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CHIP-8

Versions

  • CHIP-8: Interpreter / VM created for RCA 1802 based machines designed for writing simple video games. Later picked up by HP-48 enthusiasts.
  • CHIP-8C: An (unreleased?) version of the CHIP-8 language mentioned in VIPER Volume 1 Issue 2.
    • New from RCA. The VIP will be sporting vivid color this fall with the introduction of the VIP COLOR BOARD from RCA. You'll have program control of three background colors & eight foreground colors with CHIP-8C, the color-langauge addition to CHIP-8. Available late October. Priced under $80.00.
  • CHIP-8E: Extended instructions found in Paul C. Moews' 1979 Programs for the COSMAC ELF Interpreters.
  • CHIP-8X: an expanded version of the original CHIP-8 interpreter which allows easy control over RCA's new options for the VIP: color card, simple sound, and expansion hex keyboard.
  • CHIP-8I: From VIPER Volume 1 Issue 03: A Modification of CHIP-8 to Provide I/O Instructions by Rick Simpson
  • CHIP-10: A high resolution mode (128x64) on top of the CDP-1861 as described in VIPER Volume 1 Issue 7.
  • HiRes CHIP-8: A version with a high resolution (64x64) mode.
  • SCHIP-8: An extended version of CHIP-8 created originally for the HP-48 calculator. Provided twice the resolution of the original CHIP-8 platform plus several additional instructions.

NOTE: Some of the above conflict with one another which is why you may see opcodes that overlap.

Opcodes

Each opcode is 16bits. References to registers are usually refered to by X and Y. Immediate values as N, NN, and NNN. NNN used for 12bit addresses. Registers include 8bit V0 through VF, 12bit memory location I, 12bit program counter PC, 8bit delay timer DT, 8bit sound timer ST. There is also a 12bit stack pointer SP.

