[HN Gopher] Virtual Apollo Guidance Computer
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       Virtual Apollo Guidance Computer
        
       The purpose of this project is to provide an emulation of the on-
       board Apollo guidance computers, along with some ancillary items
       needed to make the emulation do something interesting. "AGC" stands
       for Apollo Guidance Computer. The AGC was the principal on-board
       computer for NASA's Apollo missions, including all of the lunar
       landings.
        
       Author : Duke_Pixie
       Score  : 87 points
       Date   : 2024-07-28 15:59 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (github.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
        
       | leeter wrote:
       | Is this the same software Curious Marc is using to emulate a
       | DSKY/AGC for their apollo comms project? Or are they using
       | something custom spun up to support the hardware they are working
       | on?
        
         | alephnil wrote:
         | Mike Stewart, that is the one with the most in depth knowledge
         | about the AGC on the Curious Marc channel, is also one of the
         | main contributors to this repo, so I guess so.
        
         | satiated_grue wrote:
         | https://www.curiousmarc.com/space/apollo-guidance-computer#h...
         | 
         | "Mike Stewart has developed gate accurate FPGA replicas of the
         | AGC and its test hardware. It represents a massive amount of
         | work. If you are Mike, you can use it to fly the real missions,
         | and simulate every signal in the AGC. Making this work is not
         | for the faint or heart and requires intimate understanding of
         | the AGC hardware and software. We offer no instructions and no
         | support."
        
           | thewonderidiot wrote:
           | For the communications project specifically (and also a
           | couple of other projects we have going on), I combined the
           | FPGA AGC and the Monitor into a single design that runs on a
           | Digilent Cmod A7-35T:
           | https://github.com/thewonderidiot/cmod_agc
           | 
           | It's a lot cheaper and more accessible in this form, and much
           | easier to integrate into projects that need AGC stand-ins.
           | 
           | Aside from the FPGA design though, yeah, all of the AGC
           | software and the assembler is in the VirtualAGC repository.
        
       | hvs wrote:
       | Previously (5 years ago):
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19014278
        
         | dang wrote:
         | Thanks! I took that as an excuse to make a longer list--this
         | includes hardware stuff and other history, besides software:
         | 
         |  _Original Apollo 11 Guidance Computer source code_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40877959 - July 2024 (3
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _The Apollo Guidance Computer (2021)_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38244927 - Nov 2023 (47
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Restoring the Apollo Guidance Computer [video]_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36648529 - July 2023 (23
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Original Apollo 11 guidance computer (AGC) source code on
         | GitHub_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29249509 - Nov
         | 2021 (1 comment)
         | 
         |  _A Python Implementation of the Apollo Entry Guidance
         | Algorithm_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28332793 -
         | Aug 2021 (1 comment)
         | 
         |  _Recovering the Lost Apollo 10 LM Software [video]_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23444709 - June 2020 (11
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo 11 Guidance Computer source code for the command and
         | lunar modules_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22367416
         | - Feb 2020 (30 comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo 11 Guidance Computer vs. USB-C Chargers_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22254719 - Feb 2020 (205
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _A deep dive into the Apollo Guidance Computer, and the hack
         | that saved Apollo 14_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22193388 - Jan 2020 (1
         | comment)
         | 
         |  _A computer built from NOR gates: inside the Apollo Guidance
         | Computer_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21107681 -
         | Sept 2019 (25 comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo Guidance Computer switching power supply works after
         | 50 years_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20789187 - Aug
         | 2019 (78 comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo Guidance Computer Demonstration, at VCF West 2019
         | [video]_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20604108 - Aug
         | 2019 (8 comments)
         | 
         |  _An interview with Margaret Hamilton_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20453737 - July 2019 (12
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20440622 - July 2019 (58
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Bitcoin mining on an Apollo Guidance Computer_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20383561 - July 2019 (127
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Software woven into wire: Core rope and the Apollo Guidance
         | Computer_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20355914 -
         | July 2019 (18 comments)
         | 
         |  _Inside the Apollo Guidance Computer 's Core Memory_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19028346 - Jan 2019 (6
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Virtual Apollo Guidance Computer_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19014278 - Jan 2019 (5
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Colossus 237: Apollo 8 Flight Software_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18737380 - Dec 2018 (8
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo Guidance Computer Restoration [video]_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18483875 - Nov 2018 (1
         | comment)
         | 
         |  _Restoring an Apollo Guidance Computer, Part IV_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18429279 - Nov 2018 (9
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Studying to Assist in the Restoration of an Apollo Guidance
         | Computer_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18210041 - Oct
         | 2018 (6 comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo 11 and Other Screw-Ups_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18062529 - Sept 2018 (15
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Tell HN: New book on Apollo Guidance Computer_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17740486 - Aug 2018 (1
         | comment)
         | 
         |  _Apollo Guidance Computer Talk_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16025002 - Dec 2017 (18
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _A computer engineer has tracked down the first Apollo
         | guidance computer_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12417447 - Sept 2016 (35
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _A Glimpse into the Apollo Guidance Computer_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12071526 - July 2016 (26
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo 11 Guidance Computer source code_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12048945 - July 2016 (145
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Tales from the lunar module guidance computer (2004)_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12040503 - July 2016 (12
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _The Charming Genius of the Apollo Guidance Computer [video]_
         | - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10523270 - Nov 2015 (3
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Profile of Margaret Hamilton, programmer of the Apollo
         | software_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10379904 - Oct
         | 2015 (58 comments)
         | 
         |  _Apollo Guidance Computer History: Margaret Hamilton 's
         | introduction (2001)_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8810454 - Dec 2014 (1
         | comment)
         | 
         |  _Moonjs: Apollo Guidance Computer Simulator_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8753625 - Dec 2014 (14
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Margaret Hamilton, lead software engineer, Project Apollo_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8735912 - Dec 2014 (93
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Source code for the Apollo 11 Guidance Computer_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8063192 - July 2014 (67
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Listing of the Apollo Guidance Computer(AGC) program that
         | landed man on the moon [pdf]_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8062491 - July 2014 (1
         | comment)
         | 
         |  _Software of the Apollo guidance computer was hand-woven into
         | rope core memory_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7656282 - April 2014 (32
         | comments)
         | 
         |  _Block I Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC): How to build one in
         | your basement_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6071825 -
         | July 2013 (10 comments)
         | 
         |  _Tales from the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Guidance Computer_ -
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3336584 - Dec 2011 (1
         | comment)
        
