A software-based interactive system on BZK.SAU.FPGA10.1 micro computer design for teaching computer architecture and organization

An important problem in Computer Architecture and Organization course is the migration from theory to practice. Computer Architecture designs are developed to tackle this problem. This paper presents a learning activity designed to improve motivation towards learning computer architecture and organization subjects, mainly on BZK.SAU.FPGA10.1[1] micro computer architecture design. This software-based interactive system gives a visual presentation of all parts of such a micro computer architecture design; displays the states of registers; performs at the level of clock cycle, an instruction and complete program. So, when learning standard micro computer architecture subjects, students can understand executing a program instruction by instruction at the system level, where the microcomputer is considered as a black box.