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;In the world of computing, terms like "[[Hypervisors|hypervisors]]", "[[Simulators|simulators]]", "[[Compatibility_layer|compatibility layers]]", "[[Wrappers|wrappers]]", and "[[:Category:Emulators|emulators]]" are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion. While they share some similarities, each technology serves a distinct purpose and operates at different levels.
Within the realm of computer science, emulation occupies a niche distinct from virtualization and compatibility or other techniques. Whereas hypervisors usually used for partitioning physical hardware resources among multiple guest operating systems, and simulators where developers build virtual replicas of specific environments or processes, emulation endeavors to recreate an entire historical architecture. This digital reconstruction seeks to faithfully capture the instruction set, timing behaviors, and even peripheral nuances of a bygone hardware platform. Unlike compatibility layers, which translate software instructions to a native format, emulation builds a virtual stage upon which the software itself can perform authentically. Emulation's intricate tapestry sometimes intertwines with threads of other technologies though. Notably, certain emulators leverage hypervisors for a more efficient handling of resource allocation and isolation. Additionally, some emulators employ compatibility layers as subcomponents, acting as translators for specific libraries or APIs that might otherwise be incompatible with the host environment. Think of these layers as linguistic bridges, allowing the emulated software to converse fluently with the modern system hardware. By strategically merging these techniques, certain emulators achieve impressive levels of performance and compatibility, further unlocking the doors to historical [[Preservation_projects|software preservation]].
So in summary, an accurate emulator is when an instruction given to both the program and the hardware results in both outputting the same result. That means accurate emulators produce much fewer audio and video glitches, usually at the cost of more processing power needed. It's often achieved by using tighter synchronization.
