Why are different emulators needed to run platforms that use 6502 assembly code?

Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

To my knowlage, an emulator turns machine code for a console into something that your computer can understand. For example, assembly code from a Gamecube game is not the same as from a .exe file. That said, why are multiple emulators needed to run games that are on platforms that run 6502 code. Shouldn't there just be a 6502 emulator that runs all 6502 platforms?

emulation 6502 microprocessor

share|improve this question

asked 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

New contributor

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

To my knowlage, an emulator turns machine code for a console into something that your computer can understand. For example, assembly code from a Gamecube game is not the same as from a .exe file. That said, why are multiple emulators needed to run games that are on platforms that run 6502 code. Shouldn't there just be a 6502 emulator that runs all 6502 platforms?

emulation 6502 microprocessor

share|improve this question

asked 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

New contributor

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

up vote
1
down vote

favorite

To my knowlage, an emulator turns machine code for a console into something that your computer can understand. For example, assembly code from a Gamecube game is not the same as from a .exe file. That said, why are multiple emulators needed to run games that are on platforms that run 6502 code. Shouldn't there just be a 6502 emulator that runs all 6502 platforms?

emulation 6502 microprocessor

share|improve this question

asked 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

New contributor

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

To my knowlage, an emulator turns machine code for a console into something that your computer can understand. For example, assembly code from a Gamecube game is not the same as from a .exe file. That said, why are multiple emulators needed to run games that are on platforms that run 6502 code. Shouldn't there just be a 6502 emulator that runs all 6502 platforms?

emulation 6502 microprocessor

emulation 6502 microprocessor

share|improve this question

asked 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

New contributor

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

asked 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

New contributor

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

asked 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

New contributor

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

asked 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

406

New contributor

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

New contributor

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

up vote
0
down vote



accepted

While 6502 was common, it wasn't the exact same thing between two different machines. That's where the term "modified 6502" comes from. Also, there are emulators that run multiple platforms, like Bizhawk.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Jack Kasbrack

15212

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote

There are many answers to this and none might satisfy you.

• First of all, an Emulator doesn't just do a CPU, but a machine. The same way you can't run an NES game on an Apple II. So while one may do multiple ones, different can do the hob as well.




• Furthermore, there are different target platforms. Linux isn't Windows which again isn't MacOS and so on. Like any other application an emulator needs to interact with the platform it's runing on - especially for tasks like timing and graphics on frame level a rather tight integration is needed - unsing functions that are greaty different on each OS




• Similar, not only OSes do provide an enironment to adapt to, generic Emulators (like Mame), or Browsers do as well, requireing similat adaptions.




• Last but not least, since when has the existance of an implementation (here a 6502 Emulator) ever stoped a developer from writing his own implementation?

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

answered 3 hours ago

Raffzahn

40k489164

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  But why is (for example) an NES emulator for windows not compatible with running Apple II roms on windows. Both are 6502 machines.
  – Jonathan O'Brady
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @JonathanO'Brady: The NES and the Apple II have different hardware, and memory layout. For example, Apple II has low-res and hi-res graphics, and NES doesn't have that distinction.
  – Greg Hewgill
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Because they are different machines and different architectures? They got their I/O on different addresses, have different screen layouts and capabilities. It's the same way why you can't run an Apple II program on a NES and vice versa.
  – Raffzahn
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Your Answer

StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "648"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);

else
createEditor();

);

function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);



);

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.

 

draft saved

draft discarded

Sign up or log in

StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

Name Email

StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fretrocomputing.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f8105%2fwhy-are-different-emulators-needed-to-run-platforms-that-use-6502-assembly-code%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest

Name Email

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

up vote
0
down vote



accepted

While 6502 was common, it wasn't the exact same thing between two different machines. That's where the term "modified 6502" comes from. Also, there are emulators that run multiple platforms, like Bizhawk.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Jack Kasbrack

15212

add a comment | 

up vote
0
down vote



accepted

While 6502 was common, it wasn't the exact same thing between two different machines. That's where the term "modified 6502" comes from. Also, there are emulators that run multiple platforms, like Bizhawk.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Jack Kasbrack

