The Little Man Computer

The Little Man Computer

•  The goals of todays lecture are:
–  To get a better understanding of the fetch/execute
cycle
–  To explore the operations that the computer is
capable of performing
–  Look at how those operations work together to
provide the computer with its power.

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 The Little Man Computer

•  We will begin by introducing a model of the

computer (the LMC); a model that operates in
a very similar way to real computers but that
is easier to understand.

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 The Little Man Computer
•  Using this model we will introduce:
– a simplified, but typical, set of instructions
that a computer can perform.
– we will examine how these instructions are
executed in the LMC
– we will examine how these instructions are
combined to form programs.

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The Little Man Computer

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Mailboxes: Address vs. Content
•  Addresses are consecutive

•  Content may be
–  Data or
–  Instructions

Address Content

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Mailboxes: Content - Instructions
•  Op code
–  Operation code
–  Arbitrary mnemonic
•  Operand
–  Object to be manipulated
•  Data or
•  Address of data

Address Content
Op code Operand

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 Calculator
•  The calculator can be used to enter and
temporarily hold numbers, and also to add
and subtract.

•  The display on the calculator is three digits

wide.

•  For this discussion there is no provision made

for negative numbers, or for numbers larger
than three digits.

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 Hand Counter
•  There is a two-digit hand counter, the
type that you can click to increment the
count.

•  The reset button for the hand counter is

located outside the mailroom.

•  We will call the hand counter an

instruction location counter.

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 Little Man

•  Finally, there is the Little Man. His role

is to perform certain tasks.

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 In and Out Basket
•  Other than the reset switch on the hand counter, the
only interaction between the LMC and the outside
environment are the In and Out Baskets.

•  A user can communicate with the LMC by putting a

slip of paper with a three- digit number on it into the
basket, to be read by the LMC.

•  Similarly, the LMC can write a three-digit number on a

slip of paper and leave it in the out basket, where it
can be retrieved by the user.

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The Little Man Computer

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 LMC – Instruction Set
•  We would like the LMC to do some useful
work, so we define a small group of
instructions that he can perform.

•  Each instruction will consist of one digit which

identifies which operation the LMC should
perform – we will use the first digit of a three.

•  If the operation requires the LMC to use a

particular mailbox we can use the other two
digits to specify the mailbox address.

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 Instruction Set
Arithmetic 1xx ADD

2xx SUB

Data Movement 3xx STORE

5xx LOAD

Input/Output 901 INPUT

902 OUTPUT

Machine Control 000 STOP

(coffee break) COB

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 Input/Output
•  Move data between calculator and in/
out baskets
Content

Op Code Operand
(address)

IN (input) 9 01

OUT (output) 9 02

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 LMC Input/Output

IN
OUT

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 Internal Data Movement
•  Between mailbox and calculator

Content
Op Code Operand
(address)

STO 3 xx
(store)

LDA 5 xx
(load)

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LMC Internal Data

LDA

STO

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 Arithmetic Instructions
•  Read mailbox
•  Perform operation in the calculator

Content

Op Code Operand
(address)

ADD 1 xx

SUB 2 xx

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LMC Arithmetic Instructions

ADD
SUB

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 Simple Program: Add 2 Numbers

•  The logic for adding two

Input a #
numbers in the LMC is
given on the left. Write out
the series of LMC Store the #
instructions that
implements this logic.
Input a #

•  Assume data is stored in Add

mailboxes with addresses
>90 Output the
number

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 Program to Add 2 Numbers:
Using Mnemonics
Mailbox Mnemonic Instruction Description

00 IN ;input 1st Number

01 STO 99 ;store data

02 IN ;input 2nd Number

03 ADD 99 ;add 1st # to 2nd #

04 OUT ;output result

05 COB ;stop

99 DAT 00 ;data

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 Program to Add 2 Numbers
Mailbox Code Instruction Description

00 901 ;input 1st Number

01 399 ;store data

02 901 ;input 2nd Number

03 199 ;add 1st # to 2nd #

04 902 ;output result

05 000 ;stop

99 000 ;data

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 An Extended Instruction Set
•  The instruction set we have specified
does not provide any means for
branching or looping, both of which are
very important constructs for
programming.

