Re: Machine language and assembler translators?

glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
> Jatin Bhateja, Noida wrote:
>
>
> > My question is that are there any tools available which converts the
> > machine language of one architecture to other architecture. For
> > example if we have a got a complier for language say X and the target
> > language of compiler is say for ARM. Now are there any tools available
> > which convert or translate the code generated for ARM to some other
> > architecture say SH.
>
> (snip)
>
> > [Both machine language translators and assembler translators have been
> > around approximately forever. It's straightforward except for
> > self-modifying code, and incompatible byte order and data formats.
> > -John]
> ...
>
> When Apple started selling PowerPC based Macs the new OS included the
> ability to run 680x0 code, using some type of run time translation.


The first 68K emulator Apple shipped was an interpreter. The second
generation of Power Macs introduced a dynamic recompiling emulator
(much faster). This emulator is still in the Classic runtime of current
versions of OS X (so you can transparently run *integer* 68K code on
any Power Mac up to the present).


Apple plans to use a PowerPC emulator (Rosetta) to help users make the
transition from PowerPC to the x86-based product line. I'm surprised
they would go to so much effort, since unlike the 68K-PPC transition,
"porting" to the x86 architecture is largely just a recompile - the
APIs already being platform agnostic.


Much has been written about binary translation. For instance, there is
an informative white paper about ARDI's Syn68k:
http://www.ardi.com/syn68k.php There is a Yahoo! group,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dynarec/ which is occasionally active
and apparently working on a project. Past posts go into some detail on
translation technicalities.


--Toby

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