tc-dcpu

TC-DCPU: An Emulator

This is an emulator, written with Go and SDL2, for the Techcompliant flavour of the DCPU-16.

Processors

DCPU-16

The DCPU-16 core is compatible with the final 1.7 version of Notch's spec, augmented with TC's extensions to add the LOG, BRK and HLT opcodes.

Risque-16

The Risque-16 is a RISC-style chip inspired by the ARM and Thumb architectures.

It supports the same hardware as the DCPU-16. Instructions generally do less per cycle than the DCPU, but the simpler core executes faster, yielding similar performance.

Pass the -cpu rq flag to switch to Risque-16 mode.

Getting Started

Install Go, and then go get github.com/bshepherdson/tc-dcpu.

Hardware

TC-DCPU supports the following devices, with links to the Techcompliant specs:

• LEM1802 colour character display
• IMVA monochrome pixel display
• Generic keyboard (TC's enhanced, compatible version with "raw mode")
• Generic clock with TC's extensions to add time-since-startup and absolute time.
• M35fd floppy drive
• Generic random number generator
• HSDP-1D high-speed printer.
• KaiComm SSI serial interface (uses the console, handy for early of text interfaces)

All devices publish the Techcompliant new IDs, not the old Notch ones.

Usage

tc-dcpu [options] <ROM file>

Command-line Options

• -arch cpu: Pass dcpu or rq to select the DCPU-16 or Risque-16 (default: dcpu)
• -disassemble: Dump a human-readable disassembly of the ROM, instead of executing it. (-arch is honoured; other options are ignored.)
• -disk disk_file: Specifies the filename to be loaded into the M35fd disk drive.
• -dump-hw: Pass this to exit immediately with a list of the available hardware devices, and their names as understood by -hw.
• -hw device1,device2,...: Pass a comma-separated list of device names as given by -dump-hw; devices will be created in that order.
  • Default: keyboard,lem1802,m35fd,clock,rng,hsdp-1d,serial
• script script_file: Run the script in this file (see below for the scripting language). This allows for automated testing and so on.
• turbo: Pass this to start in "turbo" mode, where the speed is unlimited. Default: false, 100kHz for DCPU-16 and 200kHz for Risque-16.

Runtime Keybindings

Pressing F-keys engages special functions in the emulator.

• F1: Show a help guide.
• F2: Start the debugger
• F3: Resume running, when debugging
• F4: Toggle turbo speed
• F6: Eject/insert disk (assumes a single disk drive)

Debugging

On a LOG opcode, the emulator emits the value in hex, decimal and as a character.

Encountering a BRK opcode triggers the debugger. The debugger has built-in help.

Scripting

A rudimentary scripting language is included, to help automate testing and bootstrapped applications. It expects one command per line, and has basically no syntax. (No comments, no variables, etc.)

• eject: Ejects the disk. Assumes a single disk drive.
• mount disk_file: Mounts the named file as the disk. Must be ejected already. Likewise assumes a single disk drive.
• type char: Types a single character.
• send string...: Sends the words typed, separated by spaces and ended by a newline.
• run cycles: Runs that many cycles before continuing the script.
• quit: Quits the emulator.

The scripting language is processor-agnostic.