Questions tagged [emulation]
Processes and software for emulating retro hardware (e.g. MAME, QEMU). NOT EVERY EMULATION QUESTION IS ON-TOPIC; SEE TAG WIKI.
155
questions
15
votes
7answers
5k views
Are there any good, non-abandoned PC emulators?
Mission: I'm trying to simulate a classic ~286/386/486/Pentium inside my modern PC (running Windows 10) in the most authentic way possible.
Just a quick note to say that I (Sarah Walker) have decided ...
10
votes
2answers
2k views
Is there a standard interface for connecting debuggers to emulators?
Does any emulator have an interface, let's say with sockets, to which an arbitrary application can connect and get data so as to implement a debugger or monitor, etc?
I know you could achieve this by ...
25
votes
4answers
2k views
Do instruction exercisers exist for 8086 and 68K (and other) CPUs?
For some of retroCPUs there exist exhaustive instruction exercisers, i.e. programs that are capable of catching the implementation errors when run on the emulator under development or on the newly ...
8
votes
1answer
573 views
How does the Motorola MC6845 in the Amstrad CPC 464 behave on start-up?
I'm trying to emulate an Amstrad CPC 464. I'm having trouble to understand how its Motorola MC6845 CRTC chip behaves on start-up. The boot ROM sets up the CRTC registers pretty early on, but if I ...
1
vote
0answers
122 views
How to save and load CSpect emulator state when emulating ZX Spectrum Next [closed]
I use CSpect emulator for playing a game for ZX Spectrum Next. I wonder whether is possible to save the emulator state to memory and load it in the future in order to have game save/load functionality ...
14
votes
1answer
418 views
Is there a way to cut idle CPU usage under Multitasking MS-DOS 4.0?
The operating system variously known as ‘Multitasking MS-DOS 4.0’ or ‘European MS-DOS’, to avoid confusion with the better-known single-tasking MS-DOS 4.0, has the mildly irritating flaw that it doesn’...
1
vote
0answers
92 views
Where can I obtain Olivetti P6060 disk images?
For a long time now, I've been looking for disk images from an Olivetti P6060, but so far I've found none.
The Olivetti P6060 was the second computer I wrote programs on, so making an emulator for it ...
0
votes
1answer
217 views
Startup behavior of Gameboy - what to replicate in an emulator? [closed]
I'm new here. Let me know if this is the wrong place to ask this kind of question.
I'm planning to build a Gameboy emulator. Before I start, I want to have a clear understanding of the startup ...
6
votes
1answer
678 views
Why does the VICE "load" command skip the first two bytes?
I am studying assembly of the C64, and of course using VICE to do so. VICE has the load command to load data straight into the C64 RAM. I reckoned I could use that to put machine code into RAM and run ...
10
votes
2answers
715 views
What's a good term for "instruction cycle count-accurate" emulation / simulation?
Emulation is called cycle-accurate if the original system's cycle-synchronous behaviour is fully captured; for example, a cycle-accurate emulation of a CPU, executing an instruction, would first ...
5
votes
2answers
587 views
How 3Dfx Voodoo 1 Emulator works
reading of this question brings up 3Dfx Voodoo 1 Emulator in my memories. I always wandered how did it work so good time as any to ask...
My memory is hazy on the details so I might miss remember ...
10
votes
2answers
784 views
When does an IBM-compatible PC keyboard controller dequeue scancodes?
There is a not-unheard-of technique in DOS software to detect certain keypresses (like Ctrl+Break) by intercepting the keyboard interrupt (IRQ 1) and reading the scancode directly from the keyboard ...
2
votes
1answer
147 views
Basilisk II how mount unix filesystem
I use Linux Bassilisk II
I setup unix path
but how I can read file from it?
It not appear in my desktop
My system is in .sit file, how I can read file?
2
votes
0answers
111 views
Running Codenet on a Commodore 64 Emulator
I finally managed to get basic networking stuff working on VICE, thanks to another thread on Retrocomputing. I'm now wondering how to setup a Codenet server emulation.
I was able to identify four ...
1
vote
0answers
47 views
How to Perform RR-Net MK3 Detection on VICE Commodore 64 Emulator?
RR-Net documentation describes a detection algorithm for the MK3 model. The algorithm is supposed to reveal the last four hex digits of the MAC address. According to documentation the MAC address 28:...
7
votes
1answer
132 views
Compucolor 2 emulator CCEmu's `.ccvf` disk format
This Compucolor 2 emulator uses disk images with the file extension .ccvf. Here is an example file. I would like to understand how to interpret that format.
I understand from the documentation that ...
