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[–] G45Colt_II [S] 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Ever had to do machine code? For some reason one of my college classes required we demonstrate the ability to convert our assembly code to machine code and prove it works. To make it interesting, the processors would overheat and start writing random logic, so you had a short window of time to get it programmed and working before it threatened to self destruct. Since it was connected to a motor controller as part of the project, self destruction was pretty literal and imminent, so you kept a hand on the off switch. Fortunately it was during the winter, and we could open all the windows (one of the few labs with windows), get the room down to about 50 degrees, and gain an extra few minutes of coding time. Did I mention that that we wrote the code directly to ram, and any glitch forced a reset and start over? Or that one entry mistake meant a reset and starting over? Or that it was hundreds of lines of code? Or that commands, variables, and constants were all in the same piece of memory, and getting one bit wrong turned a number into a command? The more I think about it, the more I remember, and there is more. I better stop now.

In retrospect, there's comedy gold buried in those memories. It just didn't feel like it at the time.

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[–] TurquoiseLover ago  (edited ago)

Yes I worked on machine code (assembler) for a few years (not full time though). That's like learning to drive with a stick shift!

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[–] G45Colt_II [S] ago  (edited ago)

This was actual machine code - convert your assembler to 1s and 0s. Set 8 bits (0 or 1), push button to record to memory. Use up / down button to scroll through memory to see the bits (one 8 bit word at a time).

No insert. No changes allowed. The "enter" button always recorded to the next memory location. "Reset" cleared the memory. All of the memory.