what is ASM ?

stw · 27 Jan 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assembly_language

In SM it looks like this:

It's the lower level language of the SM Code.

trogluddite · 27 Jan 2011

Yup, it's the nearest thing to the actual codes used inside the CPU chip itself - the CPU's native language, so to speak. The only difference is that inside the CPU all those weird names are just represented by pure numbers.

All other computer languages are compiled (translated) into ASM before the CPU can understand them - the same for all the primitives, modules and links. Just as with human languages, translation is a tricky business - so the compiled ASM is often not as efficient as it might be - for example; often lots of extra instructions are put in there as a 'safety net' to make damned sure that the program still does what it's meant to after translation (a bit like giving directions to a foreign tourist - you talk slower, clearer and describe things extra carefully to help them understand you more easily)

That's why you see so many threads about ASM - once you know it well, it's possible to write ASM by hand that is more efficient than what SM's complier can produce from the code boxes and primitives. Mostly, CPU's are now so powerful that it doesn't really matter - but in SM land we want to do complex things 44100 (or more) times every second, so the savings can still be very useful. There are also a few obscure little programming 'tricks' that you can use in ASM that aren' possible in the code primitive (for example, ASM can sometimes use proper integers, whereas the code box is float only).

ahs · 28 Jan 2011

asm = assembler programming !?

thank you (so easy it was)

i thought it was a special language only for sm

does sm everytime compiling the modules or is the language equal to p.e. forth?

trogluddite · 28 Jan 2011

I don't know the full internal workings, but I guess forth would be a good analogy - the main difference would be that the links use memory addresses to pass parameters rather than using a stack. BTW, the ASM component is only a subset of full x86/SSE assembly - there's a list HERE of the available opcodes - mostly SSE stuff, as the poly components use individual SSE channels for each voice for the big CPU savings.

ahs · 28 Jan 2011

but asm programming is not needed for making sm to run ?

are there beginner tutos for asm ?

trogluddite · 28 Jan 2011

Many people use SM for awesome projects without ever using ASM at all. ASM doesn't add any new 'features' to SM, its main use is to optimise a schematic so that is uses less CPU power.

The best way forward is probably to get used to using the Code primitives - SM code is easier to program with (and to read!) than ASM, and makes editing/prototyping far easier. Apart from very simple little 'gadgets', writing an algorithm directly in ASM can be very hard - there is no protection against crashes/lockups in ASM, so debugging can be a nightmare.

My usual method is first to do everthing possible using just stock primitives - then replace as much as possible with Code primitives (if possible, some things have to use primitives) - then the final stage is to take the code and optimise that using assembly to get the CPU usage as low as possible (sometimes a 25-50% reduction is possible).

The Wiki has some good tutorial and forum links that are a good place to get started - check out the 'Optimisation' page. Also, if you write something using SM Code, you can connect a text box to the 'S' output of the code box, and it will show you the compiled ASM for that block of code.

ahs · 28 Jan 2011

thank you !

with SM code you mean the primitives?

is this avaible in the free version?

trogluddite · 28 Jan 2011

ahs wrote: with SM code you mean the primitives?

No, SM has two kinds of 'writing text lines' type coding in addition to the usual primitives.

One is called just 'Code', and is a bit more like a normal high level language (sort of C'ish), so you get simple lines like... this = that + (other >= something) & bitmask;

The other is 'Assembly', which is like the example stw posted above.

It's a bit annoying that they called one of them 'Code' - it can lead to a lot of confusion in posts, because most programmers call just about anything in any language 'code' - but in SM the meaning is specifically the 'Code' primitive.

AFAIK, this is all available in the free version - the limitations have to do with schematic size, ASIO in/out and exports.

oddson · 28 Jan 2011

While the replies in this thread are correct I don't know if you're hearing the real message.

CODE is handy to learn but you have to master the basics first.

ASM can trim some CPU load over CODE but you'd only bother with it (if ever!) after you master CODE and you only master CODE after you know the basics. 😇

trogluddite · 29 Jan 2011

oddson wrote: ASM can trim some CPU load over CODE but you'd only bother with it (if ever!) after you master CODE and you only master CODE after you know the basics. 😇

Well spoken. He he - rule 0: don't forget rule 1! 😉

ahs · 29 Jan 2011

thanks @all

CoreStyler · 8 Mar 2011

ASM is maybe too difficult for programming! 😕

trogluddite · 8 Mar 2011

CoreStyler wrote: ASM is maybe too difficult for programming!

...yes, there is no 'safety net' in ASM - a small mistake can make a big crash very easily!