In computing, Aemulor is an emulator of the earlier 26-bit addressing-mode ARM microprocessors. It runs on ARM processors under 32-bit addressing-mode versions of RISC OS. It was written by Adrian Lees and released in 2003. An enhanced version is available under the name Aemulor Pro.
The software allows Raspberry Pi,[1]Iyonix PC and A9home computers running RISC OS to make use of some software written for older hardware. As of 2012[update], compatibility with the BeagleBoard single-board computer was under development.
Development
The software's existence was first reported around the time of the announcement of the Iyonix in October 2002.[2][3] A demo version was released in February 2003,[4][5] with the commercial release in March of that year.[6][7][8]
Aemulor Pro was released in 2004. This added enhancements, including support for low colour modes, required by scorewriter Sibelius and many games.[9][10][11] A version for the A9home was released in 2005.[12] The software was exhibited at the 2006 Wakefield Show.[13]
In 2009, author Adrian Lees[14][15] posted on The Icon Bar, showing an early prototype of the software running on the BeagleBoard.[15][16] Progress on further compatibility for the Raspberry Pi single-board computer was announced by Lees on the RISC OS Open forum in 2012.[17] Developer R-Comp was reported in May 2012 to be hoping to make Aemulor available for its BeagleBoard-xM-based ARMini computer.[18]
Features
Sibelius running on the Iyonix
The software provides full 26-bit emulation[6] for applications written in C and ARM assembly language. It employs an XScale-optimised ARM code interpreter, supports SWI emulation from RISC OS 4 to 5, flag preservation and creation of dynamic areas in low memory.[19] Support for running A310Emu is included, allowing users to further emulate earlier versions of the OS, going back to Arthur.[20] As of 2003[update], due to the memory remapping employed, native 32-bit applications are restricted to a maximum size of 28Mb while Aemulor is running.[21]
The original release included an Easter egg, with a prize of an upgrade to the Pro version for the person who found it.[22][23]
Aemulor Pro adds support for low-bpp screen modes, sound, hardware emulation of VIDC/IOC, an altered memory map and 26-bit filing systems.[19] Some software, such as Sibelius, can be run both in the desktop and in full screen.[9]
