Code to the Spec(trum) or the Implementation

When writing software that uses any kind of API or hardware functionality, sooner or later there will be questions about what a particular API call or hardware operation is supposed to do. In principle, such questions should be answered by referring to the specification (and user documentation). I am a firm believer in writing readable and clear specs and keeping software coding to follow the spec, as that ensures future compatibility. But reality is not that simple. Things are generally better today than they used to be, though. Reading up a bit on the history of my first computer (the ZX Spectrum), I found some rather interesting cases of spec vs implementation, and “discovered functionality”.

Continue reading “Code to the Spec(trum) or the Implementation”

Presenting a Simics Tutorial at DVCon Europe (2021)

DVCon Europe is coming up in late October. This year, I am going to present a tutorial on using the public release of the Intel Simics Simulator to model a PCIe-attached accelerator subsystem. It is fun to be back speaking at the DVCon, after a couple of years of not having talked at the conference. DVCon Europe is a virtual event this year too due to Covid.

Continue reading “Presenting a Simics Tutorial at DVCon Europe (2021)”