Tachyon Legacy Assembler

What is the Tachyon Legacy Assembler?

The Tachyon Legacy Assembler is a new, free offering from Tachyon Software.

• The Tachyon Legacy Assembler is a fully supported, limited license version of the outstanding Tachyon z/Assembler.
• The Tachyon Legacy Assembler includes the HLASM-compatible subset of the Tachyon z/Assembler, including object files and ADATA support.
• The Tachyon Legacy Assembler can generate object code for the IBM proprietary operating systems including: z/OS, OS/390, MVS 3.8, TPF, VSE and VM/CMS.
• The Tachyon Legacy Assembler is available for either MVS 3.8 or Linux for S/390 running on the Hercules Emulator.

The idea behind the Tachyon Legacy Assembler is simple: it provides an alternative way to generate object code for legacy mainframe assembler applications on IBM’s S/390 and zSeries hardware or compatible emulators.

Compatibility!

The Tachyon Legacy Assembler is intended as a HLASM-compatible assembler, supporting the inputs, outputs and options of IBM’s High Level Assembler.

Inputs

The Tachyon Legacy Assembler for MVS 3.8 reads traditional EBCDIC fixed-length 80-byte records from sequential or partitioned data sets. The Tachyon Legacy Assembler for Linux/390 not only reads traditional EBCDIC fixed-length 80-byte records for source, copy and macro files, but also reads EBCDIC, ASCII and UNICODE text files and can read copy and macro files from ZIP files, TAR files and CMS MACLIBs. All HLASM source statements are supported except for *PROCESS. Future support for the *PROCESS statement is planned.

Outputs

The Tachyon Legacy Assembler creates the same set of listing, object, punch and ADATA files produced by HLASM. All of the listing reports can be produced and some of the reports are enhanced beyond those produced by HLASM. The Tachyon Legacy Assembler for Linux/390 can produce the listing file as EBCDIC fixed, variable or USS text records or as an ASCII file. The Tachyon Legacy Assembler can create both PUNCH files and object files. The ADATA file generated by the Tachyon Legacy Assembler is so compatible with the format produced by IBM’s HLASM release 4 that the file can be processed by IBM’s own Assembler Program Understanding Tool from the HLASM Toolkit.

Options

Almost all of the HLASM release 4 options are supported. For a list of the supported options, see chapter 4 of the Tachyon z/Assembler User’s Guide. For a list of the options supported by the MVS 3.8 version, see Appendix G of the User’s Guide. The major unsupported options are the assembler exits. Full support for the EXIT option is planned in a future release.

Tachyon Software intends to enhance the Tachyon Legacy Assembler to support all functions and features of current and future releases of IBM’s High Level Assembler. The MVS 3.8 version will be limited to those features that are useful for building System/370 programs.

Support!

Tachyon Software’s product quality and support is legendary. When there is a problem, we can often provide fixes within hours. While Tachyon Software cannot guarantee minimum support levels for a free product, be assured that we will treat any problem report seriously. After all, the Tachyon Legacy Assembler is the same code as the Tachyon z/Assembler and Tachyon 390 Cross Assembler. Tachyon Software cares about its products and customers!

Platforms?

The Tachyon Legacy Assembler can generate object code for any of the following operating systems: z/OS, OS/390, MVS, TPF, VSE and VM/CMS. The Tachyon Legacy Assembler is currently available for MVS 3.8 and Linux for S/390 running on the Hercules Emulator.

• Hercules is free.
• Linux is free.
• MVS 3.8 is free.
• The Tachyon Legacy Assembler is free.

Now you can do your mainframe assemblies on your personal computer for free!

Licensing?

To obtain a free license for the Tachyon Legacy Assembler, print the license agreement (PDF format), sign it, fill in the blanks and either fax it to +1-303-991-6235 or scan it and e-mail it to legacy@tachyonsoft.com.

Tachyon Software will send you (via e-mail) the information you need to download your copy of the Tachyon Legacy Assembler and to activate your license. You will typically receive a response within one business day, however please allow up to 5 business days to process your license.

The User’s Guide is included with the Tachyon Legacy Assembler in HTML format. You can also purchase a bound paper copy of the User’s Guide from Tachyon Software. The cost is $15.00 USD each, plus shipping. Write to legacy@tachyonsoft.com and include your mailing address for a price quote.

This offer may be withdrawn or changed at any time by Tachyon Software without notice. Licenses are granted for renewable one-year terms. Licenses will not be granted to persons, organizations or employees of any organizations producing or selling products competing with any Tachyon Software products.

The full version of the Tachyon z/Assembler allows you to do your assemblies on Linux for S/390 and zSeries, Linux/x86, Windows, AIX and Solaris - while generating ELF, OMF, XOBJ or GOFF object files which can be uploaded to the mainframe and executed on z/OS, OS/390, TPF, VSE, VM/CMS and Linux for S/390 and zSeries. The Tachyon z/Assembler includes features beyond the Tachyon Legacy Assembler and HLASM. Among these features are the ability to produce object code for Linux for S/390 and zSeries from HLASM-style source code and macros. If you need to convert your legacy assembler code to Linux, you need the Tachyon z/Assembler.

The other products in the Tachyon Assembler Workbench product line allow you to link edit programs and build OS/390 load libraries and to test your OS/390 C and assembler programs on your Windows or Linux system.

If you don’t yet have a copy of the Tachyon z/Assembler or Tachyon Assembler Workbench, you can download a demonstration copy and try it for yourself.