One would think that 16-bit, unsigned, binary shifts on a Z80 microprocessor would be as trivial as it comes. But I've only recently realised just how little has been actually written down about optimising Z80 code for even these simplest of cases. So here's a quick guide; alas, probably thirty years too late!
The reason these shifts aren't obvious is because of the inherent asymmetry in the Z80 processor. Although it has a fairly orthogonal 8-bit ALU, its 16-bit (address) pipeline only has a simple adder. Multiplying HL by two (a left shift) is trivial: ADD HL, HL. Shifting right is a whole can of worms; to shift a 16-bit quantity to the right, it is sometimes quicker (and/or shorter) to shift/rotate left and adjust.
I've written a library of routines to perform the shifts, including some that use self-modifying code to eke out a few more T-cycles. I believe they're optimal. Anyone out there know different?
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