Emulation Framework [EF]

About the Emulation Framework

The Emulation Framework (EF) offers a convenient way to open digital files and run programs in their native computer environment. This offers users the potential to view these files in their intended 'look and feel' independent from current state of the art computer systems.

The spectrum of potential computer platforms and applications that can be supported is practically unlimited. In this release the EF supports to emulate the x86 computer platform, Commodore 64, Amiga, BBC Micro and Amstrad CPC. Emulation is done by using existing emulators which are carefully selected on their capability to mimic the functionality of these platforms.

THe EF is actually an automated workflow for running emulators with predefined content. It does this by following several steps. The following illustration shows which steps are taken to come from digital file to emulated computer environment.

EF workflow

About the KEEP project

KEEP (Keeping Emulation Environments Portable) is an international research project co-funded by the European Union's 7th Framework Programme. It does research into an emulation-based preservation strategy and develops several tools to support that. The consortium consists of eight organisations representing a wide range of stakeholders in Europe: cultural heritage institutes, research institutes, commercial ICT partners and the gaming industry. The project has a duration of three years and ends in March 2012.

More information can be found on the KEEP project website.

About the development team

Main development of the Emulation Framework has been done by software company Tessella. Coordination, testing and development of the Advanced GUI was done by the National Library of the Netherlands. Development of the Basic GUI was done by the University of Portsmouth

The main software development team consisted of:

  • Bram Lohman (lead developer)
  • David Michel (software developer)
  • Edo Noordermeer (software developer)
  • Bart Kiers (software developer & tester)
  • Antonio Ciuffreda (software developer)
  • Jeffrey van der Hoeven (coordination)