Setun - Balanced Ternary Computer Emulator

A faithful Electron-based emulator of the historic Setun computer, the world's first ternary (base-3) computer developed in the Soviet Union in 1958.

Features

• Program Editor: Write programs using balanced ternary notation (-1, 0, +1)
• Execution Controls: Run, step, pause, and reset with adjustable execution speed
• Real-time Visualization: Watch registers and memory update as your program executes
• Sample Programs: Learn with built-in examples demonstrating ternary operations
• Syntax Validation: Immediate feedback on invalid ternary digits
• Retro Aesthetic: Amber and cyan color scheme inspired by classic computing terminals
• Native Desktop App: Cross-platform desktop application built with Electron
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Full menu system with keyboard shortcuts for quick access

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm (comes with Node.js)

Install Dependencies

npm install

Running the Application

Development Mode

Run the app in development mode with DevTools open:

npm start

Or with the --dev flag for automatic DevTools:

npm run dev

Web Version

You can also run it as a web app by opening index.html in a web browser, or serving it with a local HTTP server:

python3 -m http.server 8080

Building the Application

Build standalone executables for your platform:

# Build for current platform
npm run build

# Build for specific platforms
npm run build:win    # Windows (NSIS installer + portable)
npm run build:mac    # macOS (DMG + ZIP)
npm run build:linux  # Linux (AppImage + DEB)

Built applications will be in the dist/ folder.

Using the Application

Loading Programs

1. Load an example program from the dropdown menu
2. Or write your own program in the editor

Execution Controls

• Run (F5): Execute continuously at selected speed
• Step (F10): Execute one instruction at a time
• Pause (F6): Pause execution
• Reset (Ctrl/Cmd+R): Clear all state and start over

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl/Cmd+N: New program
• Ctrl/Cmd+S: Save program
• F5: Run program
• F10: Step through program
• F6: Pause execution
• Ctrl/Cmd+R: Reset emulator
• Ctrl/Cmd+Q: Quit application

Balanced Ternary

Setun uses balanced ternary digits:

• - or − represents -1
• 0 represents 0
• + or 1 represents +1

Example: +0- represents the values +1, 0, -1

Architecture

The emulator includes:

• Accumulator: Main register for arithmetic operations
• Program Counter: Points to the current instruction
• Instruction Register: Holds the current instruction being executed
• Memory: 27 words of balanced ternary storage

Example Programs

• Addition: Demonstrates adding ternary numbers
• Multiplication: Shows ternary multiplication
• Conditional: Illustrates conditional logic

Technologies

• Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+)
• HTML5
• CSS3 (with OKLCH color space)
• Google Fonts (JetBrains Mono, Inter)

License

See LICENSE file for details.