arm64-emulator

This is a small emulator, simulating 6 instructions of arm64:

ldr: Load
str: Store
add: Add register, immediate
sub: Subtract register, immediate
add: Add register, register
ret: Return

Toolchain

For 64 bit arm:

apt install gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu binutils-aarch64-linux-gnu

add.c is first compiled using aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc -c add.c.

The result is then disassembled using aarch64-linux-gnu-objdump -d to reveal the instructions in hex format.

We then create an assembly file and add the arm64 instructions in hex format using the .long directive. Function arm64_add must also be declared as global to make sure the linker can find it at compile time.

Build

Source can be built by running make.

The emulator source as well as the arm64_add function is compiled and linked into a single executable binary. The arm64_add function can then either be run as is on a native host or in can be emulated on other platforms.

Run

To run a one time emulation:

./emualte_arm64

To run an emulated sample within a loop:

./emualte_arm64 --sample-emulator

To run a native sample within a loop (This must be run on a native arm64 host):

./emualte_arm64 --sample-native