15212

add a comment | 

up vote
0
down vote



accepted

up vote
0
down vote



accepted

While 6502 was common, it wasn't the exact same thing between two different machines. That's where the term "modified 6502" comes from. Also, there are emulators that run multiple platforms, like Bizhawk.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Jack Kasbrack

15212

While 6502 was common, it wasn't the exact same thing between two different machines. That's where the term "modified 6502" comes from. Also, there are emulators that run multiple platforms, like Bizhawk.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Jack Kasbrack

15212

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

Jack Kasbrack

15212

answered 3 hours ago

Jack Kasbrack

15212

answered 3 hours ago

Jack Kasbrack

15212

15212

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote

There are many answers to this and none might satisfy you.

• First of all, an Emulator doesn't just do a CPU, but a machine. The same way you can't run an NES game on an Apple II. So while one may do multiple ones, different can do the hob as well.




• Furthermore, there are different target platforms. Linux isn't Windows which again isn't MacOS and so on. Like any other application an emulator needs to interact with the platform it's runing on - especially for tasks like timing and graphics on frame level a rather tight integration is needed - unsing functions that are greaty different on each OS




• Similar, not only OSes do provide an enironment to adapt to, generic Emulators (like Mame), or Browsers do as well, requireing similat adaptions.




• Last but not least, since when has the existance of an implementation (here a 6502 Emulator) ever stoped a developer from writing his own implementation?

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

answered 3 hours ago

Raffzahn

40k489164

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  But why is (for example) an NES emulator for windows not compatible with running Apple II roms on windows. Both are 6502 machines.
  – Jonathan O'Brady
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @JonathanO'Brady: The NES and the Apple II have different hardware, and memory layout. For example, Apple II has low-res and hi-res graphics, and NES doesn't have that distinction.
  – Greg Hewgill
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Because they are different machines and different architectures? They got their I/O on different addresses, have different screen layouts and capabilities. It's the same way why you can't run an Apple II program on a NES and vice versa.
  – Raffzahn
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote

There are many answers to this and none might satisfy you.

• First of all, an Emulator doesn't just do a CPU, but a machine. The same way you can't run an NES game on an Apple II. So while one may do multiple ones, different can do the hob as well.




• Furthermore, there are different target platforms. Linux isn't Windows which again isn't MacOS and so on. Like any other application an emulator needs to interact with the platform it's runing on - especially for tasks like timing and graphics on frame level a rather tight integration is needed - unsing functions that are greaty different on each OS




• Similar, not only OSes do provide an enironment to adapt to, generic Emulators (like Mame), or Browsers do as well, requireing similat adaptions.




• Last but not least, since when has the existance of an implementation (here a 6502 Emulator) ever stoped a developer from writing his own implementation?

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

answered 3 hours ago

Raffzahn

40k489164

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  But why is (for example) an NES emulator for windows not compatible with running Apple II roms on windows. Both are 6502 machines.
  – Jonathan O'Brady
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @JonathanO'Brady: The NES and the Apple II have different hardware, and memory layout. For example, Apple II has low-res and hi-res graphics, and NES doesn't have that distinction.
  – Greg Hewgill
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Because they are different machines and different architectures? They got their I/O on different addresses, have different screen layouts and capabilities. It's the same way why you can't run an Apple II program on a NES and vice versa.
  – Raffzahn
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote

up vote
4
down vote

There are many answers to this and none might satisfy you.

• First of all, an Emulator doesn't just do a CPU, but a machine. The same way you can't run an NES game on an Apple II. So while one may do multiple ones, different can do the hob as well.




• Furthermore, there are different target platforms. Linux isn't Windows which again isn't MacOS and so on. Like any other application an emulator needs to interact with the platform it's runing on - especially for tasks like timing and graphics on frame level a rather tight integration is needed - unsing functions that are greaty different on each OS




• Similar, not only OSes do provide an enironment to adapt to, generic Emulators (like Mame), or Browsers do as well, requireing similat adaptions.