5
votes
4answers
337 views
Running WarpCopy64 on an emulator
I'm interested in IP networking capabilities of the Commodore 64. I learned there is a tool called WarpCopy64 that can be used to run a simple file server on the Commodore. The server can be accessed ...
22
votes
5answers
6k views
How to detect a real Commodore 64, THEC64, or VICE emulator in software?
Some programs notice if they are run on a real Commodore 64 or an emulator. For example, this demo from 2007 stops on VICE emulator 3.2 with the message "No VIC inside". How is this done?
I ...
4
votes
5answers
592 views
Are there any good resources on emulating/simulating early computing input/output?
Note: I hope this question is on topic. I'm not sure where else to put it.
There are several tutorials available online for writing emulators/simulators. Unfortunately they all seem to focus on ...
1
vote
2answers
641 views
How do I slow down the emulation in VMware and make it go "proper fullscreen" for Windows 3.11?
I have just managed to find and install my native language versions of MS-DOS 6 and Windows 3.11 in a virtual machine, just as I had on my first computer: an IBM 486 DX2 66 MHz.
VM software: VMware ...
9
votes
1answer
385 views
ZX Spectrum fuse-emulator - how to use loader/multi-file program?
I'm using fuse-emulator on Ubuntu. In a book of type-in programs, some are spread across multiple files. There is a "loader" (usually setting up graphics or some machine code parts) which ...
3
votes
1answer
222 views
PC Task performance
What sort of performance I can expect from PC Task 4.4 on Amiga 500 + 030 50MHz MMU, 64MB RAM? Would it be possible to run Windows 3.11 / 95 and have any real use from it?
5
votes
3answers
1k views
How was it possible to run IBM mainframe software in emulation on HP?
... At least, without getting sued into the ground?
According to one of the answers to What was the most critical supporting software for COBOL on IBM mainframes?
We installed a new HP replacing an ...
5
votes
1answer
172 views
Menu in Octapolis
I have been retrogaming with Octapolis on an emulated Commodore 64. Starting up the game presents a menu offering a choice between one or two players, and between music and sound effects. But I don't ...
13
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there a seamless, Wine-like AmigaOS emulator for Linux, specifically for text-based programs?
After trying out FS-UAE on my Fedora Linux system, which worked quite nicely, I got to thinking. Even though when the Amiga was originally released in the middle 1980s, it was revolutionary in its ...
0
votes
1answer
127 views
VICE loads files slowly on Fedora 32 Linux [closed]
I lately wanted to try some of the Commodore 64 games I have kept as D64 files on my Fedora Linux system using VICE. I have lately upgraded the system from Fedora 26 to Fedora 32.
After I started up ...
-6
votes
1answer
328 views
Is the Raspberry Pi Model B (2014) technically inferior to an original Xbox (2001) in compute power/specifically for emulators? [closed]
(I first asked this in the Raspberry Pi section, but it received no responses. I think this, Retrocomputing, might be a better fit.)
I the year 2003, I had my Xbox chipped in order to be able to run ...
4
votes
3answers
977 views
How is it possible that this "Polymega™" console will "not support" Everdrives?
I'm reading here: https://polymega.com/faq/
WILL EVERDRIVES, GAME GENIES AND MULTI-GAME CARTS WORK WITH POLYMEGA™?
Polymega™ does not support Game Genies or Everdrives.
How is that possible? What's ...
2
votes
1answer
267 views
How likely is it that a ROM could be "corrupted" resulting in visual artifacts during gameplay? [closed]
I watch a lot of retro game streams. Frequently, whether they are running on a software emulator, hardware emulator (Retron 5 or whatever), or an Everdrive, whenever there is some weird glitch in the ...
2
votes
0answers
357 views
Does RetroArch have a PAL filter like the NTSC one?
RetroArch the emulator "wrapper" has an option to enable an NTSC filter over the image, simulating the visual look of a composite NTSC signal/TV. Here is a comparison between the "raw&...
-1
votes
1answer
437 views
Why are there no actual complete and 100% verified/vetted ROM collections still? [closed]
Recently, I've been searching far and wide to collect, in digital form, the exact games that I owned as a child, or had temporarily, or rented/borrowed/played at somebody else's house, or never really ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Why exactly does MAME (apparently) require different ROMs for different versions of MAME?
I've never heard of any emulator which requires different ROMs based on which version the emulator is.
I thought that ROMs were fixed files that were dumped from hardware cartridges or PCBs, and then ...
6
votes
1answer
292 views
Reconstructing uncompressed program from compressed tape image
I have a C64 program in a .t64 file. If I load it into an emulator, what I see is that it loads into a cracktro, which then proceeds to uncompress (taking several seconds at 100% speed) the original ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
How does the Everdrive handle all the special chips and stuff that were put in cartridges?
