Virtual 8-bit Computer

A computer is a machine that takes an instruction, processes it, then moves on to the next instruction. These instructions are mostly simple things like add two numbers or divide number by two. Fundamentally, that’s all there is to computers: read, execute, repeat. However, the lightning-quick computers we have today, which can process millions of instructions each second, obscure the simple nature of computing.

To help show the simplicity of computation, I’ve created a slow fictional computer¹ with simple instructions. Each step of reading and executing instructions is visualized. This is possible because there are only 256 slots in the computers memory for possible instructions.

Mess around with the computer here

Of course computers are boring without some sort of output, which is why I added a simple 16×16 pixel image display. The computer has specialized instructions to modify the pixels on the screen.

Below is a video of Conway’s Game of Life running on the computer

The computer page itself comes with basic documentation for writing programs for it. I’m sure there’s some detail I missed, so feel free to email me if there’s anything unclear.

Source code

Also, most of the 256 possible instructions are unused. Got an instruction suggestion? Email me; I might just add it.