Expanding the Register File – Superscalar 8-Bit CPU #21

Our CPU needs more registers! We have been busy designing, assembling, and testing a single register PCB. In this video, we combine those PCBs into a larger register file with seven general-purpose registers. We take a look at address decoding, observing values as they flow in and out of the register file, and how to write software that makes use of these new registers. More LEDs blink in more interesting ways!

This video series explores the concepts and techniques that make modern computer processors so incredibly fast and powerful. I build my very own 8-bit processor from individual logic gates and gradually evolve it to become a superscalar out-of-order machine. Along the way, we take a deep dive into contemporary computer architecture in a hands-on fashion and rediscover some of the foundations of modern computing.

Related Videos:

Chips:

00:00 - Intro
01:13 - Register Stack
05:53 - Addressing Logic
14:52 - Read/Write Port LEDs
19:03 - Integration
30:02 - Testing
32:44 - Updating the Program
39:06 - Testing
42:30 - Outro

#homebrew #8bit #breadboard #superscalar #computer

[mekafinchi]

Even without the superscalar goals of this series, it really stands out among computer architecture & organization projects on youtube in the approach you're taking in designing the ISA around the processor rather than the processor for the ISA. I've never seen it done in this order before but the way you've presented it makes it so natural; I'd love to know what the motivation is for it.

[arjacb]

I don’t know of anyone else making superscalar cpu on Youtube, it’s very impressive!

[protonetwork]

Your videos teach a ton of things, i was sick for this release.

[TheMason]

Great Video .... can't wait to the the next one ... Hope we don't have to wait that long 😀 Although i know that it is a lot of work ... but its very cool to see your CPU growing. Especially because as i know no one else has done something like a superscalar out of order cpu from scratch Simply gorgeous.

[NoodleFlame]

I'm so excited, its a great day when you release another video. Thank you so much, this series is my favourite on youtube!

[awesomecronk]

How do you do the little animations all over? The intro, the text transitions, all of it are just phenomenally well-polished!

[JaenEngineering]

I've been wondering about that third read_data bus. My initial idea was to connect it to the write_data bus with some logic to create a read/write bus (with some logic to allow the it to copy) but using it as the h_byte for 16b addressing is cool. Shouldn't be too hard to implement, if you used an adder to add 1 to whichever address read_data_2 is set to, you'll always get the next register.