An "Everdrive" is like a cartridge that looks just like a NES/SNES/N64/whatever cartridge, and is put into a real, original console. So you need the original hardware for it to work. And ...
1
vote
0answers
136 views
Is there something like "libretro-thumbnails" but with high-resolution, good scans of classic video game box art? [closed]
https://github.com/libretro-thumbnails/libretro-thumbnails
This contains cover art for "most" games. Sadly, they are very low-res, often have bad contrast/color, and are frequently ugly/...
4
votes
2answers
814 views
Every single ROM in my collection has the wrong SHA1 hash according to No-Intros
I have a collection of ROM files for the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and others. These ROMs match exactly those games that I own or owned growing up.
Recently, I found out about the "No-Intros" ...
27
votes
6answers
5k views
Is there still no "digital version of PCBs and ICs" software that all future emulators can use?
It strikes me that, in theory, it would be possible to skip the classic approach of emulation and instead literally build a NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 or any console with digital "components", ...
16
votes
2answers
1k views
Emulate a text-mode DOS program using a Unix terminal
Is it possible to run a text-mode DOS program in an emulator under a Unix-like operating system (Linux/*BSD/macOS) such that DOS text-mode input and output is done on a Unix terminal instead of a ...
-8
votes
1answer
1k views
What's the deal with "higan"? [closed]
https://byuu.org/higan/
https://byuu.org/bsnes/
The domain is called "byuu.org".
The emulator is said to be called "higan" or "bsnes".
The download link for "higan&...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Why does the "Mesen-S" SNES emulator require a separate DSP ROM for Super Mario Kart, but *not* for Stunt Race FX?
If I start vanilla "Mesen-S" and load in Super Mario Kart, it says:
This game requires a firmware file for the DSP1B chip.
If I feed the emulator that "DSP ROM" file, it then ...
-1
votes
2answers
303 views
What does "cycle-accurate emulation" mean? [duplicate]
Note: I've attempted to ask this question several times in the "Arqade" category. Just like with the "History" category, anything I ask there is deleted by their broken bots soon ...
3
votes
1answer
394 views
Does anyone have information about the nj32disk.sys driver?
I'm currently trying to use the nj32disk.sys driver to use my USB stick as a virtual hard drive. The problem is that the driver acts like a floppy disk. My question is: Is there a documentation about ...
4
votes
0answers
482 views
What is it with DS emulation being so slow?
I have a fairly decent computer, and I have been messing around with DS Emulation recently. I have found that if a game is running on the emulator, and if I have anything else running, the performance ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
How can I get MAME to run modified ROMs whose checksums don't match the originals?
In the aftermath of the question about running the arcade Pac-Man ROM on a Sinclair ZX Spectrum I discovered that about the same time that was done, somebody else did the reverse, porting a classic ...
3
votes
1answer
157 views
`DRAW` instruction timing
I asked a question here about CHIP-8 instruction timing, and this answer mentions that DRAW waits for vblank:
For Chip-8 code that draws anything, the limiting factor will be the wait-for-vblank that ...
3
votes
3answers
651 views
Effective speed of original COSMAC VIP CHIP-8 interpreter
The original CHIP-8 interpreter ran on RCA 1802-based kit computers and home computers, most notably on the COSMAC VIP. Some of the CHIP-8 opcodes are complicated and involve many memory round-trips, ...
3
votes
1answer
262 views
How does the GameBoy's Memory Controller MBC1 Work in Mode 1?
In short, are banks 20h/40h/60h accessible in mode 1?
The Pan Docs state that when in mode 1, those banks become accessible.
"...on large carts (using the secondary banking register to specify ...
1
vote
1answer
157 views
Can I run a network game (Empire Deluxe) that uses NETBIOS? [closed]
I use D-Fend to run the video game Empire Deluxe in full screen mode (1366x768) on a Dell Vostro Core i3 laptop running Windows 10. It works fine.
I want to run the game on a second identical laptop ...
0
votes
6answers
2k views
What are the advantages/disadvantages of using retro hardware vs. FPGA emulation vs. software emulation? [closed]
As someone who recently become interested in retro home computers of 80's and early 90's I'm wandering what are the differences between using a real hardware, FPGA based hardware emulators like MiSTer ...
2
votes
0answers
144 views
Do the Tandy CoCo and the Dragon 32 & 64 use all the same disk image file formats?
Tandy's TRS-80 Color Computer "CoCo" and the Dragon 32 & 64 were very similar but not clones and not the same. Floppy disk versions used totally different DOSes and disk layouts.
Both ...