MicroTiger: A Graphical Microcode Simulator with a Reconfigurable Datapath

摘要

This paper describes the MicroTiger software that combines a graphical microcode simulator with a reconfigurable datapath. The resulting implemented simulator is able to fill the void in microprogramming tools since there are no graphical microcode simulators that allow such customization of the datapath. The customization of the datapath goes beyond allowing different files specifying the datapath, it allows the datapath to be created and modified using the graphical interface like a circuit editor. In the academic setting, MicroTiger provides easier microcode testing on the instruction level for instructors and provides simulation debugging through code tracing and breakpoints for students.