JACE Emulator Source Code Updated, Build Coming Soon

Brenden Robert has updated his JACE Emulator (Java Apple Computer Emulator) Source code to revision 150 and has said that a new build is coming soon.  The delay in the update was attributed to  several bugs which were preventing a build from being submitted.  According to Brenden’s post on CSA2, “I still have some issues with getting the code to run really well when full-screen, but that’s a video generation/scaling problem and I need to profile the code further to track down what’s going on there to nail it.

Some things fixed are: Video null pointer error on start, Removed program counter from configuration screen to fix crashes when reconfiguring the emulator, better prompts when loading media, and the intro text now correctly indicates the keys for loading disk and hard drive media (was incorrect previously).

Oh, and I fixed the bug that caused sound to not work in games like Moon Patrol (which uses a STA $C030 instead of LDA or BIT) so now sound is pretty much 100% but still kinda choppy if you full-screen. Still, no random crashes or freezes so that’s good.

I would like to have better joystick support but really that’s not going to happen in Java without native libraries, something I’ve been trying desperately to avoid.  Since the configuration system is very modular, it may be possible to have a mod system, similar in fashion to a lot of modern games like Minecraft and the like.  That would allow the base copy of Jace to be dependency-free and allow those who want different emulation options another way.  Come to think of it, I could add an RXTX-based SSC implementation too if needed.”

JACE is primarily being developed by Brenden and Nick Westgate and is one of the few emulators which has Full 128K Support and Double Hi-Resoluition graphics capability.  The features of the JACE Emulator are as follows:

  • Full 128kb support, double-hires and 80-column
  • Disk emulation (dos ordering, NIB)
  • Speaker emulation
  • CPU-saver features (diables sound/video updates when possible)
  • SSC-over-TCP/IP emulation
  • Open-ended design makes it easier for developers to add additional hardware emulation
  • HDV/2MG image support
  • Joystick emulation (using mouse)

While the project began in 2007, the initial release to the public did not occur until January 2011.  For more about the JACE Emulator or to download the source code, go to the website at:

http://sites.google.com/site/brendanrobert/projects/jace

Or you can directly download the source code from the Sourceforge site at:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/java-ace/

Author: A.P.P.L.E.
The A.P.P.L.E. Website is run by the Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange Users Group and is open to all Apple and Macintosh fans and their friends.