Lagarto I-Una plataforma hardware/software de arquitectura de computadoras para la academia e investigaci\'on

TL;DR

Lagarto is an open hardware/software platform with a soft-core processor implementing MIPS 32 R6 ISA, designed to enhance computer architecture education and research through practical FPGA-based microprocessor design and testing.

Contribution

This work introduces the Lagarto platform, a fully synthesizable FPGA microprocessor with a pipeline and MMU, integrating practical RTL design into computer architecture teaching.

Findings

Allows students to design and test microprocessors using FPGA.

Supports assembly and C programming for microprocessor testing.

Facilitates understanding of computer architecture concepts through practical implementation.

Abstract

The design of Microprocessors Computer Architectures remains as a fundamental course in Computer Science and Computer Engineering. The technology and organization inside microprocessors have changed quite fast in the last twenty years. That change has increased the information handled in class, difficulting the teaching/learning process among students. Although there are tools, mainly simulators, available to exemplify abstract concepts during the course, these tools have not come along with the technology. The computer architecture group of the Centro de Investigaci\'on en Computaci\'on at the IPN Mexico is working on a project called Lagarto to create an open computing platform for research and education to simplify the understanding of fundamental concepts involved in computer architecture and operating systems. This paper introduces Lagarto, our soft-core-processor micro-architecture. It has a scalar pipeline structure and executes a full MIPS 32 R6 ISA [9] [10] and includes an MMU to support modern Operative Systems. The complete design has been described using Verilog HDL and is fully synthesizable in an FPGA. Additionally, this work shows different ways to use and test the microprocessor with codes written in either assembly language or C language. We show that the Lagarto project allows students to incorporate during the course not only the traditional model of visualizing theoretical knowledge in a practical exercise through simulators but also integrate into the teaching process the RTL design to build the Microprocessor Architecture.