CHIP-8 Emulator

A Python-based CHIP-8 emulator implementation. This project serves as my first venture into emulation development, providing a functional emulator that can run classic CHIP-8 games and programs.

Overview

CHIP-8 is an interpreted programming language developed in the 1970s. It was initially used on the COSMAC VIP and Telmac 1800 8-bit microcomputers to make game programming easier. This emulator implements the original CHIP-8 interpreter, allowing you to run classic games and programs written for the platform.

Features

• Complete implementation of all CHIP-8 instructions
• Sound support using PyGame
• Keyboard input mapping matching the original COSMAC VIP layout
• Display rendering at 60 FPS
• Support for loading and running ROM files
• Configurable instruction execution speed

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• PyGame
• NumPy

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/Eusha425/chip8-emulator.git
cd chip8-emulator

2. Install required dependencies:

pip install pygame numpy

Usage

1. Place your CHIP-8 ROM file in the roms directory
2. Run the emulator:

python main.py

Keyboard Layout

The original CHIP-8 used a 16-key hexadecimal keypad. This emulator maps those keys to your keyboard as follows:

CHIP-8 Key   Keyboard
---------   ---------
1 2 3 C     1 2 3 4
4 5 6 D     Q W E R
7 8 9 E     A S D F
A 0 B F     Z X C V

Project Structure

chip8-emulator/
├── main.py    # Contains all emulator logic including CPU, memory, display, and input handling
└── roms/      # Directory for ROM files

All emulator functionality is currently contained in main.py, including:

• Memory management and ROM loading
• CPU instruction processing
• Display rendering
• Keyboard input handling
• Sound generation
• Main emulation loop

Implementation Details

The emulator implements the standard CHIP-8 specifications:

• 4KB (4096 bytes) of memory
• 16 8-bit registers (V0-VF)
• 16-bit index register (I)
• 16-bit program counter (PC)
• 64x32 pixel monochrome display
• 16-key hexadecimal keypad
• Two timers (delay and sound) counting at 60 Hz

Testing

This emulator has been tested using the CHIP-8 Test Suite to ensure correct implementation of all instructions and features.

Resources and Acknowledgments

This project was made possible thanks to the following excellent resources:

• Guide: Writing a CHIP-8 Emulator by Tobias V. Langhoff - This guide provided the foundational knowledge and step-by-step guidance for implementing the CHIP-8 system.
• Cowgod's CHIP-8 Technical Reference - An invaluable technical reference that helped ensure accurate implementation of all CHIP-8 instructions.
• CHIP-8 Test Suite by Timendus - Used to verify the correctness of the emulator's implementation.

Learning Experience

This project represents my first step into emulator development. Throughout the development process, I learned about:

• Computer architecture and memory management
• Instruction decoding and execution cycles
• Display rendering and timing
• Input handling and sound generation
• The importance of code organization (though my implementation is in a single file, I learned how it could benefit from modularization)

Future Improvements

• Split the code into modules for better organization
• Add configuration file for customizable settings
• Implement save states
• Add debugging features
• Support for Super CHIP-8 instructions
• GUI for ROM selection and emulator settings

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

Contributing

Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome! Feel free to check the issues page if you want to contribute.

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Note: This is my first emulator project, created as a learning experience. While I've aimed to make it as accurate as possible, there might be areas for improvement.