DigiTekXplorer - abCore16 Project

The abCore16 project is a complete 16-bit microprocessor ecosystem designed and implemented through a collaborative development process with Gemini Pro. It features a custom CPU architecture and a comprehensive software development toolchain built entirely in Python within a PyCharm environment.

The ecosystem enables software development for the abCore16 CPU through two distinct compilation paths:

1. A simple, direct-to-assembly language.
2. A more powerful, C-like high-level language (SSL). This language supports modern programming constructs including functions with local variables, if/else, for, and while loops, and global one-dimensional arrays.

The toolchain provides a seamless workflow from high-level code to execution:

• A PLY-based C-like Compiler parses the source, builds an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST), and generates assembly code.
• An Assembler converts the assembly code into 16-bit binary machine code.
• A Simulator executes the binary code on a detailed model of the abCore16 CPU, providing cycle-by-cycle logging and state inspection.
• A Disassembler can reverse-engineer the binary back into human-readable assembly for verification and debugging.

The entire project serves as a practical, hands-on platform for exploring and implementing concepts in computer architecture and compiler design.

The abCore16 project is your gateway to a complete, custom-designed 16-bit computer system built entirely from the ground up in Python.

What is abCore16?

The abCore16 is more than just a CPU simulation; it's a full-stack hardware and software ecosystem. It includes:

• A Custom 16-bit CPU Architecture: A complete specification for a 16-bit processor with its own unique Instruction Set Architecture (ISA).
• A Powerful C-like Language: A high-level language designed for the abCore16 that      supports functions, variables, loops, and arrays.
• A Complete Software Toolchain: A sophisticated compiler, assembler, and disassembler that transform high-level code into executable binary.
• A Detailed Microprocessor Simulator: A Python program that faithfully executes binary code, modeling the CPU's registers, memory, stack, and I/O operations.

This project is a practical journey into the heart of how computers work, from the logic gates of the CPU to the grammar of a high-level programming language.

1. main.py: The master orchestrator script.
2. abcore16_defs.py: The central definitions for the ISA.
3. simple_translator.py: The translator for the original Simple Source Language (SSL).
4. c_ply_compiler.py: The PLY-based parser for the C-like SSL.
5. ast_nodes.py: The class definitions for the Abstract Syntax Tree.
6. code_generator.py: The visitor that traverses the AST to generate SAL code.
7. simple_assembler.py: The assembler for SAL to binary machine code.
8. simple_disassembler.py: The disassembler for binary back to SAL.
9. microprocessor_simulator.py:  The cycle-accurate CPU simulator.