JAVA-BASED MICROPROCESSOR

Java-based Microprocessor is a project aimed to develop a processor that
implements Java virtual machine (JVM) instruction set into the hardware. The objective
ofthe project is enabling a Java application to be executed without the need ofJVM, but
in a more specific term, it is aimed to be an alternative non commercial processor as a
supporting base for educational research and development of embedded systems. With
the current application of Java, the Java Runtime Edition (JRE), an inter medium Java
OS, must be installed in every machine that is intended to execute Java bytecode. This
proved to be inefficient, especially in embedded system where the resources are limited
and upgrading is highly expensive.
The project was developed to be an easily comprehensible HDL, allowing others
to pursue with advancement without complications. Thus, the HDL design were coded
with behavioural style. In order to be more transparent for others to view the project
development, the entire design is being developed by bottom-up approach. Four
modules comprises the entire design - ALU, stacks, program counter and datapath.
These modules were designed individually, allowing a separate test bench and test
parameters, which also provided a betterperspective of the microprocessor design.
The project has already progressed from an 8-bit processor in mind towards a 32-
bit computer. The JVM has strict rules, allowing only certain instructions to execute
with proper operands with the right data type. The project was not planned to allow
operations of floating point number and doubles.
In conclusion, as for the use for supportingeducational research and development,
Java-based Microprocessor shall provide a solid foundation to embedded systems,
where more enhancements would be needed before it can be utilized reliably.