Opcode Mnemonic Origin/Version Description
001N EXIT N CHIP-8 From Peter Miller's chip8run. Exit emulator with a return value of N.
00CN SCD N SCHIP-8 Scroll display N lines down.
00E0 CLS CHIP-8 Clears the display. Sets all pixels to off.
00EE RET CHIP-8 Return from subroutine. Set the PC to the address at the top of the stack and subtract 1 from the SP.
00FA COMPAT CHIP-8 Non-standard. Toggles changing of the I register by save (FX55) and restore (FX65) opcodes.
00FB SCR SCHIP-8 Scroll display 4 pixels to the right.
00FC SCL SCHIP-8 Scroll display 4 pixels to the left.
00FD EXIT SCHIP-8 Exit the interpreter.
00FE LOW SCHIP-8 Enable low res (64x32) mode.
00FF HIGH SCHIP-8 Enable high res (128x64) mode.
0NNN CALL NNN CHIP-8 Call machine language subroutine at address NNN.
02A0 STEPCOL CHIP-8X Steps background 1 color (-> blue -> black -> green -> red ->)
1NNN JMP NNN CHIP-8 Set PC to NNN.
2NNN CALL NNN CHIP-8 Call subroutine a NNN. Increment the SP and put the current PC value on the top of the stack. Then set the PC to NNN. Generally there is a limit of 16 successive calls.
3XNN SE VX, NN CHIP-8 Skip the next instruction if register VX is equal to NN.
4XNN SNE VX, NN CHIP-8 Skip the next instruction if register VX is not equal to NN.
5XY0 SE VX, VY CHIP-8 Skip the next instruction if register VX equals VY.
5XY1 SGT VX, VY CHIP-8E Skip the next instruction if register VX is greater than VY.
5XY1 ADD VX, VY CHIP-8X Let VX = VX + VY (hex digits 00 to 77) (useful for manipulating the NH, NV parameters for low resolution color.)
5XY2 SLT VX, VY CHIP-8E Skip the next instruction if register VX is less than VY.
5XY3 SNE VX, VY CHIP-8E Skip the next instruction if register VX does not equal VY.
6XNN LD VX, NN CHIP-8 Load immediate value NN into register VX.
7XNN ADD VX, NN CHIP-8 Add immediate value NN to register VX. Does not effect VF.
8XY0 LD VX, VY CHIP-8 Copy the value in register VY into VX
8XY1 OR VX, VY CHIP-8 Set VX equal to the bitwise or of the values in VX and VY.
8XY2 AND VX, VY CHIP-8 Set VX equal to the bitwise and of the values in VX and VY.
8XY3 XOR VX, VY CHIP-8 Set VX equal to the bitwise xor of the values in VX and VY. Note: This instruction was originally undocumented but functional due to how the 8XXX instructions were implemented on teh COSMAC VIP.
8XY4 ADD VX, VY CHIP-8 Set VX equal to VX plus VY. In the case of an overflow VF is set to 1. Otherwise 0.
8XY5 SUB VX, VY CHIP-8 Set VX equal to VX minus VY. In the case of an underflow VF is set 0. Otherwise 1. (VF = VX > VY)
8XY6 SHR VX, VY CHIP-8 Set VX equal to VX bitshifted right 1. VF is set to the least significant bit of VX prior to the shift. Originally this opcode meant set VX equal to VY bitshifted right 1 but emulators and software seem to ignore VY now. Note: This instruction was originally undocumented but functional due to how the 8XXX instructions were implemented on teh COSMAC VIP.
8XY7 SUBN VX, VY CHIP-8 Set VX equal to VY minus VX. VF is set to 1 if VY > VX. Otherwise 0. Note: This instruction was originally undocumented but functional due to how the 8XXX instructions were implemented on teh COSMAC VIP.
8XYE SHL VX, VY CHIP-8 Set VX equal to VX bitshifted left 1. VF is set to the most significant bit of VX prior to the shift. Originally this opcode meant set VX equal to VY bitshifted left 1 but emulators and software seem to ignore VY now. Note: This instruction was originally undocumented but functional due to how the 8XXX instructions were implemented on teh COSMAC VIP.
9XY0 SNE VX, VY CHIP-8 Skip the next instruction if VX does not equal VY.
9XY1 MUL VX, VY CHIP-8E Set VF, VX equal to VX multipled by VY where VF is the most significant byte of a 16bit word.
9XY2 DIV VX, VY CHIP-8E Set VX equal to VX divided by VY. VF is set to the remainder.
9XY3 BCD VX, VY CHIP-8E Let VX, VY be treated as a 16bit word with VX the most significant part. Convert that word to BCD and store the 5 digits at memory location I through I+4. I does not change.
ANNN LD I, NNN CHIP-8 Set I equal to NNN.
BNNN JMP V0, NNN CHIP-8 Set the PC to NNN plus the value in V0.
B0NN OUT NN CHIP-8I Output NN to port.
B1X0 OUT VX CHIP-8I Output contents of VX to port.
B1X1 IN VX CHIP-8I Read input from port and palce in VX.
BXY0 COL VX, VY CHIP-8X Set VY color @ VX(NH), VX+1(NV) (provides low resolution color 8x8.)
BXYN COL VX, VY, N CHIP-8X N != 0, set VY color @ VX, VX+1 byte N bytes vertically (provides high resolution 8x32.)
CXNN RND VX, NN CHIP-8 Set VX equal to a random number ranging from 0 to 255 which is logically anded with NN.
DXY0 DRW VX, VX, 0 SCHIP-8 When in high res mode show a 16x16 sprite at (VX, VY).
DXYN DRW VX, VY, N CHIP-8 Display N-byte sprite starting at memory location I at (VX, VY). Each set bit of xored with what's already drawn. VF is set to 1 if a collision occurs. 0 otherwise.
EX9E SKP VX CHIP-8 Skip the following instruction if the key represented by the value in VX is pressed.
EXA1 SKNP VX CHIP-8 Skip the following instruction if the key represented by the value in VX is not pressed.
EXF2 SKP2 VX CHIP-8X Skip the following instruction if the key represented by the value in VX is pressed on hex keyboard 2.
EXF5 SKNP2 VX CHIP-8X Skip the following instruction the the key represented by the value in VX is not pressed on hex keyboard 2.
FX07 LD VX, DT CHIP-8 Set VX equal to the delay timer.
FX0A LD VX, KEY CHIP-8 Wait for a key press and store the value of the key into VX.
FX15 LD DT, VX CHIP-8 Set the delay timer DT to VX.
FX18 LD ST, VX CHIP-8 Set the sound timer ST to VX.
FX1E ADD I, VX CHIP-8 Add VX to I. VF is set to 1 if I > 0x0FFF. Otherwise set to 0.
FX29 LD I, FONT(VX) CHIP-8 Set I to the address of the CHIP-8 8x5 font sprite representing the value in VX.
FX30 LD I, FONT(VX) SCHIP-8 Set I to the address of the SCHIP-8 16x10 font sprite representing the value in VX.
FX33 BCD VX CHIP-8 Convert that word to BCD and store the 3 digits at memory location I through I+2. I does not change.
FX55 LD [I], VX CHIP-8 Store registers V0 through VX in memory starting at location I. I does not change. '
FX65 LD VX, [I] CHIP-8 Copy values from memory location I through I + X into registers V0 through VX. I does not change.
FX75 DISP VX CHIP-8E Display the value of VX on the COSMAC Elf hex display.
FX75 LD R, VX SCHIP-8 Store V0 through VX to HP-48 RPL user flags (X <= 7).
FX85 LD VX, R SCHIP-8 Read V0 through VX to HP-48 RPL user flags (X <= 7)
FX94 LD I, VX CHIP-8E Load I with the address of the font sprite of the ASCII value found in VX.
FXFB IN VX CHIP-8X Copy contents from input port to VX. (Waits for EF4=1)
FXF8 OUT VX CHIP-8X Output contents of VX to output port. Used to program simple sound.

Sound

TBD

Display

TBD

Control

TBD

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