We really need to make a middleware platform for this software. The runtime handles translation between adapters and such, and the software just has to handle doing its job to control whatever hardware.

This is what UNIX was made for on the software side. A UNIX program from the 70's can usually be compiled on a POSIX OS like Linux or MacOS fairly easily.

Problem is that Windows isn't one of those POSIX platforms, and you can't compile what you don't have the source for anyway. That also doesn't change how the software interfaces with the hardware.

The hardware and the proprietary software are the big issue. 3ven if we find a fix, it's a fix for future machines and not present ones.