Today, almost all 6502 software is written on machines such as a PCs or UNIX boxes. The finished program is then downloaded into the "target" 6502-based computer. This has many advantages over writing code directly on the 6502 machine in either a limited assembly language or machine code. The use of an advanced full-screen editor and the ability to utilize all of your target machine's memory (due to no resident assembler or monitor) are just two examples. Cross-developing your software can greatly speed your development process and allow you more easily manage complex programs.

On these pages you will find a variety of useful tools to help you write and test 6502 programs on other computers. Within the categories, every program includes a brief description of its features and which platform it runs on. Please send us with your comments and experiences with each program, and also if you have a tool you feel should be include in these archives.

  Generic 6502 Emulation, Simulation and test suites

• There are many programs available here that allow you to test and debug 6502 code on your computer without a "real" 6502. Please note that this archive is for emulation of 65xx chips and is not intended for machine-specific emulators (Commodore 64, Apple II, etc).

  Assemblers, Disassemblers, and Optimizers

• Programs in this category allow you to write, assemble, optimize, or disassemble 6502 code. Handy tools such as text editors which aid this type of work are also included here. Some of the programs also support other popular hobbyist microprocessors such as the Z80.

  Compilers and Languages

• Programs in this category allow you to write, assemble, optimize, or disassemble 6502 code. Handy tools such as text editors which aid this type of work are also included here. Some of the programs also support other popular hobbyist microprocessors such as the Z80.