George Phillips
Abstract
Emulating a video system shows how even a simple interface can be more complex---and capable---than it appears.
Index Terms
- Simplicity betrayed
Recommendations
Simplicity Betrayed: Emulating a video system shows how even a simple interface can be more complex—and capable—than it appears.
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Reviews
Osman Balci
Would it be easy to develop a software application for a modern computer to mimic the operation of a 30-plus-year-old computer's video display unit__?__ One would think so, given the fact that a modern computer is exceedingly more advanced than a computer built over 30 years ago. In this paper, Phillips shows that, contrary to popular belief, it is not easy at all. As an example, Phillips uses the video display unit of the TRS-80 desktop computer sold in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many software emulators exist to enable the execution of legacy TRS-80 programs under operating systems such as Windows, Macintosh, and Linux by mimicking (simulating) the TRS-80 hardware components. This article effectively demonstrates the complexities involved in developing a software emulator of TRS-80's video display unit, and substantiates that the rule of KISS-"Keep it simple, stupid!"-does not apply for this emulation. The technical challenges that the author describes should be very useful to software engineers interested in developing software emulators. Online Computing Reviews Service
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