MOS Technology file format

The MOS Technology file format is a file format that conveys binary information in ASCII text form.

Not to be confused with Mostek hex format.

History

The KIM-1 single-board computer specified a file format for magnetic tape and a format for paper tape. The paper tape format was adapted slightly and has been used to interchange files for computers based on the MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor.[1]

The open-source Srecord package simplified this tape format by eliminating the <NUL> and XOFF characters.[2]

Format

Each record begins with a semicolon (;), followed by two hexadecimal digits denoting the length of the data in the record. The next two bytes represent the starting address of the data, in big-endian (most-significant byte first) hexadecimal. Up to 24 bytes of data follow. Then, there is a 2-byte (4-character) checksum: the sum of the other non-; data in the record.[3] Finally, a record ends with a carriage return (<CR>), a line break (<LF>), and six null characters (<NUL>).

The last record on the paper tape is empty (its length field is 0000), with the starting address field representing the total number of data bytes contained in the transmission. The file ends with a XOFF.[4]

See also

References
  1. Feichtinger, Herwig (1987). "1.8.5. Lochstreifen-Datenformate: Das Intel-Hex-Format" [1.8.5. Paper tape data formats]. Arbeitsbuch Mikrocomputer [Microcomputer work book] (in German) (2 ed.). Munich, Germany: Franzis-Verlag GmbH. pp. 240–243 [243]. ISBN 3-7723-8022-0.
  2. Miller, Peter (2014) [1998]. "srec_mos_tech − MOS Technology file format". Version 1.64. Archived from the original on 2020-07-31. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  3. Hennig-Roleff, Werner (1993-02-01) [1988]. "HEX.DOC: MOS Technology Hex Format". SIM51. 1.04 (in German). Archived from the original on 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2021-12-08. (NB. This is an older version of SIM51, the software and documentation was maintained up to 1996.)
  4. "Appendix F − Paper Tape Format". KIM-1 − Microcomputer Module − User Manual (2 ed.). Norristown, Pasadena, USA: MOS Technology. August 1976. pp. F-1 − F-2. Publications Number 6500-15B. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
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