“Programmers Development System” or short “PDS” is a development system made by Andy Glaister it was collection of PC based software tools assembler, debugger, editor, profile, graphics tool and hardware to connect to a target computer C64’s, ZX Spectrums, Amstrads, C16’s etc and upload software to it.
According to Andy Glaister PDS was developed during the 1980’s on ‘Apricot PC’ one of the first IBM PC clones from England. ‘Apricot PC’. This was an extremely well designed machine and actually had some advantages over the early IBM PC’s – namely a 960K memory limit, a separate LCD in the keyboard and great hardware and software manuals.
The assembler, editor, debugger, profiler, graphics tool and hardware card that connected to C64’s, ZX Spectrums, Amstrads, C16’s etc… became really popular with his friends and with developers so Andy formed a company called ‘Programmers Development Systems Ltd.’ or PD Systems with Jacqui Lyons (of Marjacq) and Fouad Katan (of Bits). In 1980’s and early 90’s they have sold about 500 systems to pretty much all the game development companies in England. Initial system comprised an Apricot PC, assembler, debugger, editor, profile, graphics tool and hardware to connect to a target computer. As this required to actually have PC it was quite an investment at the time.
The system made it easy to develop for computers like the Atari ST,Amstrad CPC, C64, MSX, ZX Spectrum and Sam Coupé . The code was written on the PC and transferred through the hardware interface to the target computer.
The target computer ran a local program which waited for PDS to send it instructions.
On the source link bellow you can not only read about Andy Glaister, but you can also download PDS manual, sofware, schematics and even some software for target computer.
If you want to see how source code from PDS actually looks like please check the following post Altered Beast, Rampage, Alien3, Atomic Robokid, Nemesis the Warlock and Slaine Source code released for Commodore 64
source:Andy Glaister – Work History
source:CPC WIKI Programmers Development System
source:Hardware and Documentation Spanish speccy.org
source:CSDB PDS (Programmers Development System) software
source:C64 Games Developed with PDS
source:PDS on SAM Coupé