4 ms·

C64 Visual Debugger

20 points by chipsy 17y ago

SwellJoe 17y ago
I've begun tinkering with the C64 again (I bought a couple for making chiptunes). There's something very satisfying about a system that is comprehensible, in its entirety, by a single human being. I'm also amused and amazed that new hardware and software is being built for the system nearly 30 years after its release. I bought an internal "hard disk" that reads SD cards, and a MIDI interface and synthesizer package called MSSIAH. Both are awesome and modern (as modern as something running within the limits of an 8 bit 64 KB platform can be). I also find it really astonishing how concise code for the C64 is. It takes as much, or more, code to get sound out of a Linux or Windows box as a C64, because the C64 has a dedicated synth chip...feed it values and out comes sound. Likewise graphics. You can replicate this kind of experience on a modern machine with something like a SmallTalk environment or Shoes or PyGame, of course, but there's a charm in hitting the hardware so directly, and knowing what every bit is doing.
- NateLawson 17y ago
  I see you've been bitten by the bug too. The area I enjoy is analyzing old copy protection routines, cracking them different ways, redesigning, etc. Combining new microcontrollers with old hardware is also fun. I plan to release this sometime later this year: http://rdist.root.org/2009/01/21/introducing-xum1541-the-fast-c64-floppy-usb-adapter/ http://rdist.root.org/2009/01/21/introducing-xum1541-the-fas...
nudded 17y ago
his visualisation of the memory is just brilliant. Broader view to see what memory is being used, and then zoom in to see the specific values and addresses. Very clever indeed
- lurkinglurker 17y ago
  Agreed, it made me want this visualization tool not just for the C64 but for x86 linux.
zandorg 17y ago
Pretty amazing. I was doing something vaguely similiar in 2000 or so, to find C64/SID tunes, but nothing as advanced as this. Sadly, the demo doesn't go into the 'Sound' menu option.
gjm11 17y ago
Ye gods. Some of it, at least, appears to be implemented in Mathematica.
blasdel 17y ago
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=745842 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=745842

20 points by chipsy 17y ago

I've begun tinkering with the C64 again (I bought a couple for making chiptunes). There's something very satisfying about a system that is comprehensible, in its entirety, by a single human being. I'm also amused and amazed that new hardware and software is being built for the system nearly 30 years after its release. I bought an internal "hard disk" that reads SD cards, and a MIDI interface and synthesizer package called MSSIAH. Both are awesome and modern (as modern as something running within the limits of an 8 bit 64 KB platform can be). I also find it really astonishing how concise code for the C64 is. It takes as much, or more, code to get sound out of a Linux or Windows box as a C64, because the C64 has a dedicated synth chip...feed it values and out comes sound. Likewise graphics. You can replicate this kind of experience on a modern machine with something like a SmallTalk environment or Shoes or PyGame, of course, but there's a charm in hitting the hardware so directly, and knowing what every bit is doing.

NateLawson 17y ago
I see you've been bitten by the bug too. The area I enjoy is analyzing old copy protection routines, cracking them different ways, redesigning, etc. Combining new microcontrollers with old hardware is also fun. I plan to release this sometime later this year: http://rdist.root.org/2009/01/21/introducing-xum1541-the-fast-c64-floppy-usb-adapter/ http://rdist.root.org/2009/01/21/introducing-xum1541-the-fas...

nudded 17y ago

his visualisation of the memory is just brilliant. Broader view to see what memory is being used, and then zoom in to see the specific values and addresses. Very clever indeed

lurkinglurker 17y ago
Agreed, it made me want this visualization tool not just for the C64 but for x86 linux.

zandorg 17y ago

Pretty amazing. I was doing something vaguely similiar in 2000 or so, to find C64/SID tunes, but nothing as advanced as this. Sadly, the demo doesn't go into the 'Sound' menu option.

gjm11 17y ago

Ye gods. Some of it, at least, appears to be implemented in Mathematica.

blasdel 17y ago

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=745842 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=745842