Educational simulator for MIPS Architecture

• Main Author: Hu, Kai Yuan
• Other Authors: Smitha Kavallur Pisharath Gopi
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/66415
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The importance of computer architecture is known for various engineering fields. For example, it can help a programmer in the form of memory management, assembly programming, making a high level language program more efficient and etc. Understanding architecture of a microprocessor is extremely important to understand its functionality and to make the processor better. Visual representation and animation is always been the best method to learn architecture. Thus, this Final Year Project is to create an interactive development environment (IDE) for programming in MIPS assembly language, intended for educational-level use. This project focuses on the area of creating a visual learning in the area of computer architecture in order to aid all concern users to better understand the functionality of a processor with minimal guidance. In this project, 32 bit-MIPS simulator is implemented in Java programming language to create a visual animation to simulate the actual MIPS processor’s activities in pipeline or non-pipeline stages. It will require an understanding on both computer architecture and programming language. The goal of this project is to create a visual simulator in order to reduce the amount of time and aid all concern users in understanding the MIPS architecture. In addition, is to enhance the learning experience of all concern users towards the computer architecture.