       | fnord77 wrote:
       | Why is the VM for this 10Gb?
        
         | lawlessone wrote:
         | every atom is simulated
        
           | Keyframe wrote:
           | and each includes all the needed electrons
        
       | tonymet wrote:
       | https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/
       | 
       | AGC is one of the classic computers that would be great to see
       | reproduced with the original controls and UI, but with modern ICs
       | at a budget price. Similar to NES classic re-release.
        
         | Simon_ORourke wrote:
         | I'm sure it could be emulated with a FPGA or similar, if it was
         | a few hundred bucks and came with a DSKY lookalike I'd buy it
        
           | sswaner wrote:
           | I am willing to pay to have the physical interface built if
           | anyone with the machinist/electrical engineering skills is
           | interested. My vision is to have the screen and button
           | interface built, with a Raspberry Pi powering it. Reply if
           | interested.
        
           | nativeit wrote:
           | Check the YouTube series from @CuriousMarc, with the modern
           | DSKY made by Ben Krasnow (@AppliedScience). They restored an
           | original AGC, but used a gate-level accurate FPGA for
           | testing. I believe the source is available, not 100%, but for
           | sure Ben's DSKY plans are available. Uses modern power and
           | comms, but implements the original fluorescent on glass
           | display tech.
        
             | nativeit wrote:
             | N/m, this has already been documented in these comments:
             | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41102844
        
       | _jholland wrote:
       | For a comprehensive exposition of the technical aspects of the
       | AGC, look no further than the Ultimate Apollo Guidance Computer
       | Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx7Lfh5SKUQ
       | 
       | They not only do a brilliant job of exposing this niche system,
       | but it is a foundational lecture for my knowledge of computer
       | architecture in general
        
       | emchammer wrote:
       | What I would give to have something like this in my car. Toggle
       | switches and tactile push buttons. Solid, easily-readable heads-
       | up display in the windscreen or above the dash, even if it was
       | just 7/14-segment readouts, would be better than a touchscreen
       | navigation computer.
        
       | szundi wrote:
       | Shouts for a Kerbal integration :)
        
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       (page generated 2024-07-29 23:00 UTC)