Evaluation of Automatic Generation of an Instruction Set Simulator for Educational Use

To develop an embedded system, in which processors are used, a skilled assembler is necessary. An instruction set simulator is essential for training assembly programming, and the preparation of a software development environment (such as simulator, assembler, disassembler, and compiler) for a new processor can put a great strain on processor developers. We have been developing C-DASH (C-like Design Automation Shell), a Hardware/Software codesign tool for processors that can generate an instruction set level simulator based on a CUI (Character User Interface). In this paper, we construct a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for a simulator and describe the utilization of the simulator for education. We used the simulator in classroom and evaluate the simulator.