Software Information
Software Overview
The Turing machine is controlled by a Parallax Propeller chip. Most of the programming for the machine is done in the Propeller chip's Spin language. There are two major sections of the programming. One deals with the user interactions and the other is the actual running of the Turing states.
User interactions
- Loading programs from SD card. Formally, these programs are called states or transition rules.
- Creating a default tape. Programs often work on a tape that has some number already on it and these can be edited by the user.
- Utility functions. This includes things like moving the tape to a new position, erasing a bulk section of the tape, and changing the way a program runs or steps through its actions.
Turing Machine Loop
- Reads, writes and erases the tape.
- Finds the state rule that matches the current state and what was read from the cell.
- Updates the feedback display.
Block Diagrams
Software Download
All of the software I've written for the Turing machine is available for download. Feel free to use all or parts of it as you see fit.
Download The Turing Machine Software
Online Turing Machine Simulators
Here are a couple of simulators that will let you experiment with creating your own Turing machines.
Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe
The book focuses on a small group of men and women, who built one of the first computers to realize Alan Turing’s vision of a Universal Machine.
The Essential Turing
The papers in this book are the key works for understanding Turing's phenomenal contribution.