• Last but not least, since when has the existance of an implementation (here a 6502 Emulator) ever stoped a developer from writing his own implementation?

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

answered 3 hours ago

Raffzahn

40k489164

There are many answers to this and none might satisfy you.

• First of all, an Emulator doesn't just do a CPU, but a machine. The same way you can't run an NES game on an Apple II. So while one may do multiple ones, different can do the hob as well.




• Furthermore, there are different target platforms. Linux isn't Windows which again isn't MacOS and so on. Like any other application an emulator needs to interact with the platform it's runing on - especially for tasks like timing and graphics on frame level a rather tight integration is needed - unsing functions that are greaty different on each OS




• Similar, not only OSes do provide an enironment to adapt to, generic Emulators (like Mame), or Browsers do as well, requireing similat adaptions.




• Last but not least, since when has the existance of an implementation (here a 6502 Emulator) ever stoped a developer from writing his own implementation?

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

answered 3 hours ago

Raffzahn

40k489164

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

edited 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

edited 3 hours ago

Jonathan O'Brady

406

406

answered 3 hours ago

Raffzahn

40k489164

answered 3 hours ago

Raffzahn

40k489164

answered 3 hours ago

Raffzahn

40k489164

40k489164

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  But why is (for example) an NES emulator for windows not compatible with running Apple II roms on windows. Both are 6502 machines.
  – Jonathan O'Brady
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @JonathanO'Brady: The NES and the Apple II have different hardware, and memory layout. For example, Apple II has low-res and hi-res graphics, and NES doesn't have that distinction.
  – Greg Hewgill
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Because they are different machines and different architectures? They got their I/O on different addresses, have different screen layouts and capabilities. It's the same way why you can't run an Apple II program on a NES and vice versa.
  – Raffzahn
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  But why is (for example) an NES emulator for windows not compatible with running Apple II roms on windows. Both are 6502 machines.
  – Jonathan O'Brady
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @JonathanO'Brady: The NES and the Apple II have different hardware, and memory layout. For example, Apple II has low-res and hi-res graphics, and NES doesn't have that distinction.
  – Greg Hewgill
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Because they are different machines and different architectures? They got their I/O on different addresses, have different screen layouts and capabilities. It's the same way why you can't run an Apple II program on a NES and vice versa.
  – Raffzahn
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

But why is (for example) an NES emulator for windows not compatible with running Apple II roms on windows. Both are 6502 machines.
– Jonathan O'Brady
3 hours ago

But why is (for example) an NES emulator for windows not compatible with running Apple II roms on windows. Both are 6502 machines.
– Jonathan O'Brady
3 hours ago

2

2

@JonathanO'Brady: The NES and the Apple II have different hardware, and memory layout. For example, Apple II has low-res and hi-res graphics, and NES doesn't have that distinction.
– Greg Hewgill
3 hours ago

@JonathanO'Brady: The NES and the Apple II have different hardware, and memory layout. For example, Apple II has low-res and hi-res graphics, and NES doesn't have that distinction.
– Greg Hewgill
3 hours ago

1

1

Because they are different machines and different architectures? They got their I/O on different addresses, have different screen layouts and capabilities. It's the same way why you can't run an Apple II program on a NES and vice versa.
– Raffzahn
3 hours ago

Because they are different machines and different architectures? They got their I/O on different addresses, have different screen layouts and capabilities. It's the same way why you can't run an Apple II program on a NES and vice versa.
– Raffzahn
3 hours ago

add a comment | 

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.

 

draft saved

draft discarded

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.

Jonathan O'Brady is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.

 

draft saved

draft discarded

Sign up or log in

StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

Name Email

StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fretrocomputing.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f8105%2fwhy-are-different-emulators-needed-to-run-platforms-that-use-6502-assembly-code%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest

Name Email

Sign up or log in

StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

Name Email

Sign up or log in

StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

Name Email

Sign up or log in

StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

Name Email

Name Email

Name

Email

Name Email

Name

Email