> writing the compiler took much more time

Impressive stuff.

I've dabbled wuth making my own ISA and softcore CPU in FPGA, but getting C code to compile has been a bit of a blocker.

I know there are some compilers one could try to port but my ISA is kinda esoteric so not straight forward, and so I considered just writing from scratch like you have.

> I know there are some compilers one could try to port but my ISA is kinda esoteric so not straight forward

Same. I tried digging into exsiting compilers, but they are either unsuitable at all or too complicated (clang).

Very impressive! Could you share some books, training, experiences that helped you reach this stage so a hobbyist could catch up? There are so many parts - compiler design, basic electronics, computer architecture etc. Maybe a blog post.

I have a CS/applied math background, my main job is software development, so I don't have problems with the software part. If you are interested in compiler design specifically, you can find a lot to read or to watch online.

When building my system, I was inspired by 8 bit retro computers like ZX Spectrum. Their architecture is straightforward and easy to understand.

Electronics just fascinates me, but I can't really point out a single source which gave me the insight. A lot of playing around with transistors, microcontrollers, logic gates gives the intution how to design stuff.

impressive work! a lot of it went over my head but still i could appreciate it being a real feat