Version 1.0!

README.TXT

@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// TLSIM
+// A TINY LOGIC CIRCUIT SIMULATOR
+// (C) 2019, 2020 BY ARMCODER - milton@armcoder.com.br
+//
+// THIS PROGRAM IS FREE SOFTWARE
+// SEE LICENSE AT https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+    Version 1.0
+    May 10, 2020
+
+    INTRO
+    ~~~~~
+
+    Hi folks!
+
+    TLSim is a pet project that I decided to build after discovering Ben Eater's
+YouTube channel where he teaches how to build a very simple computer over some
+breadboards using just TTL ICs, switches, LEDs and other discrete parts.
+
+    For reference, the playlist with the complete tutorial is here:
+
+    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLowKtXNTBypGqImE405J2565dvjafglHU
+
+    Just for the record, I'm not affiliated with Ben Eater in any way, this is
+simply a software inspired by his work, although I definitely recommend to check
+his YouTube channel. He's a great teacher in the field of electronics, IMO.
+
+    This project aims to accurately simulate Ben's implementation through 
+software.
+
+
+    BEN'S COMPUTER SIMULATORS
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+    TLSim is not the first BEC (Ben Eater's Computer) software simulator to hit
+the road, and a quick web search will yield results in no time. But I decided to
+write one anyway, because:
+
+    1. It's fun.
+
+    2. It's different from the others in the sense that is simulates every TTL
+       chip on the board and their individual connections. It's almost like to
+       build the real thing. That is, this is a chip-level model, rather than a
+       module-level model.
+
+    3. I needed something to do in my free time as going outside in times of
+       COVID is not an option.    
+
+    4. The TTL models and the engine can easily be reused in other designs. 
+       Although the project is written in pure C, it's quite structured and
+       hierarchical. It's almost tempting to rewrite it in C++ (no, I'm not
+       planning to do so, not for now).
+
+
+    ENVIRONMENT
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~    
+
+    This is (for now) a Linux-only project, since it was only tested in Ubuntu
+20.04. I used Eclipse 2019-09 over OpenJDK 11, and the 'ncurses' and 'pthread' 
+additional libraries are required to build.
+
+    The program must run in a Terminal (X) window with at least 127 columns x 
+50 rows. I could not run it correctly in native text mode, even in framebuffer
+modes that supply large amounts of rows and columns. I don't know why.   
+
+    With some tweaking it's possible to arrange the screen elements to take up
+way less space, requiring smaller windows if needed.
+
+
+    BEN'S COMPUTER VARIANTS
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+    Some fans created hardware projects that extended the BEC's functionality
+(more instructions, more memory, etc). I have no plans, for now, to cater to
+these variants.
+
+
+    CAVEATS AND NOTES
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+    Probably a lot. It's working for me, but this is not a great argument, of
+course.
+
+    The screen layout deserves some redesign. 
+
+    This is still a work in progress, I'm in the final stages of completing the
+BEC's original design, that is:
+
+    * Implement the microcode for the last instructions (HLT, etc)
+
+    * Implement the flags registers
+
+    * Implement the enhanced microcode for the flags registers
+
+    * Last UI tweaks
+
+    * (Future) - Graphical UI?
+
+
+    QUICKSTART
+    ~~~~~~~~~~
+
+    This version can already run the first BEC's program, that one that adds two
+numbers (in Ben's example, 18 + 28 = 42).
+
+    The EEPROM's microcode is automatically initialized, but the RAM contents 
+must be inserted by the user through the UI.
+
+    How each module works is explained in detail in the Ben's videos, I have
+replicated them quite faithfully in the UI.
+
+    The UI interface is controlled only by the keyboard. The keys are:
+
+    * F2, F3: change focused Module (the active keys will be highlited)
+
+    * F10: Pause/Step Clock
+
+    * F11: Unpause/Slower Clock
+
+    * F12: Unpause/Faster Clock
+
+    * ESC: Quits the program
+
+    Within a focused Module, the keys are usually alpha or digits, and are 
+hinted within brackets.
+
+    That's for now.
+
+    Stay tuned and have fun!
+

src/update.h

@@ -74,4 +74,7 @@ void part_destroy(void **part);
 
 #define DESTROY(X) part_destroy((void**)&X)
 
+#define SW_VERSION  1
+#define SW_REVISION 0
+
 #endif /* UPDATE_H_ */