot on` → file `hotspots` in cwd |23| Models | `-m8080 -m8085 -mz80 -mz80n -mz180 -mgbz80 …` |2425Full A/B and bench recipes: `methodology-measure`.262728## Condensed reference (from wiki / tree)2930# Tool — ticks (`z88dk-ticks`)3132Ticks 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.3334## Quick start3536```text37zcc +test -vn prog.c -o prog.bin -m38z88dk-ticks -mz80 prog.bin39```40418085 binary (must match the CPU model):4243```text44zcc +test -clib=8085 -vn prog.c -o prog.bin -m -lndos45z88dk-ticks -m8085 prog.bin46```4748## Help path (important)4950Do **not** use `z88dk-ticks -h`. The tool treats `-h` as an input file name and fails.5152Run **`z88dk-ticks`** with no arguments to print usage.5354## Capability summary5556| Area | Live options (this tree) |57|------|---------------------------|58| CPUs | `-m8080`, `-m8085`, `-mgbz80`, `-mz80`, `-mz80_strict`, `-mz180`, `-mz80n`, `-mez80_z80`, `-mr800`, `-mkc160`, `-mkc160_z80`, Rabbit `-mr2ka` … `-mr6k` |59| Control | `-pc`, `-start`, `-end`, `-counter`, `-w`, `-trace`, `-d` / `-debug` debugger |60| Memory | `-l` load address, `-b` model, `-rom`, `-output` dump |61| Symbols | `-x` map/symbol file (use **before** `-start`/`-end` when symbols name those addresses) |62| I/O | `-iochar`, `-ide0`, `-ide1` |6364Wrong CPU model → wrong illegal-opcode behaviour and wrong timings. Always match `-m…` to the binary.6566### 8085 extended flags (pastraiser)6768Do **not** emulate these with Z80 CB rotate macros. Those macros write **Z**. Silicon does not.6970| Op | Flags (SZKAPVC) | Wrong ticks path |71|----|-----------------|------------------|72| `rl de` (RDEL) | `-----VC` | CB `RL e` / `RL d` |73| `sra hl` (ARHL) | `-----0C` | CB `SRA h` / `RR l` |7475A `jp z` after either op uses a **stale Z**. Implement in `i8085_rl_de` / `i8085_sra_hl`.7677### Corrected names (old wiki was wrong)7879| Old wiki text | Live tool |80|---------------|-----------|81| `-gbz80` | **`-mgbz80`** |82| `-mz80-zxn` | **`-mz80n`** |83| `-mr2k` | **`-mr2ka`** |8485---8687… (full reference: in-tree wiki page and live tool help)888990## Related9192- Driver front end: `tool-zcc`93- Measurement: `methodology-measure`, `tool-ticks`
z88dk