Education and demonstration – Computer logic – operation – or programming instruction
Patent
1989-02-27
1990-10-23
Apley, Richard J.
Education and demonstration
Computer logic, operation, or programming instruction
364521, 364900, G09B 1900
Patent
active
049648039
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a microcomputer operational display device which is helpful to microcomputer learners or beginners, and more particularly to a microcomputer operational display device wherein the individual basic operation of microcomputer components and the entire operational flow thereof, in addition to the internal architecture of the microcomputer, can be sensed visually and appreciated readily by learners. This invention also is directed to a method for displaying the operation of microcomputers in the manner mentioned above.
BACKGROUND ART
Recently, the widespread propagation of microcomputers caused many persons to consider acquiring a high degree of microcomputer knowledge, thereby leading to the publication of many guide books or manuals on microcomputers. However, beginners who had no elementary knowledge of microcomputers experienced great difficulty in understanding the operation of microcomputers by means of such books or manuals alone. That is to say, since such beginners appreciate the real operation of a microcomputer by conception alone, and have no means to confirm it visually, a great deal of time and effort was needed to understand it in spite of the many good books and manuals.
Therefore, the development of a microcomputer training apparatus which can enhance the training effect on a microcomputer by certain visual means would be very helpful to microcomputer learners or beginners. Korean utility model application publication No. 85-376 disclosed "a transparent plate to be used as a teaching aid for a microprocessor" which allows users to appreciate the operation of a microcomputer visually. The sheet plate of the aforementioned utility model, which puts a construction diagram concerning a certain operational sequence into several transparent plates in turn, could result in some training effect but could not generate high quality training effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a device and method for visually displaying the operation of microcomputers which can be very helpful to microcomputer learners or beginners.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a microcomputer operational display device and method which can display individual basic operations of microcomputer components and the entire operational flow thereof as well as the internal architecture of the microcomputer in order to allow users to appreciate them visually and readily.
According to the present invention, on the front panel of a training apparatus for microcomputers, a display section is constituted of numeral displays and light-emitting diodes, each for a single bit (hibble, byte), corresponding to a variety of registers and memories in a central processing unit which constitutes a microcomputer. The mutual data buses thereof are composed of a series of light-emitting diodes which are linearly arranged. The display sections for the registers and memories display the contents of materials stored therein in the form of hexadecimal numbers (0-F) and binary numbers (0-1). When the contents are transferred to other places over the data buses, the LEDs are lighted in turn so that learners can see the movement of the data and thereby visually learn the operation of the microcomputer.
These and other objects and advantageous features of the invention will become more clear from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of an operational display device for a four bit microcomputer according to the present invention.
FIGS. 2(a) through (k) illustrate detailed diagrams of each section in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3(a)-(n) illustrates one embodiment of the invention which shows a data shift display method for a four bit microcomputer.
FIG. 4(a)-(d) illustrates another embodiment of the invention which displays the state of fetch cycles in a microcomputer.
FIG. 5(a)-(c) illustrates still another embodiment of the
REFERENCES:
patent: 3372381 (1968-03-01), Raspanti
patent: 3844564 (1974-10-01), Barish
patent: 4348761 (1982-09-01), Berger
patent: 4517671 (1985-05-01), Lewis
Apley Richard J.
Cheng Joe H.
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