NEWS, EDITORIALS, REFERENCE
Commodore 64 PETSCII Codes
Here is the second most frequent table that I find myself using, after screen codes: The PETSCII table.
UPDATE: December 10, 2021
Originally these were laid out in horizontal rows as Block 1, 3, 5, 7, and then on the next row, Block 2, 4, 6, 8. I did it this way because I copied the layout found in the Complete Commodore Innerspace Anthology. However, upon working with PETSCII for a few years, I've realized that it makes a lot more sense to show the low 4 blocks together, and the upper 4 blocks together.
It believe this new layout makes it easier to see the relationship between the upper and lower blocks. Merry Christmas!
| Block 1 | Block 2 | Block 3 | Block 4 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEC | HEX | PETSCII | DEC | HEX | PETSCII | DEC | HEX | PETSCII | DEC | HEX | PETSCII |
| 0 | $00 | 32 | $20 | space | 64 | $40 | @ | 96 | $60 | ||
| 1 | $01 | 33 | $21 | ! | 65 | $41 | a | 97 | $61 | ||
| 2 | $02 | 34 | $22 | " | 66 | $42 | b | 98 | $62 | ||
| 3 | $03 | stop | 35 | $23 | # | 67 | $43 | c | 99 | $63 | |
| 4 | $04 | 36 | $24 | $ | 68 | $44 | d | 100 | $64 | ||
| 5 | $05 | white | 37 | $25 | % | 69 | $45 | e | 101 | $65 | |
| 6 | $06 | 38 | $26 | & | 70 | $46 | f | 102 | $66 | ||
| 7 | $07 | 39 | $27 | ' | 71 | $47 | g | 103 | $67 | ||
| 8 | $08 | lock | 40 | $28 | ( | 72 | $48 | h | 104 | $68 | |
| 9 | $09 | unlock | 41 | $29 | ) | 73 | $49 | i | 105 | $69 | |
| 10 | $0A | 42 | $2A | * | 74 | $4A | j | 106 | $6A | ||
| 11 | $0B | 43 | $2B | + | 75 | $4B | k | 107 | $6B | ||
| 12 | $0C | 44 | $2C | , | 76 | $4C | l | 108 | $6C | ||
| 13 | $0D | car ret | 45 | $2D | - | 77 | $4D | m | 109 | $6D | |
| 14 | $0E | text | 46 | $2E | . | 78 | $4E | n | 110 | $6E | |
| 15 | $0F | 47 | $2F | / | 79 | $4F | o | 111 | $6F | ||
| 16 | $10 | 48 | $30 | 0 | 80 | $50 | p | 112 | $70 | ||
| 17 | $11 | cur down | 49 | $31 | 1 | 81 | $51 | q | 113 | $71 | |
| 18 | $12 | reverse | 50 | $32 | 2 | 82 | $52 | r | 114 | $72 | |
| 19 | $13 | cur home | 51 | $33 | 3 | 83 | $53 | s | 115 | $73 | |
| 20 | $14 | delete | 52 | $34 | 4 | 84 | $54 | t | 116 | $74 | |
| 21 | $15 | 53 | $35 | 5 | 85 | $55 | u | 117 | $75 | ||
| 22 | $16 | 54 | $36 | 6 | 86 | $56 | v | 118 | $76 | ||
| 23 | $17 | 55 | $37 | 7 | 87 | $57 | w | 119 | $77 | ||
| 24 | $18 | 56 | $38 | 8 | 88 | $58 | x | 120 | $78 | ||
| 25 | $19 | 57 | $39 | 9 | 89 | $59 | y | 121 | $79 | ||
| 26 | $1A | 58 | $3A | : | 90 | $5A | z | 122 | $7A | ||
| 27 | $1B | 59 | $3B | ; | 91 | $5B | [ | 123 | $7B | ||
| 28 | $1C | red | 60 | $3C | < | 92 | $5C | £ | 124 | $7C | |
| 29 | $1D | cur right | 61 | $3D | = | 93 | $5D | ] | 125 | $7D | |
| 30 | $1E | green | 62 | $3E | > | 94 | $5E | ↑ | 126 | $7E | |
| 31 | $1F | blue | 63 | $3F | ? | 95 | $5F | ← | 127 | $7F | |
| Block 5 | Block 6 | Block 7 | Block 8 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEC | HEX | PETSCII | DEC | HEX | PETSCII | DEC | HEX | PETSCII | DEC | HEX | PETSCII |
| 128 | $80 | 160 | $A0 |  |
192 | $C0 |  |
224 | $E0 | ||
| 129 | $81 | orange | 161 | $A1 |  |
193 | $C1 | A | 225 | $E1 | |
| 130 | $82 | 162 | $A2 |  |
194 | $C2 | B | 226 | $E2 | ||
| 131 | $83 | load & run | 163 | $A3 |  |
195 | $C3 | C | 227 | $E3 | |
| 132 | $84 | 164 | $A4 |  |
196 | $C4 | D | 228 | $E4 | ||
| 133 | $85 | F1 | 165 | $A5 |  |
197 | $C5 | E | 229 | $E5 | |
| 134 | $86 | F3 | 166 | $A6 |  |
198 | $C6 | F | 230 | $E6 | |
| 135 | $87 | F5 | 167 | $A7 |  |
