Adds a third format to /api/compile-rom: `c` (C source compiled by SDCC
to Z80 bytes). Same chip-program flow as 8080/Z80 asm — write C in a
project file, click Compile, click Run.
Backend:
- backend/app/services/c_compile.py — async SDCC wrapper. Locates the
sdcc binary on PATH (or via SDCC env var, or common Windows install
paths) and shells out with target=mz80 + --code-loc 0x100 --data-loc
0x8000. Parses the resulting Intel HEX into raw ROM bytes. Pure 8080
is rejected with a clear error (SDCC has no 8080 backend; Z80 ROMs
also run on the i8080-cpu chip if you avoid Z80-only ops).
- rom_compile.py: compile_rom is now async; the new c branch delegates
to c_compile. compile_rom_endpoint awaits it.
Frontend:
- romCompileService: RomFormat gains 'c'; formatForFile maps .c/.cpp to
'c'. isChipProgramFile intentionally still excludes .c — disambiguation
happens at the EditorToolbar level.
- EditorToolbar: the chip-program path also fires when a custom-chip
has programFile === activeFile.name (regardless of extension). That
lets .c files route to /api/compile-rom (SDCC) when bound to a CPU
chip, while .c files NOT bound to any chip continue to route to
arduino-cli as before.
Docker:
- Dockerfile.standalone adds `sdcc` to the apt-get install list, so the
prod image ships with SDCC out of the box.
Example:
- /examples/z80-led-chaser-c — z80-cpu chip + chaser.c (a Larson
scanner written in C with __at() MMIO definitions). Compiles cleanly
with SDCC's --code-loc 0x100 default crt0.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Adds a new way to use the retro CPU chips: write your program in a
project file (.s / .asm / .hex / .bin), click Compile, click Run, and
the same chip emulates whatever you wrote. Same chip + different ROMs =
mini PC, calculator, LED demo, Kill-the-Bit game, etc.
SDK:
- velxio-chip.h gets two new host imports:
uint32_t vx_rom_size(void);
void vx_rom_read(uint32_t off, uint8_t* dst, uint32_t len);
CPU-emulator chips call these in chip_setup to pull their program out
of the host's romBytes property.
Frontend runtime:
- ChipRuntime accepts opts.romBytes (Uint8Array) and exposes the new
imports, copying bytes into chip memory on vx_rom_read.
- CustomChipPart pulls component.properties.romBytes (base64) and passes
it through.
- Component registry declares three new custom-chip properties:
romBytes (base64), programFile (matching project filename), and
programTarget (cpu name).
New programmable bundled chip:
- frontend/src/components/customChips/examples/intel/i8080-cpu.{c,chip.json}
Same clean-room 8080 emulator as i8080-repl/i8080-counter, but ROM is
loaded externally via vx_rom_*. Has 8 LEDs, 8 buttons, UART, 16 KB RAM,
32 KB of external ROM.
Backend:
- New /api/compile-rom endpoint and rom_compile service that turns
chip-program source into ROM bytes. 8080 ASM is assembled by the
in-tree two-pass assembler (moved to backend/app/services/asm8080.py).
Intel HEX records are parsed; raw .bin is passed through. Future targets
(z80, 8086, 4004) are scaffolded but not wired yet.
EditorToolbar:
- Compile button detects when the active file is .s/.asm/.hex/.bin and
routes to compile-rom instead of arduino-cli. The compiled bytes are
injected into every custom-chip on the canvas whose programFile property
matches the active filename (or is empty).
Example:
- /examples/i8080-killbits loads Dean McDaniel's 1975 Kill-the-Bit on
the programmable i8080-cpu chip. killbits.s is shipped as a project
file alongside sketch.ino; the user clicks Compile then Run and the
LED walks across 8 outputs, buttons kill it.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
David Montero Crespo