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tenyr

Overview

tenyr is a 32-bit computer architecture and computing environment that focuses on simplicity of design and implementation. tenyr comprises :

• an instruction set architecture (ISA)
• an implementation in FPGA hardware with device support
• tools for building software
  • assembler
  • linker
  • simulator
• a standard library of tenyr code
• some example software, including :
  • a timer
  • random snakes (running in the simulator, running on the FPGA)
  • a recursive Fibonacci number generator

Someday it will also include :

• a Forth environment (work in progress)
• a C compiler based on LCC
• a novel cooperative real-time operating system

Explore a simple online demo of the tenyr toolset.

This page serves as a general overview of the design of tenyr. It is not an exhaustive reference.

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Description

General notes

tenyr has the following properties, among others :

• single-core (no SMP, no NUMA, no threads, no multicore)
• pure 32-bit
  • word-addressed (no endianness)
  • no concept of a data size larger or smaller than 32 bits (no bytes)
  • fixed-width, 32-bit instructions
• no hardware stack support
  • the O register is used to maintain a stack, by ABI convention
• no hardware floating-point
  • software floating-point support is possible but not planned
• no integer divide (not convenient to synthesis)
• no interrupts, exceptions, or traps
• all devices and I/O are memory-mapped (no special I/O instructions)

Assembly language

The tenyr assembly language is algebraic, rather than mnemonic like most : it doesn't use keywords like mov or xor to signal operations to the assembler. Examples in the source tree may clarify. A detailed explanation of the assembly language syntax is found here.