A VHDL implementation of the HACK computer architecture.
- A fully working programmable 16-bit microprocessor based on the HACK computer architecture.
- Features a whopping 64Kx16-bit RAM and 64Kx16-bit ROM for programming. Wow!
- Clone the repo and use the VHDL files in whichever simulator you use. You may have to rearrange the files in order to get it to work for yours.
- Edit the ROM VHDL file with the machine code that you would like to run. The currently loaded program is a simple up-counter.
- Simulate.
- Further solidifying the fundamentals of VHDL that I know.
- A deeper understanding of computer architecture.
- The overall VHDL design process.
I've always been interested in the intricacies that goes within a computer architecture. I've done nand2tetris before but I never got to finish it because I wasn't a fan of the 'fake' HDL that they had and that the tests were all done for you. I've also played a game aimed to recreated nand2tetris in a friendlier format but I found that too quick because all of the testing is done for you. So, in spirit of that, I implemented the same computer architecture on VHDL. There were a lot of blanks left as an exercise to the reader presented in the source book which leads to a lot of room for creativity to make it work.
Microprocessor RTL Diagram
Expanded Microprocessor RTL Diagram
The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles