A laboratory for building computers

Abstract

A workstation laboratory allows undergraduate students to build complete, functioning computers--in simulation. The simulation extends down to the gate and signal levels, with effective modeling of delays and transitions, so reasonable assurance of the validity of the designs can be obtained. The computers constructed in this laboratory are complete with peripheral equipment including tapes and disks, and the students furnish a rudimentary operating system. The student operating-systems receive executable binary objects on the tapes, transfer them to the disk, and initiate their execution. The executable objects and the operating system are produced by a standard C compiler. Students must limit their C-language source code and data types used so the compile binaries will be executable on the 16-bit wide, Motorola 680X0-like computer they construct. The computers are constructed in an hierarchical manner from the gates and medium-scale components available in the digital simulator used in this laboratory.