A low cost microprogram development and learning kit

In recent years microprogramming has emerged as one of the most powerful techniques for designing digital systems. A thorough knowledge of microprogramming techniques and tools will be a prerequisite for understanding current and future digital system technologies. Advanced Micro Devices Inc., has designed a low cost educational tool, the Am290o evaluation and learning kit to be used for learning microprogramming. Although this kit is well-suited to the beginner it does not fulfill the requirements of an intermediate user. Some of the limitations present in this kit are as follows:

1. It has a 4-bit Arithmetic Logic Unit, ALU.

2. The built in memory can house only 16 microinstructions.

3. The display can present only a small fraction of information simultaneously.

4. Toggle switches are used to load the memory and to control the display. The use of these toggle switches is very time consuming.

The purpose of this study was to design and build a new microprogram development system which would eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks and offer better learning facilities. This new system is built with inexpensive I.C. devices and provides a greater flexibility in microprogram development and evaluation.