
The program counter - a four-bit register storing the location of the next instruction to be executed.The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) - takes two four-bit inputs from the data bus and the accumulator and performs mathematical and logical operations on the data.The instruction register - stores the current instruction being executed.


We began with an overview of digital logic and, step-by-step throughout the semester, assembled the components of a basic four-bit microprocessor.
#Complete microprocessor logicworks 5 simulator#
We used a digital circuit simulator called LogicWorks. I took the opportunity to carry the project a bit further than the requirements for my grade to satisfy my curiosity. A digital design class allowed me to fill in the gap in the form of a project which spanned the length of the semester. I knew my way around a breadboard, and a Perl script, but didn’t fully understand how the two connected. Until recently, there was a gap in my knowledge between the transistor and the algorithm. Most programming languages are very well insulated from the hardware, and don’t require knowing the structure of a computer processor. I also had an interest in electronic circuits. I became fascinated with languages, algorithms and data structures. My interest in computers began with programming.
