Abstract

My motivation behind this project is to gain a deeper understanding of microprocessor simulation by simulating the 8080a processor. The focus of this project is the trial and error process involved in simulating an 8080a processor to execute Space Invaders arcade ROMs on an x86 PC. To solve this problem, I simulated the 8080a's instruction set, interrupt system, and I/O system. I wrote my code in C and SDL and focused on readability and accuracy, followed by performance. The study was a success. From what I learned, I was able to produce an 8080a simulator that supports Space Invaders.