22/11/2025 ~ BIOS finally loads!
Well, I finally managed to fix it. The CPU now initializes cleanly after loading the ROM through the new menu option.
Still a long way to ride but I can be more optimistic. Paula32 finally has a working BIOS loader.
21/11/2025 ~ And the name is...Paula!
Not much to say about the code, still face the same issues. The CPU self-test fails every time. On a different note, I’ve changed the emulator’s name. Pond was great, but since it’s a copyrighted character, it’s safer to go with something else. I’ve decided to call it Paula32, named after the CD32’s sound chip. I think it fits the project well.
Ah, by the way, I’ve decided to remove the Controls option for now. It’ll be added later in development. As for the CPU fails, I still can't solve them, AI can't guide me, I don't know who to ask. My current solution is to rely on the book Complete Amiga CD32 Manual by Peter Hutchison. Hopefully, by the end of this year or the beginning of the next, this bibliography will provide the answers I’m looking for.
17/11/2025 ~ Problems! What else?
The emulator runs cleanly in debug with mapped cycle constants and expanded opcode tables but BIOS load still fails due to missing hardware responses.
No matter what I do, I get this. I experimented with different RAM sizes and CPU frequencies but the BIOS still fails in the same way. I have even tried to consult AI tools with no luck. I'm at a desperate state but I still hope I will find a way out.
10/09/2025 ~ SeptHell!
No crashes, no random errors. The opcode table is now broad enough to cover most basic arithmetic, branching and stack operations. Logging around memory reads and writes has helped me confirm that the CPU loop behaves consistently.But the BIOS load still fails. Kickstart continues to throw CPU errors because the hardware responses (Paula, CIA, system registers) are missing.
At least I can make a build out of chaos!
13/08/2025 ~ Still alive!
The opcode table has expanded with more arithmetic and branching instructions and stack operations behave more predictably.I also experimented with CD sector parsing again. This time the headers look consistent, but the sector alignment still breaks after a few reads.
30/06/2025 ~ Back after a while
Halfway through the year, the emulator now runs longer test sequences without collapsing. The opcode table has grown significantly and some branching logic finally behaves as expected.I also tried to refine the memory map and add more detailed logging around stack operations. That helped me catch subtle misalignments but fixing them is still painful. On the downside, Kickstart continues to fail deeper checks. The CPU jumps into areas that clearly expect hardware responses I don’t simulate yet. Paula/CIA behavior remains a black box, and CD sector simulation is still unreliable. Structure is still bad.
20/04/2025 ~ News
This month I focused entirely on understanding why the kickstart still fails its internal self-tests. I added more logging around the reset vector copy, memory reads and instruction fetch, which helped me confirm that the emulator is actually following the reset procedure correctly.
Here I confirmed the reset vector works but Kickstart still fails because the BIOS wants hardware I haven’t implemented yet.
The problem now is deeper, the CPU eventually jumps into unmapped memory which means the BIOS expects hardware responses, system registers or CIA/Paula behavior. Well..
27/03/2025 ~ Big Update
This month I managed to extend the CPU loop stability even further. Some routines now run without instant crashes, which feels like progress. My attempt to simulate cd sector reads failed again. The headers parse fine, but stepping through sectors keeps breaking alignment. Debugging consumed hours and the structure still feels super messy.
07/02/2025 ~ More code
Stabilizing the CPU loop even more. It now runs longer without crashing. I also experimented with CD-ROM sector read simulation. It’s still very rough, but at least the emulator can parse headers and attempt to step through sectors. But there are memory alignment bugs. Every time I thought I had fixed them, another misfire appeared. Debugging feels endless, and the structure remains messy..
Kept adding instructions, but each new case introduced new crashes. Trial and error all the way.
It looks small and simple, right? Debugging alignment issues here was a nightmare. The logger kept spamming unknown opcodes.
Parsing headers workeδ but sector simulation kept failing. This was my February headache.
20/01/2025 ~ Update!
This week I kept working on the CPU loop and finally managed to make it run a bit more consistently. I added some extra instructions to the opcode table, especially around addressing modes, which gave me a better sense of how the core behaves. The biggest struggle-> debugging memory alignment. Every time I thought I had fixed it, another crash appeared. It feels like chasing ghosts . Ah! And the structure still looks messy.
07/01/2025 ~ Happy New Year
Happy New Year! I worked on CPU loop and it feels more stable than before. Tried a homebrew stub routine , it failed of course. By the way, I added mr Pond in the interface but most probably will change it in the future. Also, the menu has a Bios option from now on.
It looks cute, doesn't it? But most probably will not keep that as I realised Pond is coryrighted protected character.
30/12/2024 ~ Pre-New Year Update
I fixed some stuff around thee site. Now there's a special category about the emulator. Basicallly, I've decided that the emulator will be closed-source, freeware, and defintely ,no ROMs/BIOS included. On the other news, implemented logging system to trace opcode execution.
By the way, here's how the emulator looks :
Nothing fancy but hey! It opens. Also, as for today I called it Pond32. Yeah, from the James Pond!
26/12/2024 ~ Trial and Error
Expanded opcode coverage: branching, stack operations, and some addressing modes. Drafted a basic memory map with RAM and ROM placeholders. Highlight: Emulator ran minimal routines without instant crashes. Struggle: The structure is already unorganised and chaotic. Debugging feels like a horror story.
20/12/2024 ~ Some Updates
I continued working on the CPU skeleton. Tried to set up the first opcode table, but things broke almost immediately. Debugging consumed hours, and I realized how fragile the structure is at this stage. The code already feels messy, but anyway. I also added placeholders for GPU and audio. Nothing functional yet, just empty shells waiting to be filled. I also experimented with parsing CD image headers — a small glimpse of what might come later.
12/11/2024 ~ Untitled CD32 Emulator!
Today is the big day! My name's Stelios ~known as Scatman~ and I finally decided to start working on the emulator. It feels like stepping into the unknown as I made a tough decision to commit to something that might never be finished. Still, the challenge is exciting. I began with the UI — just 5 to 10 lines of code, nothing impressive, but enough to see something appear on screen. It’s a small step, but it makes the project feel real.
Layout Design by Scatman