A computer-aided teaching package for microprocessor systems education

A computer-aided teaching (CAT) package for use in a microprocessor systems course is described. It uses the Z80 CPU as the basis for describing how an eight-bit CPU functions internally and as the master of a microcomputer system. The package, which consists of an assembler and a graphics simulator, aids as a powerful teaching tool that enables the student to learn about the internal architecture of a microprocessor as applied to the Z80 CPU and its instruction set with a step-by-step graphics animation of the instruction execution and timing. The package allows the user to execute a program step by step and to test the operation of the internal registers, buses, and memory contents at every clock edge. It also simulates read/write cycles from/to memory and input-output devices. Finally, it allows the user to write and debug problems at the assembly language or machine code level. The package is menu driven, interactive, flexible, and user-friendly