> 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).

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

huh?

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.