A microprogramming teaching environment using the Macintosh computer

ABSTRACT

A microprogramming teaching environment is presented. It is composed of a hardware part (a 16 bit microprogrammable processor) and a software part, running on a Macintosh II computer. The software includes 6 modules: two microassemblers - one uses a classical approach to generate microcode from a description in a register transfer language and the other one, which is more unusual, is menu-driven -; a disassembler; a monitor allowing one to display and modify the processor resources, as well as to control the execution; a memory loader and a simulator. The interactive and convivial nature of the Macintosh computer, and especially the HyperCard application, are used thoroughly in order to facilitate a utilization of the system.

REFERENCES

• 1: Daniel A Mange, A high-level-language programmable controller, part II—microcompilation of the high-level language micropascal, IEEE Micro, v.6 n.2, p.47-63, April 1986 [doi>10.1109/MM.1986.304743]
• 2: T. C. Hartrum, G. B. Lamont, A. A. Ross, Am29203 Evaluation Board User's Guide, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, 1986.
• 3: Stanley Habib, Microprogramming and Firmware Engineering Methods, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1988
• 4: CORPORATE Apple Computer Inc. Staff, Hypercard script language guide, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1988
• 5: Wakerly, Microcomputer architecture and programming: 68000 version, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1988
• 6: Niklaus Wirth, Algorithms & data structures, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1985

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  B. Hardware
  B.1 CONTROL STRUCTURES AND MICROPROGRAMMING

Additional Classification:
  B. Hardware
  B.2 ARITHMETIC AND LOGIC STRUCTURES
      B.2.1 Design Styles
          Subjects: Pipeline
  B.5 REGISTER-TRANSFER-LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION

  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.5 COMPUTER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
      C.5.3 Microcomputers
          Subjects: Microprocessors

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.1 Computer Uses in Education
          Subjects: Computer-assisted instruction (CAI)

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design