MASCO: An academic exercise in computer design using microprogramming

The design of a host machine architecture for implementing an existing image machine architecture is considered. The proposed microarchitecture uses a microprogrammed control unit to emulate the Motorola MC6809 microprocessor architecture. The detailed hardware characteristics of the proposed machine are described and the microinstruction set is defined. The microroutines that emulate the MC6809 instruction set have been developed. A practical implementation using current technology is studied and some realistic timing characteristics are determined. The simulation of the proposed architecture is reviewed and the performance is evaluated. Finally, comparisons with existing models are made and the results are discussed.