It was great to be playing with BCPL to emulate these old machines because its so weird - but everything you need to know to write a machine emulator is in this funky language from the past .. and was quite approachable.
So one time for fun I ported the BCPL compiler to the GP2X portable gaming console, just so I could boot up an EDSAC on it and say 'I have one of the oldest computers in the world in my pocket' .. this before the days of iPhones and supercomputers in ones pocket, of course.
Well as a result I was lucky enough to have attracted the attention of Mr. Martin Richards as a result of that port - which I turned over to him after introducing him to the GPX, and consequently spent a few weeks back and forth with him talking about the 'golden age of computing' .. what a blast to have had direct contact with one of the early scientists who brought so much to this industry.
And nowadays I'm still blown away, even though its 'normal' now, at the sheer power of emulation that is occurring.. the folks who bring old architectures to new platforms really get my respect. Nothing like knowing there's a dynarec going on underneath the layers of the toys that my kids are booting up first thing in the morning ..
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mr10/BCPL/bcplprogs/edsac/
(EDSAC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Delay_Storage_Automa...)
It was great to be playing with BCPL to emulate these old machines because its so weird - but everything you need to know to write a machine emulator is in this funky language from the past .. and was quite approachable.
So one time for fun I ported the BCPL compiler to the GP2X portable gaming console, just so I could boot up an EDSAC on it and say 'I have one of the oldest computers in the world in my pocket' .. this before the days of iPhones and supercomputers in ones pocket, of course.
Well as a result I was lucky enough to have attracted the attention of Mr. Martin Richards as a result of that port - which I turned over to him after introducing him to the GPX, and consequently spent a few weeks back and forth with him talking about the 'golden age of computing' .. what a blast to have had direct contact with one of the early scientists who brought so much to this industry.
And nowadays I'm still blown away, even though its 'normal' now, at the sheer power of emulation that is occurring.. the folks who bring old architectures to new platforms really get my respect. Nothing like knowing there's a dynarec going on underneath the layers of the toys that my kids are booting up first thing in the morning ..