199 | $C7 | G | 231 | $E7 | |
| 136 | $88 | F7 | 168 | $A8 |  |
200 | $C8 | H | 232 | $E8 | |
| 137 | $89 | F2 | 169 | $A9 |  |
201 | $C9 | I | 233 | $E9 | |
| 138 | $8A | F4 | 170 | $AA |  |
202 | $CA | J | 234 | $EA | |
| 139 | $8B | F6 | 171 | $AB |  |
203 | $CB | K | 235 | $EB | |
| 140 | $8C | F8 | 172 | $AC |  |
204 | $CC | L | 236 | $EC | |
| 141 | $8D | car ret | 173 | $AD |  |
205 | $CD | M | 237 | $ED | |
| 142 | $8E | graphics | 174 | $AE |  |
206 | $CE | N | 238 | $EE | |
| 143 | $8F | 175 | $AF |  |
207 | $CF | O | 239 | $EF | ||
| 144 | $90 | black | 176 | $B0 |  |
208 | $D0 | P | 240 | $F0 | |
| 145 | $91 | cur up | 177 | $B1 |  |
209 | $D1 | Q | 241 | $F1 | |
| 146 | $92 | rvs off | 178 | $B2 |  |
210 | $D2 | R | 242 | $F2 | |
| 147 | $93 | clear | 179 | $B3 |  |
211 | $D3 | S | 243 | $F3 | |
| 148 | $94 | insert | 180 | $B4 |  |
212 | $D4 | T | 244 | $F4 | |
| 149 | $95 | brown | 181 | $B5 |  |
213 | $D5 | U | 245 | $F5 | |
| 150 | $96 | lt. red | 182 | $B6 |  |
214 | $D6 | V | 246 | $F6 | |
| 151 | $97 | dk. grey | 183 | $B7 |  |
215 | $D7 | W | 247 | $F7 | |
| 152 | $98 | md. grey | 184 | $B8 |  |
216 | $D8 | X | 248 | $F8 | |
| 153 | $99 | lt. green | 185 | $B9 |  |
217 | $D9 | Y | 249 | $F9 | |
| 154 | $9A | lt. blue | 186 | $BA |  |
218 | $DA | Z | 250 | $FA | |
| 155 | $9B | lt. grey | 187 | $BB |  |
219 | $DB |  |
251 | $FB | |
| 156 | $9C | purple | 188 | $BC |  |
220 | $DC |  |
252 | $FC | |
| 157 | $9D | cur left | 189 | $BD |  |
221 | $DD |  |
253 | $FD | |
| 158 | $9E | yellow | 190 | $BE |  |
222 | $DE |  |
254 | $FE | |
| 159 | $9F | cyan | 191 | $BF |  |
223 | $DF |  |
255 | $FF | |
UPDATE: January 22, 2018
The "Discussion" section below, replaces the original "notes" section.
Discussion
I have updated this PETSCII table to agree with the VIC-20/C64 SuperChart. So, please read the end discussion of that post for a more complete understanding of why the chart above appears as it does, and why it differs from the original source: http://sta.c64.org/cbm64pet.html.
The table above has been sub-divided into 8 blocks. This makes it easy to reference, because PETSCII is fundamentally divided into functional blocks of 32 characters each.
Blocks 1 and 5 ($00–$1F, $80–9F) are control codes. Printing them will cause a change in the screen layout or behavior, but no actually character will be displayed.
Blocks 4 and 8 ($60–$7F, $E0–$FF) are not used. If they are printed, the KERNAL will interpret them as mirrors of blocks 7 and 6 ($C0–$DF, $A0–BF) respectively.
UPDATE: April 16, 2018
I found this PDF description and overview of PETSCII on aivosto.com. I thought it might be of interest to anyone interested in PETSCII in more detail. I haven't looked over the document thoroughly, and I'm not responsible for any errors it may contain.
Do you like what you see?
You've just read one of my high-quality, long-form, weblog posts, for free! First, thank you for your interest, it makes producing this content feel worthwhile. I love to hear your input and feedback in the forums below. And I do my best to answer every question.
I'm creating C64 OS and documenting my progress along the way, to give something to you and contribute to the Commodore community. Please consider purchasing one of the items I am currently offering or making a small donation, to help me continue to bring you updates, in-depth technical discussions and programming reference. Your generous support is greatly appreciated.
Greg Naçu — C64OS.com
