Stories with Tag OCCAM

• Show HN: Transputer emulator in JavaScript (fast enough to be useful)

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  Posted: 2025-04-04 03:59:44

  Verbose tl;dr

  A JavaScript-based Transputer emulator has been developed and is performant enough for practical use. It emulates a T425 Transputer, including its 32-bit processor, on-chip RAM, and link interfaces for connecting multiple virtual Transputers. The emulator aims for accuracy and speed, leveraging WebAssembly and other optimizations. While still under development, it can already run various programs, offering a readily accessible way to explore and experiment with this parallel computing architecture within a web browser. The project's website provides interactive demos and source code.

  This Hacker News post introduces a newly developed emulator for the Transputer, a pioneering parallel processing architecture from the late 1980s, implemented entirely in JavaScript. The author emphasizes that the emulator's performance is sufficiently high to be practically useful, a notable achievement given the complexities of emulating a parallel architecture within a single-threaded environment like a web browser.

  The emulator, showcased on a dedicated webpage, allows users to experience and experiment with Transputer code directly within their browsers. The post highlights the inclusion of several demonstration programs, including a Mandelbrot set fractal generator, illustrating the emulator's capability to handle computationally intensive tasks. The author provides background information on the Transputer architecture, emphasizing its innovative use of on-chip communication channels for inter-process communication, a feature central to its parallel processing capabilities. This core concept of channel communication is faithfully replicated within the JavaScript emulator.

  The implementation utilizes a technique of compiling the Transputer's Occam programming language, specifically a subset targeting the IMS T800 model, into WebAssembly. This compilation process facilitates the emulator's speed and efficiency by leveraging the performance benefits of WebAssembly. The post details the process of generating the necessary WebAssembly code from Occam source code, including using a custom toolchain involving the Kent Retargetable Occam Compiler (KROC) and the LLVM compiler infrastructure. It also mentions the integration of a rudimentary filing system, crucial for loading programs and data into the emulated environment.

  The author expresses enthusiasm for the potential of this project to revive interest in the Transputer architecture and its unique approach to parallel computing, making it accessible to a wider audience through the ubiquity of web browsers. They also invite exploration and feedback from the community, suggesting possibilities for future development and improvements. The provided demonstration programs, particularly the Mandelbrot example, serve as a tangible demonstration of the emulator's capabilities and a starting point for users to explore the world of Transputer programming.

  • Transputer
  • emulator
  • javascript
  • WebAssembly
  • Retrocomputing
  • Parallel Computing
  • OCCAM
  • Simulation
  • virtual machine
  • In-Browser Emulator

  Summary of Comments ( 2 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43578190

  Verbose tl;dr

  Hacker News users discussed the surprising speed and cleverness of a JavaScript-based Transputer emulator. Several praised the author's ingenuity in optimizing the emulator, making it performant enough for practical uses like running old Transputer demos. Some commenters reminisced about their past experiences with Transputers, highlighting their unique architecture and the challenges of parallel programming. Others expressed interest in exploring the emulator further, with suggestions for potential applications like running old games or educational purposes. A few users discussed the technical aspects of the emulator, including the use of Web Workers and the limitations of JavaScript for emulating parallel architectures. The overall sentiment was positive, with many impressed by the project's technical achievement and nostalgic value.

  The Hacker News post titled "Show HN: Transputer emulator in JavaScript (fast enough to be useful)" linking to a Transputer emulator written in JavaScript generated several comments discussing various aspects of the emulator and Transputers in general.

  Several commenters expressed fascination with Transputers and their unique architecture, reminiscing about their past experiences with the technology. One commenter recalled using Transputers for parallel processing in university and praised their elegant design. Another highlighted the innovative nature of the Transputer's inter-process communication channels. The general sentiment was one of nostalgia and appreciation for the Transputer's historical significance in parallel computing.

  Performance was a key topic of discussion. Some users questioned the "fast enough to be useful" claim in the title, prompting the original poster (OP) to clarify that the emulator achieves about 1/10th the speed of a real Transputer. While not as fast as native hardware, this speed was deemed sufficient for certain tasks, such as running old demos and exploring Transputer programming. The OP further explained that the emulator's performance is bottlenecked by JavaScript's garbage collection, particularly when dealing with the emulated memory operations.

  The choice of JavaScript for the emulator was also discussed. While acknowledging the performance limitations, the OP explained that JavaScript's accessibility and ease of sharing through a web browser made it a suitable choice for this project. This allowed for wider reach and easier experimentation for those interested in Transputers without requiring complex setup or specialized hardware.

  Several commenters expressed interest in the potential applications of the emulator, including educational purposes and preserving historical software. One user suggested exploring WebAssembly as a potential avenue for performance improvement. Others discussed the possibility of integrating the emulator with existing Transputer development tools.

  There was also discussion about the differences between emulation and simulation. One commenter pointed out that the project is an emulator, mimicking the hardware, rather than a simulator, which would model the behavior at a higher level.