•  We need to extend the instruction set to

provide the LMC to carry out more
complex programs.

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 Program Control
•  Branching
–  executing an instruction out of sequence
–  Changes the address in the counter
•  Halt Content
Op Code Operand
(address)
BR (Jump) 6 xx

BRZ (Branch on 7 xx
Calc=0)

BRP (Branch on 8 xx
Calc=+)

COB (stop) 0 (ignore)

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 Program control
While value = 0 Do
Task;
NextStatement

45 LDA 90 590 90 is assumed to contain value

46 BRZ 48 748 Branch if the value is zero
47 BR 60 660 Exit loop; jump to NextStatement
48 .
.
.
59 BR 45 645 End of Task; loop to test again
60 Next statement

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Extended Instruction Set + Mnemonics
Arithmetic 1xx ADD
2xx SUB
Data Movement 3xx STORE (Calc Data to Mailbox)
5xx LOAD (Mailbox Data to Calc)
BR 6xx JUMP
BRZ 7xx BRANCH ON 0
BRP 8xx BRANCH ON +
Input/Output 901 INPUT
902 OUTPUT

Machine Control 000 HALT

(coffee break) COB

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 Find Positive Difference of 2 Numbers

00 IN 901
01 STO 10 310
02 IN 901
03 STO 11 311
04 SUB 10 210
05 BRP 08 808 ;test
06 LDA 10 510 ;if negative, reverse order
07 SUB 11 211
08 OUT 902 ;print result and
09 COB 000 ;stop
10 DAT 00 000 ;used for data
11 DAT 00 000 ;used for data

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 Instruction Cycle

•  Fetch: Little Man finds out what

instruction he is to execute

•  Execute: Little Man performs the work.

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 Fetch Portion of
Fetch and Execute Cycle

1. Little Man reads the

address from the
location counter

2. He walks over to
the mailbox that
corresponds to the
location counter

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Fetch, cont.

3. And reads the

number on the slip
of paper (he puts
the slip back in case
he needs to read it
again later)

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 Execute Portion

•  The execution portion of each instruction is, of

course,different for each instruction.

•  However, even here, there are many

similarities.

•  The load instruction is typical.

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 Execute Portion

1. The Little Man goes to the

mailbox address specified
in the instruction he just
fetched.

2. He reads the number in that

mailbox (he remembers to
replace it in case he needs it
later).

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 Execute, cont.

3. He walks over to the

calculator and punches the
number in.

4. He walks over to the location

counter and clicks it, which
gets him ready to fetch the
next instruction.

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von Neumann Architecture (1945)

•  John von Neumann is usually considered to

be the developer of modern computer
architecture.

•  The major guidelines that define a von

Neumann architecture are:
–  Stored program concept - memory holds both
programs and data.
–  Memory is addressed linearly
–  Memory is addressed without regard to content

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von Neumann Architecture (1945)

•  Instructions are executed

sequentially unless an instruction or
an outside event cause a branch to
occur.

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 Von Neumann Architecture
•  von Neumann defined the
functional organisation of the
computer to be made up of:
–  A control unit that
executes instructions
–  An arithmetic logic unit
that perfrom arithmetic
and logical calculations,
–  Memory

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 LMC & von Neumann

•  If you check over the guidelines and

organisation just described, you will observe
that the LMC is an example of a von
Neumann architecture :)

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 Summary
•  The LMC provides a model of the workings of a computer.
•  The LMC works by following simple instructions, which are
described by numbers.
•  Some of these instructions cause the LMC to change the
order in which instructions are executed.
•  Both data and instructions are stored in individual mail
slots. There is no differentiation between the two except in
the context of the particular operation taking place.
•  The LMC follows the fetch-execute cycle.
•  Normally the LMC executes instructions sequentially from
the mail slots except when he encounters a branching
instruction.

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 Lab Assignments

•  There are no labs this week because of

the Saint Patrick’s day bank holiday!

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