In a remarkable demonstration of pushing software boundaries, a developer has created a fully functional AVR microcontroller emulator using pure LaTeX, traditionally known as a document typesetting system. This unconventional project challenges our understanding of what's possible with typesetting tools while showcasing the hidden computational capabilities of TeX.
The Unexpected Platform
While TeX is primarily used for document preparation, it's actually a Turing-complete programming language capable of complex computations. The developer's choice to implement an AVR emulator in LaTeX has sparked both amusement and technical interest in the programming community. As one community member noted:
That's absolutely hilarious, and a pretty fun hack.
Technical Implementation
The emulator targets the ATmega8 architecture, an 8-bit processor with 16-bit memory addressing capabilities. While not implementing every single opcode, the emulator covers most practical use cases. Community discussions reveal that the missing multiplication opcodes (MULS, MULSU, FMUL, FMULS, FMULSU) are primarily used in specific AVR variants, particularly when targeting AVRe+ devices like ATmega rather than ATtiny processors.
Performance Considerations
The emulator achieves a clock rate of approximately 2.5 KHz on modern hardware, which is about 10,000 times slower than actual AVR hardware at maximum clock speeds. This performance limitation, while significant, doesn't diminish the technical achievement. The project's computational capabilities are demonstrated by its ability to generate complex outputs, including a Mandelbrot Set visualization that required 44 hours of calculation time.
Future Implications
The community's response has sparked interesting discussions about unconventional computing platforms. Some developers have suggested exploring similar implementations on other unexpected platforms, with one commenter proposing the possibility of running emulated C code on printers using PostScript. This project serves as an inspiring example of how traditional tools can be repurposed for complex computational tasks, even if not optimized for such use cases.
The project stands as a testament to the versatility of TeX as a programming platform, while simultaneously serving as a reminder of why certain tools are better suited for specific tasks. Despite its impracticality for production use, it exemplifies the kind of creative experimentation that drives innovation in computer science.
Source Citations: avremu: An AVR Emulator written in pure LaTeX