Summary

This blog introduces StrangeCPU, a novel CPU microarchitecture built around a token machine that maps 8-bit tokens to wide 32-bit address spaces; the author presents design rationale, implementation notes and source code. Readers will learn how the token-based addressing works, how the CPU is realized in HDL, and practical considerations for synthesizing and testing the design on FPGAs.

Key Takeaways

• Describe the token-machine concept and how an 8-bit token can resolve to arbitrary 32-bit addresses
• Implement the core CPU structures and token-resolution logic in HDL from the provided code and notes
• Simulate and validate the CPU behavior using testbenches and the design's example workloads
• Adapt and port HDL components between Verilog/SystemVerilog and VHDL and prepare them for FPGA synthesis
• Assess FPGA implementation issues such as resource usage, memory mapping and integration with embedded systems

Who Should Read This

FPGA and CPU designers with HDL experience who want to explore unconventional addressing schemes and practical FPGA implementation of custom embedded processors.

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