  Finally, some commenters shared links to related projects and resources, including other Transputer emulators and archival material. This contributed to a broader discussion about retrocomputing and the preservation of older technologies.

• My teen years: The transputer operating system

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  Posted: 2025-03-13 00:31:47

  Verbose tl;dr

  The author recounts their teenage experience developing a rudimentary operating system for the Inmos Transputer. Fascinated by parallel processing, they created a system capable of multitasking and inter-process communication using the Transputer's unique link architecture. The OS, written in Occam, featured a kernel, device drivers, and a command-line interface, demonstrating a surprisingly sophisticated understanding of OS principles for a young programmer. Despite its limitations, like a lack of memory protection and a simple scheduler, the project provided valuable learning experiences in systems programming and showcased the potential of the Transputer's parallel processing capabilities.

  In a nostalgic and technically detailed blog post titled "My teen years: The transputer operating system," the author recounts their ambitious endeavor during adolescence to create a fully functional operating system for the Inmos transputer, a parallel processing architecture popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Driven by a fascination with concurrent computing and inspired by the occam programming language, designed specifically for the transputer, the author embarked on this complex project with the goal of harnessing the transputer's parallel processing capabilities.

  The author details the specific challenges encountered and the solutions implemented during the development process. One significant hurdle involved managing memory allocation across the distributed transputer network. The chosen approach involved a hybrid strategy utilizing both static and dynamic memory allocation. Static allocation provided predictable memory usage for critical system components, while dynamic allocation offered flexibility for user programs. The author also describes the implementation of inter-process communication, a cornerstone of the transputer's design philosophy, achieved through the use of channels, a core feature of occam. This system facilitated message passing between processes running on different transputers, enabling true parallel execution.

  The operating system's kernel, written entirely in occam, is highlighted as a testament to the language's suitability for systems programming. The author emphasizes occam's inherent support for concurrency and its elegant handling of communication between processes, which simplified the complex task of managing the transputer's parallel architecture. Further challenges arose in designing the user interface. Limited by the available hardware, the author developed a command-line interface, providing basic functionalities like process management, file system interaction, and network communication control.

  The blog post concludes with a reflection on the project's impact, noting the valuable lessons learned about operating system design, low-level programming, and the intricacies of parallel computing. The author describes the project not just as a technical achievement but as a formative experience that deepened their understanding of computer science fundamentals and fostered a lifelong appreciation for the elegance and power of the transputer architecture. While acknowledging the project's limitations and the eventual obsolescence of the transputer platform, the author emphasizes the enduring value of the experience in shaping their subsequent career in software development.

  • Transputer
  • Operating System
  • Retrocomputing
  • Parallel Computing
  • Distributed Computing
  • OCCAM
  • Inmos
  • 1990s
  • Teen Project
  • Personal Project
  • Software Development
  • Systems Programming

  Summary of Comments ( 27 )
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43349214

  Verbose tl;dr

  Hacker News users discussed the blog post about a teen's experience developing a Transputer OS, largely focusing on the impressive nature of the project for someone so young. Several commenters reminisced about their own early programming experiences, often involving simpler systems like the Z80 or 6502. Some discussed the specific challenges of the Transputer architecture, like the difficulty of debugging and the limitations of the Occam language. A few users questioned the true complexity of the OS, suggesting it might be more accurately described as a kernel. Others shared links to resources for learning more about Transputers and Occam. The overall sentiment was one of admiration for the author's initiative and technical skills at a young age.

  The Hacker News post "My teen years: The transputer operating system" sparked a modest discussion with a handful of comments, focusing primarily on personal experiences and technical details related to transputers and their operating systems.

  One commenter reminisced about using transputers at university in the early 90s, specifically working with the Helios operating system. They fondly remembered the elegance of the message-passing paradigm and how it shaped their understanding of parallel computing. They also highlighted the challenge of debugging in such an environment, humorously describing it as "like debugging with strobe lights and mirrors." This comment offers a personal touch, reflecting the impact transputers had on early adopters.

  Another commenter questioned the characterization of Helios as a microkernel, arguing that it embodied a more substantial operating system structure. They delved into technical details, referencing process management and device drivers within Helios, suggesting a complexity beyond a typical microkernel. This spurred a brief back-and-forth, with another user suggesting that the lines between a microkernel and a monolithic kernel were blurred, particularly in the context of the transputer's unique architecture and the design philosophy of Helios.

  One commenter brought up the topic of occam, the programming language specifically designed for transputers. They pointed out the language's inherent concurrency features and how it elegantly mapped to the transputer's architecture. This comment served to connect the operating system discussion back to the underlying hardware and software ecosystem.

  Finally, one commenter shared a link to an online emulator for a transputer system, allowing users to experience the technology firsthand. This practical addition allows others to explore the discussed system and adds a tangible element to the conversation.

  While the discussion thread isn't extensive, it provides valuable insights into the historical context of transputers and Helios, personal experiences with the technology, and some technical nuances of its design. The comments are generally focused and relevant to the original post, offering a glimpse into a niche area of computing history.