Teaching microprocessor and microcontroller fundamental using FPGA

Teaching microprocessor and microcontroller fundamental can be done in various ways. From flash animation, computer simulator, model computer, hardware model until using FPGA. This work imply FPGA as the way to help students understand the way microprocessor and microcontroller work, examine the bus condition, timing and follow step by step instructions fetching, decoding up to the execution of instruction. The microprocessor and microcontroller implemented in teaching are ranged from the simple one up to the complex one. The complexity will be limited to the type of FPGA that is used in the process. This approach will be beneficial to the students to get the inside understanding about the microprocessor and microcontroller. The students can have real hardware experiences rather than only having software or simulation experiences. Furthermore, the students can deploy various kind of microprocessor and focus on some highlighted features without having to change the hardware.