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⌂ ∞ ▽ Elite on the BBC Micro and NES

Save and load: CHECK

[BBC Micro cassette version]

       Name: CHECK                                                   [Show more]
       Type: Subroutine
   Category: Save and load
    Summary: Calculate the checksum for the last saved commander data block
  Deep dive: Commander save files

    Context: See this subroutine in context in the source code
 Variations: See code variations for this subroutine in the different versions
 References: This subroutine is called as follows:
             * QU5 calls CHECK
             * SVE calls CHECK




 The checksum for the last saved commander data block is saved as part of the
 commander file, in two places (CHK AND CHK2), to protect against file
 tampering. This routine calculates the checksum and returns it in A.

 This algorithm is also implemented in elite-checksum.py.



 Returns:

   A                    The checksum for the last saved commander data block



.CHECK

 LDX #NT%-2             \ Set X to the size of the commander data block, less
                        \ 2 (to omit the checksum bytes and the save count)

 CLC                    \ Clear the C flag so we can do addition without the
                        \ C flag affecting the result

 TXA                    \ Seed the checksum calculation by setting A to the
                        \ size of the commander data block, less 2

                        \ We now loop through the commander data block,
                        \ starting at the end and looping down to the start
                        \ (so at the start of this loop, the X-th byte is the
                        \ last byte of the commander data block, i.e. the save
                        \ count)

.QUL2

 ADC NA%+7,X            \ Add the X-1-th byte of the data block to A, plus the
                        \ C flag

 EOR NA%+8,X            \ EOR A with the X-th byte of the data block

 DEX                    \ Decrement the loop counter

 BNE QUL2               \ Loop back for the next byte in the calculation, until
                        \ we have added byte #0 and EOR'd with byte #1 of the
                        \ data block

 RTS                    \ Return from the subroutine