			
			PL695TOZ.TXT
			------------

NAME of utility:	
----------------
PL695TOZ.EXE		


Related Tools
-------------
Use with PLC's COMPASS/Z8 Compiler/Assembler and linker and Z8 ICEBOX GUI.

Purpose
-------
The Zilog "pl695toz" utility is a simple program that can help an engineer to  
read  the symbol information from a PLC IEEE695 load  module in the  Zilog GUI Debugger. 

MOTIVATION
----------
The Zilog GUI loader does not support the PLC IEEE695 object module format, which means a
GUI user can not read symbol information of object files generated by PLC compiler, 
assembler and linker automatically. This utility alleviates that problem.
The existing PLC symbols support in the GUI is limited to only one assembly module and 
is not very useful when one has multiple modules to debug. This tool reads the .LOD file 
generated by PLC's  Z8 linker and extracts all the symbols information ready to load into the
Z8 ICEBOX GUI. This tool is useful for the user who wishes to continue using Z8 ICEBOX GUI while
using PLC's COMPASS/Z8 tools.

WHAT THE PROGRAM DOES
---------------------
The "pl695toz" program extracts  symbol information from .LOD file generated in PLC's 
IEEE 695 format and translates into Zilog Symbol Format. The PLC load module is generated 
by using PLC Tool COMPASS/Z8 Compiler, or PLC Assembler and PLC Linker and it is based
on the IEEE695 Microprocessor  Universal Object Module Format(MUFOM). The modus operandi is
as follows:

	-open and read the load file produced by the PLC linker
	-read the header and get the pointer to the debug symbols record
	-extract from record:
		the names  of symbols
		the type of each symbol
		the hexadecimal value of each symbol
	-convert the symbol representation to Zilog Symbol Format and write to a new file.
	 This output file can be used by the Zilog GUI software.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-------------------
The "pl695toz" utility runs under MS/PC DOS environment on an industry standard IBM-compatible 
personal computer with an 80286, or later, microprocessor.

RUNNING THE PROGRAM
-------------------
The "pl695toz"  utility is executed from the DOS command line with a command of the following 
format:
	pl695toz  pathfilename[.lod]   
	
where  pathfilename  is the name with complete path information of a load  file produced by 
the PLC linker.  If no pathfilename  is specified, "pl695toz" will give error message and 
exit to the MS-DOS prompt. The [.lod] specification is optional. The utility will searh for 
the file with .LOD extension if is not specified along with the pathfilename.

It will generate the output file as pathfilename.sym i.e. a Zilog style symbols file in the
same subdirectory area as one where input file pathfilename.lod resides.

RESTRICTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS
----------------------------
The PL695TOZ utility adopts a fixed file naming and location convention, as described below. 

.LOD: 
Final object file produced by the PLC linker. 
The name and location of the load  file is specified by the user on the command line.  
The .LOD extension may be omitted, as may the directory information, if the load file is in 
the current directory.

.OBJ:
Object file produced by the PLC assembler.

.SYM:
Zilog Symbols  file, produced by the "pl695toz" utility.  The SYM file is created in 
the same directory as the corresponding LOD file.

.IHX:
PLC linker generated object file in Intel Hex format that can be downloaded into the
Zilog Emulators

This tool does not support  generating information for the following types of  C-variables.
(1) Auto variables , (2) Function parameters, (3) Register variables, and (4) Register
parameters.


EXAMPLE OF USAGE:
-----------------

A program consisting of four assembly language source files main.asm, setup.asm, int.asm, 
and coef.asm.  

STEP 1) This program may be assembled and linked using the COMPASS/Z8 MAKE including 
------- the DEBUG option for assembly and linking.

STEP 2) Generate the file output.ihx by specifying Intel Hex option in the Linker dialog box
------- of COMPASS/Z8. 

STEP 3) Generate the file output.lod by specifying "IEEE695" option in the Linker's dialog box 
------- of COMPASS/Z8. 

STEP 4) To generate Zilog Symbol file  output.sym for the output.lod file, use the command:
------- 
	pl695toz output.lod  

	OR

	pl695toz output 

STEP 5) Use the Z8 GUI Software to download the file output.ihx to Z8 Code memory,
------- and load output.sym file as the Zilog Symbol file corresponding to the 
	output.ihx load file. 



		--------***** end PL695TOZ.EXE description ****---------
