MartyPC
A cross-platform, cycle-accurate IBM PC/XT emulator written in Rust, designed for retro PC development and debugging.
What is MartyPC?
MartyPC is a cross-platform emulator written in Rust that accurately emulates early 8088-based PCs like the IBM PC, XT, PCJr, and Tandy 1000. It provides a highly accurate, cycle-by-cycle emulation environment specifically designed to aid in retro PC software development and to run demanding demos. The project prioritizes accuracy and developer tooling, offering extensive debugging features over user-friendliness.
Retro PC developers and enthusiasts who need a cycle-accurate emulation environment for writing, testing, and debugging software for early IBM-compatible systems. It is also valuable for demo scene creators pushing the limits of these old systems.
Developers choose MartyPC for its hardware-validated, cycle-accurate 8088 CPU emulation and comprehensive debugging tools, which are essential for precise retro development. Its unique selling point is the ability to run notoriously demanding demos like 8088 MPH and Area 5150 with high accuracy, supported by a WebAssembly build for browser-based execution.
Overview
An IBM PC/XT emulator written in Rust.
Use Cases
Best For
- Developing and debugging software for Intel 8088-based systems like the IBM PC and XT with cycle-level precision.
- Running and testing demanding retro PC demos such as 8088 MPH and Area 5150 in an accurate emulated environment.
- Hardware research and validation of early PC peripheral timings and behaviors using emulation.
- Educational purposes for understanding the inner workings of early PC architecture and instruction execution.
- Cross-platform retro PC emulation on Windows, Linux, macOS, or directly in a web browser via WebAssembly.
- Experimenting with custom machine configurations and hardware extensions for vintage PC systems.
Not Ideal For
- Casual gamers seeking plug-and-play retro gaming without configuration hassle
- Projects requiring emulation of 80286 or later CPUs for running Windows 95 or newer software
- Users who prefer graphical setup wizards over editing configuration files
- Teams needing fully stable and complete peripheral emulation for all supported systems out-of-the-box
Pros & Cons
Pros
The 8088 CPU emulation is validated against real hardware using an Arduino, achieving 99.9997% cycle-accuracy on the 8088 V2 Test Suite, crucial for precise retro development and demo execution.
Features a debugging GUI with disassembly, memory viewer, breakpoints, and cycle logging, providing deep visibility into code execution for developers, as highlighted in the README.
Runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and includes a WebAssembly build that allows running demos like 8088 MPH directly in web browsers, enhancing accessibility.
Capable of running cycle-critical demos such as 8088 MPH and Area 5150 with high accuracy, a feat emphasized in the README as unique among emulators.
Cons
The README admits several devices are not fully implemented, such as the 8259 PIC missing advanced features, DMA transfers being 'faked', and parallel port functionality being minimal.
Prioritizes accuracy over user-friendliness, requiring manual editing of configuration files rather than offering a graphical interface, which can deter newcomers.
Emulation of devices like the Adlib sound card is noted as CPU-heavy in the README, necessitating a fast host computer for smooth operation.
Preliminary support for systems like the IBM PCjr and Tandy 1000 is described as 'buggy and unstable' in the README, limiting reliability for those platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
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