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Simbuino4Web released (was Simbuino emulator running in...)

PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:28 am
by Myndale
I don't normally like to announce things like this before they're ready but here's a sneak peak at a work-in-progress. I've got some upcoming work on an unrelated project that involves migrating some back-end web code client-side and it dawned on me that Simbuino would make an ideal test case. This is an initial port of the core emulator code to Javascript, running under Chrome on a Surface Pro 2:



(Once again you'll have to ignore my total inability to play games and record video at the same time). No sound yet (that'll be next) and there's still some major optimization work to go in, but I'm quietly confident that it can be made to run at full-speed on current high-end mobile phones. Never as good as the real thing of course, but it should open up Simbuino development to any moderately capable device that has a web browser.

UPDATE: This is now playable at http://simbuino4web.ppl-pilot.com/. Input controls are keyboard only, I'll add some buttons soon. Only been tested on Chrome, it does run on Internet Explorer but very slowly and with no sound.

Re: Simbuino emulator running in a browser

PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 10:14 am
by Drakker
Simbuino goes cross-platform! Thank you Myndale. The need to reboot or screw around with a damned Windows virtual machine is a real obstacle for me. Looks like this problem will go away soon enough. :)

Re: Simbuino emulator running in a browser

PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 12:37 pm
by Sorunome
This is looking quite awesome!

Perhaps you could make a cross-platform offline version using node.js?

Does it emulate sd cards?

Re: Simbuino emulator running in a browser

PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 3:29 pm
by erico
Very nice, the performance on the video looks quite good on my end. :)

Re: Simbuino emulator running in a browser

PostPosted: Thu Apr 28, 2016 4:48 pm
by deeph
SD card emulation would indeed be really, really great ;)

Re: Simbuino emulator running in a browser

PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 12:01 am
by blakewford
Love it.

Re: Simbuino emulator running in a browser

PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:47 am
by Myndale
The SD code has already been ported but I'm not sure how to do partial reads of local files in html5, so the file read itself is currently commented out. I'm loading local HEX files no problem, but I'd like to avoid loading entire IMG files into the browser's virtual machine if I can help it.

I did manage to test a few games on my Samsung Note 5 today, it's running at around 12Mhz which is about half that of my desktop machine. I actually implemented a JIT compiler on almost every instruction expecting a massive speed-up and it actually slowed down! No idea what's going on there, I suspect that Chrome doesn't do it's own JIT on scripts that are generated at runtime and "compiled" with eval().

Re: Simbuino4Web released (was Simbuino emulator running in.

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2016 2:46 am
by Myndale
I've put this online now if anyone wants a play, there's a link in the first post of this thread. Lemme know what you think! :)

Re: Simbuino4Web released (was Simbuino emulator running in.

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2016 5:58 pm
by mougino
Hi Myndale, tested it with a fex HEX on Chrome, runs smoothly ;)
Have you planned making the code available? I'd love to see an Arduboy version of this web emulator!

Nicolas

Re: Simbuino4Web released (was Simbuino emulator running in.

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2016 6:23 pm
by mougino
Ah yes, a little complaint sorry ;)
I have a French AZERTY keyboard, with it your emulator controls are super hard!
Look what my fingers must do: :lol:

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