CHIP-8 Emulator

A CHIP-8 emulator built from scratch in C. CHIP-8 is an interpreted programming language from the mid-1970s, originally designed for the COSMAC VIP and Telmac 1800 microcomputers. This project implements the full virtual machine, capable of running classic ROMs like Breakout and Rock-Paper-Scissors.

How It Works

CHIP-8 programs are loaded into memory and executed instruction by instruction. The emulator fetches a two-byte opcode, decodes it, and executes the corresponding operation—handling everything from drawing sprites to processing keyboard input.

The virtual machine includes:

• 4KB of memory with programs loaded at address 0x200
• 16 general-purpose 8-bit registers (V0–VF)
• A 64×32 pixel monochrome display
• A 16-key hexadecimal keypad for input
• A delay timer that counts down at 60Hz

Key Features

• Full opcode support for the standard CHIP-8 instruction set
• Display rendering with a 64×32 monochrome framebuffer
• Input handling mapped from a modern keyboard to the CHIP-8 hex keypad
• Timer emulation running at the correct 60Hz frequency
• ROM loading supporting standard .ch8 binary format

What I Learned

This project deepened my understanding of:

• How CPUs fetch, decode, and execute instructions
• Memory-mapped I/O and display systems
• Emulation concepts like cycle timing and input polling
• Binary file parsing and bitwise operations in C