ot? Simulate something....

[woodelf]

Ron Hudson wrote:

> Hey all!
>
> I am beginning to write a simulator for a "microcomputer", it will 
> feature a
> curses (terminal) front panel. it will be a 12 bit machine. You will 
> be able to
> issue commands to the simulator without stopping the program (for 
> mounting
> virtual paper tapes, printing to files etc)
>
> Shown on the front panel will be a switch register, an Accumulator and 
> the
> program counter (all 12 bit) a "running" light and a Overflow light.
>
> Insert =           sw -> pc    home = sim command   Pgup = examine 
> ([pc] -> sw
> delete = (deposit) sw ->[pc]   end  = halt          pgdn = run
>
> Obviously a 12 bit computer suggests a PDP-8, but the function keys 
> are going
> to be the "bit flip" front panel keys and they are grouped in three 
> sets of
> four.  I am not against a PDP-8 but it's instruction set is better 
> expressed
> in octal right?
>
> Were there any other 12 bit computers? preferably with Hex friendly 
> instruction sets?
>
I don't know about hex, but the other 12 bitters were the CDC 160
http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/cdc160/ and the LINC/PDP 12 machines
that I can think of for now.

> Operational choices - should examine increment PC?, should deposit?
>
> I am open to other meanings of the operation keys... they are arranged 
> as above on
> my thinkpad.
>
> The program will be written in C.

Forget C ... program in HEX :)
Ben alias woodelf